New Clutch Slip

Oh dear! I've just fitted a new clutch to my 90 and it seems to be slipping a little. Do new clutches need a bit of use to bed them in?
There is a bit of a "whiiiizzzz" noise as the clutch pedel is released and drive is taken up and it will then generally drive ok but with the odd slip and whizz out on the road.
I've not fitted a clutch before but I'm sure I put it together with the friction plate the right way round. All the surfaces were cleaned with brake cleaner and I only used a very slight smear of grease on the input shaft. The flywheel was not machined as it looked in good nick. New parts fitted were friction plate, cover, release bearing & holder, spigot bearing and release fork. The work was only carried out as the release fork had failed and there was no issue with the original clutch.
I have decreased the slipping by altering the pushrod on the master cylinder but after a few drives the slipping returns.
Please tell me that it will "bed in" and I don't have to split the engine out again to fix some dumbass mistake I've made!
Cheers!

Try adjusting the clutch pedal, is the slave cylinder push rod located proply? It will bed in but not to that extent it shunt be slipping at all. If you'd put it on the wrong way round it wunt work at all.

Does'nt sound so good,the friction plate usually has 'flywheel side' written on it so it should be in the right way if you saw that. Clutch should work properly right from the word go. Might be worth checking that the correct kit was supplied, otherwise could be to do with the fork/release bearing set-up being wrong, Don't think it is a problem with the slave cylinder because that would normally leave you with the opposite problem with the clutch not releasing properly/difficulty getting into gear. These are only a few suggestions, I'm no expert as I am sure I will be told!

Could be a parts mismatch (slave bigger than the master, so there is not enough push from it etc...), or and I think is more likely you assembled something incorrectly, did you seat the slave pushrod properly in the little clip? Is the master pushrod able to travel fully back out of the cylinder letting all pressure of the system?

If all else fails, undo the slave, put it in 1st and try starting it, it should drive away with no slip. If this works you know you have a hydraulic issue, if not then its not been set up correctly inside.

GRUNT said:

If you'd put it on the wrong way round it wunt work at all.

Click to expand...

That's what I like to hear. There was no marking on the friction plate at all about flywheel side and strangely enough I can't see any on the old one I took out either.
Cheers for all the advice, I 'll give the pedal a bit more tinkering and see if there is any more imrovement. Failing that I'm going back inside.

mmmmm.... plastic clip for the slave push rod was busted, suppose it could have come out of the recess on the release fork and therefore is putting a bit of pressue on it? I'll have a look!

I will bet you money that BOTH centre plates are clearly marked "FLYWHEEL SIDE"

Clean it more carefully and check again.

The centre boss sticks more out one way than the other, which is the reason for needing to fit it the right way round. The LONGER sticky-out side of the boss is usually fitted AWAY from the flywheel.

Your symptoms sound like the centre plate is fitted the wrong way about, causing the longer boss to foul on the flywheel thus making a funny noise, and causing the clutch to drag. It may also cause a lot of metal filings to be found in the bell-housing.

Ho Hum ....

CharlesY

Oh hell......

Yes, I think that's a fair analysis .....

Please check VERY carefully for the writing "Flywheel Side" on the old plate. Once you find it you will see it every time in future. Then kick yourself up the bum, and look out your spanners!

Because / if the long boss is fouling the flywheel, the lining on the centre plate may be held away from the flywheel rubbing face, and the pressure plate (clutch cover plate) probably can't clamp the linings BOTH SIDES between pressure plate and flywheel, and so it slips ....

All your symptoms point to this being the cause of the problem.

Whip the bugger out and check it, but first, to establish the point, find those words on the old plate. They are not particularly prominent in most cases, but they are always there except in the very few instances where the boss is the same both sides, but even there the makers may ask for it to be fitted "the right way" for reasons of torque-handling, and drive take-up smoothness.

The reason for the boss being bigger one side than the other is to make the splined length of the boss as long as can be fitted in the space available so it lasts a long time before it wears out, and damages the splines on the input shaft of the gearbox less. There are other minor reasons too.

CharlesY