[Fot] Tilton Clutch Adventures (Chapter 1)

[WEmery7451 at aol.com]

Dear FOT,

(The moderator monster refused to let my dissertation go through.  I will try 
to send it in two chapters.)

About fifteen years ago, I bought a Tilton aluminum flywheel/clutch system 
from Dave Webber of Melvern Racing.  This clutch setup has worked flawlessly 
through many rebuilds and engine blowups until recently, when I did something 
stupid.  I did not change the driven disc in time.  The lining disappeared from 
the driven disc causing the clutch to slip, resulting in the pressure plate 
heating and warping.

My machinist told me that he could get another pressure plate from a 
warehouse, which he did.  We installed the clutch, and struggled the transmission back 
into the car.  After starting the car on jack stands the clutch shifted 
several times and then quit working.

Out with the transmission again, and the ears on the pressure plate were 
bent.  They had caught on the little buttons in the faceplate.  At that time, I 
figured that the machinist had furnished me with the wrong pressure plate (much 
lighter than my original pressure plate).

After contacting both Tilton and their main supplier, Taylor Engineering; I 
learned much to my discouragement that I had Tilton's updated modern pressure 
plate, which has replaced the heavier one.  Both Taylor and Tilton told me that 
I was bending the ears when I installed the pressure plate.  If this were 
true, why did the clutch shift several times and then quit working?  I had also 
installed the heavier pressure plate many times down through the years and 
never bent the ears on it.

I asked Taylor if they could furnish me with the previous heavier pressure 
plate.  After looking around their shop and not finding one, I was told that the 
only way they were able to get this heavier pressure plate in the past for 
customers was to order it from other distributors who might happen to have one.  
The last time that they tried, they couldn't get one.  This seems to indicate 
that other people were having the same problems with that new flimsy pressure 
plate.

I have been using the stock throw-out bearing, which was used with the stock 
diaphragm Triumph clutch.  This bearing is bigger in diameter than the bearing 
recommended by Tilton.  I had found out years ago that Jack Wheeler was using 
this bearing, so I continued on using it.  Both Tilton and Taylor told me 
that it was acceptable to use this bearing.  It just made a difference in how 
hard you had to push the pedal.  (Continue to Chapter 2) 

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