I've been having dramas with a slipping clutch in my Baja.
The story goes like this.
Started slipping while I was down in Brisbane for TAFE.
That was fine, the clutch was very old and I guess it was well past it.
So I put a new clutch plate,a good second hand pressure plate, a new throw out arm and a new throw out bearing in the day before I left to come home.
On my way over the gateway the next day the clutch started slipping. Did this the whole way home, which made overtaking a PITA because every overtaking lane seemed to be on the uphill stretches.
That's ok. Must be the flywheel that's the problem. I took the flywheel out of my dad's deregistered Baja, it was recently machined about a month before we took it off the road.
Was fine for a day or two but working her hard at 100kph in forth up a hill coming out of Rocky the clutch started slipping again. I figured I might have an oil leak.
Pulled the engine again, installed a new rear main (wasn't actually leaking). Cleaned everything up again and put it all back together again. But on the way home from work today the bastard started slipping again!!!😬
So to recap I have a new clutch plate (over 8mm thick), new pressure plate, machined flywheel and a new throwout bearing. Everytime I've done it the clutch has been adjusted correctly and is not riding on the throwout bearing.
Can people please tell me what the hell is going on cause at this stage I'm completely stumped.
Also, does anyone know what the depth measurement for the flywheel should be between the face where the clutch runs and the face where the pressure plate bolts on.
Cheers in advance.
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
If it was ok before and its just worn out because of old age and wear and tear , you must have some mixed up replacement parts.
I would back thr cable right off, so that you can just get it into gear and then try it again,
But sounds like out she comes again🥲
😂🤪😂🤪😂
car forums. where a lot of peoples good intentions end up taking a good old car off the road forever never ever to see the road again. 🥲
ian.mezz wrote:If it was ok before and its just worn out because of old age and wear and tear , you must have some mixed up replacement parts.
I would back thr cable right off, so that you can just get it into gear and then try it again,
But sounds like out she comes again🥲
What do you mean by mixed up parts?
Pulling the engine out of a Baja is easy anyway! I actually enjoy how quickly it happens.
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
ian.mezz wrote:If it was ok before and its just worn out because of old age and wear and tear , you must have some mixed up replacement parts.
I would back thr cable right off, so that you can just get it into gear and then try it again,
But sounds like out she comes again🥲
There aren't many pieces to go wrong in a clutch,if the correct pressure plate is fitted along with a machined flywheel,new clutch plate & correct thrust race,free travel adjusted it should work.
Are you sure the problem is the clutch? Maybe check the rest of the drivetrain - I don't know what - splines on the brake drum maybe (although I think that would be noisy and stop working althogether straight away).
beetleboyjeff wrote:Are you sure the problem is the clutch? Maybe check the rest of the drivetrain - I don't know what - splines on the brake drum maybe (although I think that would be noisy and stop working althogether straight away).
Just a thought.
The LHS drum was stripped. I also replaced this on the weekend. But the problem continues. It was only stripped halfway down the spline though.
I have a picture somewhere.
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
It wasn't stripped all the way down though. Seemed a little unusual to me. The spline still engaged on the good portion and there was no slipping of the spline.
Besides, when a spline fails they usually just go and don't grab again. Either that or it would be very notchy as it slipped over the splines. When the car slips it is very smooth, not notchy at all.
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
Maybe you're just spinning the tyres in every gear?! I have to say that I can't think of anything you seem to have done wrong. Are you sure that there is enough spring tension in the pressure plate?
I had the same thing happen to me in my beetle, it turned out to be the return spring for the throwout fork had broken, destroyed two good secondhand clutches before I found it
Craig Torrens6 times Australian, 7 times State Hillclimb Class Champion
Pauld wrote:I had the same thing happen to me in my beetle, it turned out to be the return spring for the throwout fork had broken, destroyed two good secondhand clutches before I found it
Has a brand new return spring too.
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
I once had a bowman tube that the clutch cable had worn quite a groove in the top of, and the cable was starting to have trouble sliding through it. Could be something to check.
Craig Torrens wrote:Is it a 6volt flywheel and clutch (early style) ? do you have BIG wheels ?
What size is the motor ?
Yes. It's a 180 6V one.
Running 30s at the moment. Has a 1300 6V swingaxle gearbox, with a 1600 single port with a stock 31PICT carb.
Smiley 😎
That maybe your problem..........just to much load for the clutch. I know when I had my Baja (1989!) with a 6volt clutch, as soon as I went to 1600 (from1300) it started to slip......I then had to get the pressure plate springs "beefed" up. That helped, but as soon as I increased it to 1640 with Kadrons it let go again...just a thought.
Yeah. I might have a 12V one somewhere.
It's just that I ran the same engine, gearbox and wheels on my old Baja and it never had a single problem. And it got royally flogged every single time I drove it, never ever had the clutch slip once.
BTW, the bowden tube is also new and correctly adjusted.
I'm beginning to think that it has to be the depth of the flywheel. I had it done at work, the guy did it in the lathe, aren't they normally ground or something? If the surface of the flywheel was too smooth would this cause slipping?
Does anyone know the depth specs?
If I can't fix the problem I'm definitely going to change to 200mm clutch /flywheel. Seems a shame to waste all these new parts.
At least my bellhousing on the gearbox has already been clearanced.
Thanks to everyone for their input so far, and keep the ideas flowing. As I've said I'm completely stumped.
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
Craig Torrens6 times Australian, 7 times State Hillclimb Class Champion
Gday all just a quick thought when they did the machine on flywheel did they take the same amount of the area that p/plate bolt holes are this has to be done other wise you are decreasing the pressure applied by increasing the tollerance between fwheel c/plate & p/plate
Ernie
ernie norley wrote:Gday all just a quick thought when they did the machine on flywheel did they take the same amount of the area that p/plate bolt holes are this has to be done other wise you are decreasing the pressure applied by increasing the tollerance between fwheel c/plate & p/plate
Ernie
Yeah. He machined both surfaces the same amount. Not sure if they are in spec though.
Smiley 😎
If you said I was a Volkswagen man, you'd be right.
I ran a 180mm Clutch for years with 31's and it was fine. then it started to slip one day and i replaced it with another 180mm clutch kit which was brand new. engine was out and in for about 6 months slipping or shuddering etc. when i got my gearbox rebuilt. Customveedub fitted a 200mm clutch and flywheel. No problems since.
odd.
I cant help but think that you need a bigger clutch.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom
Hey Daniel, when you got the flywheel machined, was it machined to perfect mirror finish?
The usual mechanics shop make it almost like that, but rather than a smooth surface like what a 'well used' flywheel surface looks like, they have a very fine gritty swirl texture the whole way around, gritty enough that if you press the clutch plate into the flywheel with ur hands, u won't be able to slip it around. A mirror finish will slip if u press the clutch disck into it with ur hand (vw flywheel did).
Like... its got to be evenly rough enough to 'grab', but no where near mirror finish so it doesn't slip and of course, doesn't eat ur clutch plate much. I would send a photo of mine done at my mates mechanic shop (sent up the road), but i just fitted it and assembled the box back on my ricer.
the machine job should be rough enough to see concentric fine circles all the way around, and rough enough to slide ur finger nail across and feel a 'very' slight roughness. and still be fine enough of a machining job to see a shine to it but not necessarily see ur own reflection lol.
again, maybe the flywheel hasn't got enough meet, and its too old/ been too machined. 🙁
