Need your input on a clicking noise when I engage / disengage my clutch (see video and be sure to have audio on). No noise when clutch is fully engaged / disengaged. 59A flathead mated to Tremec T170FT RTS. Was put together maybe 10 years ago (?) and has not been driven much since. I bought it a year ago and have been going through all the systems. This is my first experience working on manual transmissions, so I appreciate everyone's patience and any insights / recommendations you may have! Direct link to video: Thanks much!
Sounds like might be a bad bearing; Since it’s only when you start loading it and it gets worse the farther it goes.
I thought it looked like one of the clutch arms was adjusted out farther than the others. Like one contacted the release bearing before the others.
Im with Alchemy on this,,,,,sounds and looks like it is finger on pressure plate . Had a thumping noise as it makes contact,,,,and at release. Like metal is slapping as it is turning . Also,,,,,it bounces the bearing back and forth while it’s making contact . Tommy
Something I noticed was the throw out bearing is always spinning. With the pedal released and adjusted correctly the throw out bearing should be at rest not turning. Did you have you foot off the clutch pedal when the bearing was out during the video? I agree there seems to be one finger higher than the rest you can see the bearing wobbling and moving around as it begins touching the pressure plate fingers. The three fingers must all be at the same height so when the throw out bearing begins touching the fingers each one is being pushed equally. If the pressure plate you have has the adjustable fingers meaning bolts on the ends of the fingers equal finger height adjustment can be accomplished.
OK, update on this one: the throwout bearing carrier got spun 90 degrees and locked up with the clutch engaged. So, I got to pull my engine and found the pressure plate adjusting screws were at different heights (1", 15/16", 55/64") below the level of the pressure plate face (tranny side). The pressure plate is old but fine. The clutch disc seems relatively new. Replacing the entire pressure plate wouldn't be my first choice (and I would need to rebalance pressure plate + flywheel). So... is there any way to adjust the pressure plate adjusting screws while everything is on the engine, or am I going to have to remove the pressure plate? The adjusting screws are slotted on the back and staked into place. If I am able to get them loose to adjust them, can I locktite them back into place? Or is there a source to buy replacement screws? Thanks again for all your ideas so far and any other insight you can offer!
I'm just guessing here , but the fact that the adjustment screws are at different heights owes to the affect of their being adjusted , if they were all the same , they would not have to have been made " adjustable"
It’s a bit hard to see in the video but I think the two fingers of the fork are spread out too far, and this might be letting the bearing hub to disengage from the fork fingers. Normally the fork tips fit closely to the machined shoulders of the hub. With the fork tips seated in those “shoulders “ there would be no chance of the hub rotating around as it did in the video. You may need to replace the fork. The three fingers of the pressure plate should sit at the same height from the flywheel as each other…..preferably within about .005 to .008”. The early pressure plate fingers had the small adjustment screws to help make slight changes in height. We have those screws if yours are damaged. I would also suggest replacing the release bearing while you have things apart. Double check your clutch pedal adjustment to make sure that the release bearing is pulled all the way back by the small spring hooked to the hub. Set the main adjustment for about 1” to 1.5” of free play.
Thanks Mac! I hadn't thought about the play between the forks and the carrier. Truly appreciate your insight!
Haven't touched a Long style pressure plate for 40+ years now but I had one in the race car for years. You can shim the lever yokes to achieve a level/balanced finger height. As you have counterweighted levers this height also effects how the centrifugal forces are applied as well. I don't think that this will effect you too much as long as you get the lever tips level.
Everything is back up and running - thanks for everyone's input. I replaced the adjustment screws on the fingers - ensured they are now all the same distance from the top of the pressure plate (that was causing the noise). While I had everything opened up, I replaced the throwout bearing and found a crack in the TOB carrier so replaced that as well. Also had to replace the fork as it had nearly 1/4" of free play between it and the side of the TOB carrier. The clutch rod arm had snapped as the previous owner ground a chunk off the head to get it to angle down to meet the transmission arm - I warmed up the replacement and bent it to make the geometry work. I still need to figure out how / where to attach a clutch pedal return spring - but that's on the back burner. We've got everything buttoned up and back on the road thanks to insights from the HAMB and parts from @Mac VP!
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