clutch noise and slipping

PostPost by: denicholls2 » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:14 pm

Hi Ken,

No experience with the Elan, but mechanically something is keeping the
pressure plate from full engagement, hence your clutch slippage. The
noise could be a broken pressure plate finger, or more evil yet a
flywheel bolt come adrift, which could be quite nasty.

Most pressure plates are way too simple to allow for moving bits when
they fail, and I'm not familiar with the Elan pressure plate's
particulars, but if a finger breaks off (how could that happen!) it does
have to wind up somewhere.

The noise is an indication of something rattling around in there and
potentially acting as a machine tool on your flywheel face, meaning
immediate attention required. Sorry if it cuts your driving season
short. :-(

-- Doug Nicholls, 54/1822 Ma~
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PostPost by: "Eric Ellis" » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:24 pm

Hello, it sounds like a finger spring on the pressure plate to me too. I had
one go and the pedal was sort of soft, car was drivable but the clutch
slipped. I had overheated the clutch drag racing I suppose. Eric
----- Original Message -----
From: "kandmpc" <***@***.***>

Sent: Friday, August 25, 2006 11:43 AM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] clutch noise and slipping


"Eric Ellis"
 

PostPost by: kandmpc » Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:04 pm

Thanks for the help and advice. Clutch removal I'm afraid. From
previous posts I think removal of the engine and gearbox as one unit
is the favoured method - unless someone has devised a simple method
for removing the gearbox from a +2 spyder chassis.

Regards

Ken
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PostPost by: Elan45 » Sun Aug 27, 2006 1:31 pm

Ken,

I'll agreee w/ you that it is clutch replacement time but no way would I consider pulling the engine/ gearbox together. Simply support the gearbox under the bellhousing and pull just the engine. It will come out almost straight up where the two units together require you to almost stand them on end to get them out and you'll bugger up the nose of your car in the process.

Roger


previous posts I think removal of the engine and gearbox as one unit
is the favoured method - unless someone has devised a simple method
for removing the gearbox from a +2 spyder chassis.

Regards

Ken
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PostPost by: gjz30075 » Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:47 am

--- In ***@***.***, "Roger Sieling" <rogsie@...> wrote:

the gearbox under the bellhousing and pull just the engine.

Ken,
I agree with Roger. The gearbox is one more thing you have to drain,
it's difficult to get the driveshaft back in and it most likely picked
up crud while laying in the chassis and if not wiped clean, that crud
can ruin the tailshaft seal. Wrestling with the alignment of the input
shaft when putting the engine back in is not that bad.

Greg Z
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PostPost by: kandmpc » Mon Aug 28, 2006 9:26 pm

Thanks Roger and Greg for the engine removal advice. I was going to
remove the engine and gearbox, mainly because of the ease of aligning
then on the bench but you have just about convinced me to remove only
the engine. It looks like the method is to remove the top bellhousing
bolts, lift the engine/gearbox until the sump will clear the spyder
chassis crossmember/vacuum chamber, secure the gearbox then remove the
remaining bellhousing bolts and pull the engine. Have I missed
anything.

Ken
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PostPost by: Elan45 » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:16 am

There is a dust cover on the bottom, front of the bellhousing; 4 x 1/4" bolts(7/16 hex heads). Remove the starter while you're down there. Without checking, I believe there are only 6 x 3/8 bellhousing bolts. The top part of the dust shield is always a nuisence, but it has to be there. Don't forget the fuel pump line and all the ignition and dynamo/ alternator wires. I wrap a nylon strap around under the intake manifold on the right and the thermostat housing on the left. I've done it that way ever since seeing the cover of Vizard's "Tuning Twin Cams". They were doing it that way but using a monstrous 1" diameter rope.

I use my floor jack (over there called a trolley jack) under the gearbox. When it goes back in, you'll want to raise and lower the jack to get the angle between engine and box lined up. You'll also need a dummy clutch shaft to center the clutch, no matter whether you assemble the engine and box on the bench or in the car. The dummy shaft doesn't have to have splines on it. If you have a lathe available, you can make a dummy shaft to the ID of the pilot bearing and the minor diameter of the splines.

Roger


remove the engine and gearbox, mainly because of the ease of aligning
then on the bench but you have just about convinced me to remove only
the engine. It looks like the method is to remove the top bellhousing
bolts, lift the engine/gearbox until the sump will clear the spyder
chassis crossmember/vacuum chamber, secure the gearbox then remove the
remaining bellhousing bolts and pull the engine. Have I missed
anything.

Ken
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