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Re: Modified clutch - to be or not to be?

To: "Navarrette, Vance" <vance.navarrette@intel.com>, <6pack@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: Modified clutch - to be or not to be?
From: "Kai M. Radicke" <kai@radiohead.net>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 22:43:47 -0500
Vance Navarrette wrote:

> Had your fork pin broken? How many of you have *not* had any
> trouble with the stock setup?

I had a stock pin break while driving... it does make it a little more
difficult to get home.  The real kicker is three weeks prior my throw out
bearing had failed, the TR6 was my only transport at the time, so a Friday
night was spent doing an emergency clutch change and I never changed the
pin.  I would surmise the new new pressure plate probably contributed to the
failure of the very old pin, in addition to fatigue from years of use and
abuse.

I have also found broken pins in other gearboxes, most recently a core
gearbox that Don Malling picked up from me.

> I have a brand new, hardened pin, and would like to retain the stock
> setup if possible. On the other hand, I would rather not have to do
> the clutch over because the pin breaks.
> So, inputs please? Modify, or not? And have you had problems
> with a new pin without any modifications?

Modify.  The only person who will see the inside of your bell housing is
you, and whoever buys the car after you... as far as I know, VTR judges do
not have x-ray vision (you only get those glasses when you get to Pebble
Beach).  I did the hardened pin the second time around and also drilled a
hole through the fork and cross shaft 90 degrees from the pin orientation
and inserted a hardened roll pin for an extra degree of safety.

Like I said, no one will know it is there but you... hardened pin is very
inexpensive as is drilling and inserting a roll pin.  Probably $15 tops in
cost to do the modification... which makes the recommendation pretty clear
cut for me.

Kai





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