Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Dear All
Well after a few hundred miles I've found a most annoying problem....when hot and in neutral there is an annoying "ching-ching" coming from the engine? This disappears when the clutch pedal is depressed...suspected the clutch release bearing..on removing the engine it appears to be coming from the captive centre plate on the clutch pressure plate...it's free to rattle....the one the bearing contacts...any ideas?
Thanks
John

John,
I don't have any ideas, but I just loved the flippant way you wrote

on removing the engine

My +2 needs some investigation to the gear selectors, could you pop over and hook that out for me this weekend?

Regards

Alan

Hey,it's Manchester and it's raining...what else is there to do..I'm giving it some serious thought about gunning some silicone rubber into the finger ends and making an in-situ flexible shroud...wonder how it will cope with 6500 rpm??

John

Anyone out there with their engine out? is your clutch centre plate free to "shake" in the released position or is it held firm by the spring fingers?

Is my friction plate too thick?...the spring fingers look quite depressed...

Thanks
John

john.p.clegg wrote:Anyone out there with their engine out? is your clutch centre plate free to "shake" in the released position or is it held firm by the spring fingers?

Is my friction plate too thick?...the spring fingers look quite depressed...

Thanks
John

Me again!
Can't resist it...... It's raining here today, so nothing else to do. Have you considered counselling for the fingers? Perhaps they will snap out of it with the correct treatment.

Normally down here in the more money than sense South of the country we take the opportunity of "engine out" to replace the clutch centre plate, pressure plate and release bearing on the assumption that even if they look fine that they will fail in double quick order as soon as it's back to the "engine in" scenario. I know that this equals ?150 but it's called insurance ( or a waste of good money where you come from ).

Of course I'm sure that you need to know what's going on with your situation, so hopefully somebody with more knowledge of what's normal than me will come along and tell you that your pressure plate is at fault which is my suspicion based on my limited experience of diagnosing clutch problems, but it could equally be a knackered release bearing that's chirping.

Here's hoping for a dry day tomorrow as I have to go to Battlesbridge classic car show tomorrow with the S4 and I don't want to put the top up

Alan
I don't want to replace the pressure plate/cover as it is balanced to the flywheel/crankshaft,hoping to replace the centre bearing bearing-plate?

John

John, maybe it's time to use the magic bolt (or did you sell it?)
Kev.

No,I've still got it (someone sure missed a bargain..) and with No reserve, if you want it?

John

P.S.
looks like light rain followed by light showers....top up.

Hi John
Normally there is a small amount of free play in the centre bearing of the pressure plate assembly on the diaphragm spring fingers. By small I mean a few 10ths of a millimetre. It should not rattle around. I have a couple of good flywheels / clutch plate / pressure plate assemblies around somewhere and can measure then up if you want.

cheers
Rohan

Rohan
Thanks,it looks like the new friction plate is thicker,causing the pressure plate fingers to be forced further towards the flywheel,thereby loosening their grip on the centre plate...

John

I know exactly the "ching ching" noise you describe, a good choice of words.

I had it once on a X:flow cerametallic clutch it was indeed caused by free play in the diaphragm finger plate, from memory it was located over dowels that riveted the assembly together and there was too much clearance.

Some clutch release mechanisms have a small preload spring to keep the bearing in light contact which would mitigate this but i think in the Ford application it would rapidly wear out the release bearing.

I think that you are going to need to replace the pressure plate and I know how annoying the ching ching is

Its the usual story of repro parts for older vehicles not being controlled in manufacture, can you imagine if in the day Metalistik had produced drive shaft donuts like the current offerings? Sadly the sellers will just say that it still operates correctly as a clutch.

And to add to your woes you cannot usually feel the clearance in a new cover plate until the diaphragm has taken an initial "set"

Hi John
It sounds like you may have some wear on the fingers and centreplate which makes the loosening more than it should be with the new (and thicker) clutch plate. You should be able to get the diaphragm spring and centre plate replaced if you can find an old fashioned clutch specialist and this should not affect the assembly balance you have done.

If you do replace the whole pressure plate then balance on the flywheel and that assembly should be ok with the crank if the flywheel goes back in the same position.

cheers
Rohan