I opened up my previously chattering clutch today. The pressure plate is all nicked up. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, engaging the clutch felt pretty much the same way this looks. But given that the clutch disk isn't THAT worn, I don't see how this is possible. It looks like somebody went at it on purpose with a cold chisel.

Is it just likely that a previous PO replaced the disk and put it back together like this? Is there something else wrong that needs to be addressed?

Click to view attachment

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Mike

WOW!!!

never seen one that looks like that...

did you look at the pilot bearing?

I haven't pulled the flywheel yet, so I'm not sure about the pilot bearing. There's nothing obviously wrong with it, none of the needle bearings fell out or anything like that.

Isn't it curious that the marks go across the pressure plate, rather than circular. . . I wonder if a PO decided the pressure plate needed 'adhesion marks' in some attempt to keep the clutch plate from slipping ???

I've never seen that either, so I'm curious too. Chattering can produce a radial pattern, but not like that, and certainly not that amount of damage. I'd suspect the needle bearings too, but where's the corresponding damage in the friction material on the disc? Yeah, I'm curious.

Looks like maybe a tooth from the flywheel got in between the PP and clutch and was rolling as the clutch was engaged, or something like that!

Looks like FOD (Foreign Object Debris). You should replace the pilot bearing while your in there. A bad or missing pilot can cause chattering but the scars look like FOD.

The damage looks like someone tried to re-new the wear surface of the pressure plate with a 6" grinder free-hand; seriously. I wouldn't put it past a dumb P.O.

It could also be that at some point the center broke out of an old clutch and it banged around in there as the same dumb P.O. tried to figure out what all the noise was when he cycled the pedal. To save $$$, he only replaced the broken part and left the pressure plate for the next guy. . . I've seen this happen on a beetle with a Chinese clutch kit. . .

I agree it looks like you had something foreign stuck between the plate & Clutch. Every time you engaged it would move to a different spot? That is pretty wild though . I can't say I have ever seen one like that either. Anything fall out when you pulled it? That clutch disc is sure missing some meat on the one lip. Looks like a good 3/8" has worn off the one edge. If you need anything I have a few spares. Your welcome to them if you drive down to pick them up

I can't accept that pressure plate damage happened when that disc was in place. Nothing that could do that much damage to the metal pressure plate surface would leave the disc friction material intact. I'd bet that damage occurred previously and then it was reassembled with a new friction disc. That would explain the chatter, and how else could that friction disc escape being chewed up a lot more than it is?

Buy a new clutch kit. Usually come with pilot bearing and throw-out bearing.

What does the flywheel look like? I'm not sure I would trust it.

Geez I love puzzles & can't imagine what caused the dings in that pressure plate. the yellow paint mark on the clutch disk is likely a junkyard mark, probably a similar one on the PP also. Post up a pic of your flywheel when you get a chance...look carefully at the step available between the wear surface and the hub to see if it's beyond refinishing. Then go in with a new PP & clutch disk assembly....don't forget to get a new flywheel o-ring that's tucked inside where the crank mates up and also the plastic cup that the release lever pivots on.....

Yellow paint on friction disk smells like junkyard parts. Maybe those parts were thrown together on the cheap when a previous disk was worn to the rivets. It wouldn't surprise me if the PO left the pilot bearing out altogether. I had a car with a blown pilot bearing and it had a bad chatter.