First trip off road.... Blew up my clutch [PIC HEAVY

I had a very fun weekend and thought id post up a few pictures

It was my first real trip off roading and decided I wanted to give it all!

Current mods are 2" Terrafirma
straight through pipe
de EGR
265/75/16

RRC interior

Sorry in advance for the i**** photos









Then I got stuck.. like really stuck in thick clay and this is what destroyed my clutch, was in low range giving it some commitment and suddenly the smell of clutch filled the interior, lost all drive at the wheels...





towed it to a garage to wait for a flat bed



This is todays effort,



Decided to go with the engine out option as i'm on my own; the top 2 bell housing nuts and the engine mounts :censored: are a right pain but got there after a few tea's and some time to think of how to approach.



Whilst the lump is out... and what a f******* lump it is!

painted the chassis outriggers and a few bits and bobs



Now when it came to changing the clutch I noticed the flywheel has a load of hairline cracks...



I know they crack under heat a little bit but i'm unsure whether or not this is safe? they are only tiny but a second opinion would help!

Engines going back in tomorrow with a Heavy duty clutch fork, new slave, spigot bush & AP quality OE clutch

I would ditch that flywheel, because you just know it will fail eventually, it is quite cracked.

If you have to take it out again i would use the engine crane like this guy did.

http://www.northwest4x4.co.uk/forum/userpix/606_DSC01012_1.jpg

I just used a strap around a piece of wood resting over the hole,once you take the gearbox mounts off ( again use some wood from the floor under the front of the sump to stop the engine tilting back when the gearbox is separated) the engine tilts and makes it easy to get to the top bolts.

I would say replace the flywheel to be on the safe side.

If you put it back get it skimmed first

Get it skimmed to see how bad it really is!

I worked with an old school plant fitter who used to do a ghetto version running the engine @ +/- 1000rpm and 40 grit flap disc on his grinder, this was in manual D8 an D9 CAT bull dozers so a lot more forgiving, but it mostly worked.

There is a professional engineering solution where the friction face is milled out, a blank is shaped a few thou thicker and stitched in and then the flywheel faced back flat, probably cost a few pound but it would be as good as new