Ebay Clutch and PP, Is this legit? Options

[Jameel]

I'm about to replace my clutch and found this one on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/70-71-72-73-74-75-...RoG&vxp=mtr

It's quite a bit cheaper than what looks to be the same kit from Pelican. I've only ordered from Pelican a couple times (books mostly) but they seem like the go-to place for parts.

Any experience with this ebay seller? Is this a good deal? I'm pretty new to the 914, so have not discovered any smaller shops other than Pelican and Auto Atlanta (have been warned about the latter from a couple folks) Thanks.

[saigon71]

Yeah, it's legit. I just bought one from them a few weeks ago. No concerns.

[pilothyer]

Looks to be just about the best price going right now. Then to consider it is free shipping, you can't go wrong..........definitely a legit seller.

[Jameel]

Great, thanks! Ordered!

[jack20]

I bought one on the suggestion of another vendor. Good value and shipped fast.
Comes with a throwout bearing. You might consider replacing the plastic ears it connects with and the ball bushing, both in the bell housing. Also comes with spline grease. Good luck.

[BeemerSteve]

Just bought one as well! Need a pilot bearing TO arm cup.

[JOEPROPER]

I just bought one too. I haven't installed it yet, but it looks good. Need a pilot bearing which is sold separately.

[Jameel]

Wow, that was fast. Clutch arrived today. Ordered it yesterday. Came with PP, friction disc, clutch alignment tool (which I think I can use on my bug rebuild too!) throwout bearing and grease. I ordered a pilot bearing, felt washer and o-ring from Pelican. It will be here Friday.

Also got my new used gears from Brad today. This cold weather isn't bothering me, it can stay cold as far as I'm concerned until I get this tranny back in.

[dcheek]

I bought everything to do my clutch job form Pelican. Why? Because I've never done a clutch on a 914 before and would not be able to "pick the brain" of the Ebay seller if there was a problem. Pelican has one of the best tech sections explaining the procedure with pictures. It was spot on and made the project go very smoothly. I felt obligated to buy everything from them, in essence to support their effort to help the do-it-yourselfer. Even at their prices I saved a ton of money and they came through with all the other "while you're in there" parts, including bushings, seals etc. to do a thorough job.

Also, I noticed that the clutch disk on Ebay has 6 springs while my original had 4. I asked if I could get the 4 spring clutch from Pelican and they said yes. I'm a firm believer in keeping it original. I figure the engineers had a reason (along with the bean counters) for using what they did only because every time I made a modification in the past I was disappointed.

All the above is my OPINION, so there's no need to lecture me on what's right or wrong. I believe in supporting those vendors that support us enthusiasts, plain and simple.

Thanks Pelican!

Dave

[iankarr]

What's the consensus on getting everything balanced before installing? I've read some posts saying it's super important to get all the spinning bits balanced...but a lot of people seem to just bolt on the new clutch, flywheel and PP and go.

[dcheek]

What's the consensus on getting everything balanced before installing? I've read some posts saying it's super important to get all the spinning bits balanced...but a lot of people seem to just bolt on the new clutch, flywheel and PP and go.

Well, funny you are asking this because I went through the same thought process before order the parts I needed. I consulted a 40+ year veteran from PCA. He said DON'T replace anything unless you absolutely have to. The quality of the new stuff sometimes is questionable. For instance a while for back he checked to see if a new pressure plate was balanced and found it way way off. He also was not a fan of resurfacing a flywheel, unless you are sure that who ever does it knows what they are doing. If they do not mount it correctly on the machine, they will in essence put a warp in it. Then you end up with chatter etc.

The flywheel is balanced at the factory with the crankshaft. If you replace it you would have to tear apart the motor to balance them together. So, if your flywheel is okay, meaning not scored or worn below spec., just scuff it up with emery cloth and re-install. Just be gentle on the clutch for the first 50 miles and it will seat right in.

This is ultimately what I ended up doing:
I replaced the clutch disk, PP, and TO bearing. I kept the original flywheel and scuffed it as mentioned above. I took the chance with a possible unbalanced new PP since the fingers where quite worn on the original from the old TO bearing. I didn't think it would last without replacement even thought the above mentioned "expert" said it was fine. I've road tested for 30 miles and it seems to work very well. I also changed all the seals and shift bushings that had failed then cleaned and greased everything. Now it shifts much better and the clutch does not slip upon acceleration in any gear.

I hope this gives you some insight as to what to do. I'm sure that there are a 1000 different ways to approach the project. And I'm sure you will get a ton of advice here. Good luck!

Dave

[Mark Henry]

Also, I noticed that the clutch disk on Ebay has 6 springs while my original had 4. I asked if I could get the 4 spring clutch from Pelican and they said yes. I'm a firm believer in keeping it original. I figure the engineers had a reason (along with the bean counters) for using what they did only because every time I made a modification in the past I was disappointed.

Hate to burst your bubble on this one, but the 6 spring is the 911, 914/6 part and is considered an upgrade.

The real noticeable point is when you install the disc on a reground flywheel, the 4 spring interferes with the flywheel bolts a lot more than the 6 spring disc.
To fix this you will have to grind the heads of the flywheel bolts down.

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[TheCabinetmaker]

Hey Mark, they still make 4 spring clutches? Haven't used one since the seventies.

[Mark Henry]

Hey Mark, they still make 4 spring clutches? Haven't used one since the seventies.

I heard they still had them in the early 2000's, I didn't think sachs still made them.

I did have an new old stock 4 spring I acquired in a parts score, my only experience with a new one. Seen many old ones, so it was the same.
Springs were quite a bit thicker with larger OD, on a 1st reground fly I had to grind the poop out of the bolts.