Clutch Rebuild Information

REBUILDING - After a period of time it becomes necessary to re-build the clutch. Here are some guidelines on how to deal with the friction surfaces.

1. Whenever the friction discs are replaced it is important that all of the matching friction surfaces be either re-ground, or replaced. These surfaces rely on the cross hatch pattern ground on their surfaces to properly break-in a new set of friction discs. If the proper surface finish is not present, the contact between the surfaces will never become as intended and performance will suffer.

2. If the steel friction surfaces are re-ground the process must not only result in a proper cross hatch, but also the finished surface must be completely flat.

3. NEVER, EVER, use sand paper to rough-up or deglaze the surfaces. This method simply cannot keep the surfaces flat enough nor can it provide the proper cross hatching. It will however provide some �teeth� for the friction material to bite into, and may at first seem to make a feeble clutch perform better. However, after the initial roughness has worn off the clutch will perform worse than it did before the treatment. (The initial roughness from coarse sanding usually takes 1 to 3 starts to be worn away)

4. If the decision is made to have the clutch �Blueprinted� be sure that you deal with a reputable blueprinter. Many shops that offer clutch blueprinting simply do not have the equipment to properly do the job or test the results. Others do little more than set the spring heights and air gap, and send a large bill. With that being said there are also some very good craftsmen blueprinting clutches. Make sure you know who you are dealing with.