ozzie alpine
Bronze Level Sponsor
Hi everyone, its been a while, but I'm still Sunbeaming around northern Australia.
I'm planning activities for our upcoming tropical Wet Season (the traditional time for vehicle layup and major works) and this year's project is to improve the clutch.
I want to work out how best to configure a nice light, yet decently strong clutch.
Its a Series II , fitted with a 1725 block and synchro-box, but it still uses a SII clutch/flywheel etc.
Current clutch (coil spring type) is very heavy and very juddery, so its time to sort it out.
A few years ago I did fit a new "Borg and Beck-type" clutch cover, unsuccessfully..... It worked really well (nice and light and smooth) for about 2 miles, and then failed. One of the 3 cast "levers", that operate the pressure plate, failed. At the time I thought it was a faulty unit, and unsuccessfully argued with the (Australian) supplier; I ended up putting my original clutch back in and its been there ever since, gradually getting more juddery, while I put the failed unit back on the shelf in disgust.
I am now wondering if the error was mine and perhaps it was not properly matched to my clutch release arm. I now realise that there are different length "pedestals" and perhaps the supplied clutch was intended for a different series.
Anyway, the bottom line is that I need to fit a new clutch cover assembly, and I am prepared to modify other parts of the clutch mechanism if required.
I guess I have a number of options, eg:
- Just fit an exchange SII coil spring clutch cover and hope that its better than my current one (but where do I find one in Australia?)
- Try exchange my "new" but failed clutch for another from the same supplier, and this time be more careful matching the release arm, in case that is what caused the failure.
- Fit an alternative cover and associated parts - eg volvo or MGB. I'm very happy to try this, if its relatively easy to source parts and results in a nice clutch mechanism.
Thoughts please?
I am actually currently in the UK for a few weeks, so could potentially source some parts over here before I head back to Oz (I have plenty of baggage allowance ;-)
thanks
Dave
I'm planning activities for our upcoming tropical Wet Season (the traditional time for vehicle layup and major works) and this year's project is to improve the clutch.
I want to work out how best to configure a nice light, yet decently strong clutch.
Its a Series II , fitted with a 1725 block and synchro-box, but it still uses a SII clutch/flywheel etc.
Current clutch (coil spring type) is very heavy and very juddery, so its time to sort it out.
A few years ago I did fit a new "Borg and Beck-type" clutch cover, unsuccessfully..... It worked really well (nice and light and smooth) for about 2 miles, and then failed. One of the 3 cast "levers", that operate the pressure plate, failed. At the time I thought it was a faulty unit, and unsuccessfully argued with the (Australian) supplier; I ended up putting my original clutch back in and its been there ever since, gradually getting more juddery, while I put the failed unit back on the shelf in disgust.
I am now wondering if the error was mine and perhaps it was not properly matched to my clutch release arm. I now realise that there are different length "pedestals" and perhaps the supplied clutch was intended for a different series.
Anyway, the bottom line is that I need to fit a new clutch cover assembly, and I am prepared to modify other parts of the clutch mechanism if required.
I guess I have a number of options, eg:
- Just fit an exchange SII coil spring clutch cover and hope that its better than my current one (but where do I find one in Australia?)
- Try exchange my "new" but failed clutch for another from the same supplier, and this time be more careful matching the release arm, in case that is what caused the failure.
- Fit an alternative cover and associated parts - eg volvo or MGB. I'm very happy to try this, if its relatively easy to source parts and results in a nice clutch mechanism.
Thoughts please?
I am actually currently in the UK for a few weeks, so could potentially source some parts over here before I head back to Oz (I have plenty of baggage allowance ;-)
thanks
Dave