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Re: [Healeys] Clutch

To: healeys@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Clutch
From: Bob Spidell <bspidell@comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2021 08:55:05 -0700
Delivered-to: mharc@autox.team.net
Delivered-to: healeys@autox.team.net
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We're not sick of hearing your troubles, Simon. We all learn from 
others' problems and solutions. Please keep us informed.

As for clutch longevity, there are several significant variables: (your) 
location, type of driving, driving style, etc. For example, if you DD 
your car in San Francisco, I wouldn't expect a clutch to last 50K miles, 
if that long. If you mostly drive highway miles, I think 100K is easily 
doable; I traded my '08 Mustang in at 124K miles with original clutch 
/and/ brakes. Although I've been driving manual cars for over 50  years, 
I still don't feel I've 'mastered' them (like landings in an aircraft). 
Dump the clutch too quickly and you'll increase longevity--if you don't 
break anything--at the expense of smoothness, be very delicate and slip 
it too much and you won't get 'normal' longevity. Actually, IMO Healeys 
are relatively easier to drive well, a properly set-up clutch with a 
Healey's torque makes smooth starts easier; my '19 Mustang is 
high-strung by comparison and I still manage to stall it occasionally.

The release bearing can be problematic as, unlike a true bearing it's a 
known wear item. I heard a while back there were some low quality parts 
going around that failed within a few thousand miles. I'd say if it's 
more than one-third worn--anyone know the original thickness of the 
graphite?--I'd replace it (again, depending on driving circumstances). 
Last time I had my BJ8's gearbox out I didn't replace it, as the bearing 
appeared to be holding up and I mostly drive highway miles in it. As for 
the disk and cover plate, unless they're almost new that's an automatic 
replace, along with the spigot/pilot bush. If fairly new, I believe the 
cover can be turned--like brake rotors--but I'd probably install a new 
disk regardless. With Healeys, with no rear main seal oil on the disk 
will cause nasty judder, so any oil or burn spots is automatic reject. 
If the cover plate disk has any bluish burn spots I'd likely chuck it.

Alignment tools are handy, but if you're mating the engine and gearbox 
on the bench you can use the first motion shaft.

Bob

On 9/1/2021 7:46 AM, Simon Lachlan via Healeys wrote:
>
> You will all be as sick of hearing about my OD as I am of lying 
> underneath it. I?ve decided to kick the whole thing into touch. I?ll 
> whip out the gearbox (hah!) and drive it complete up to OD Spares who 
> will sort it out while I wait. Even if I have to wait all day. Beats 
> making the round trip twice.
>
> Which leads me on to thinking about ?what else to do when I?m in there???.
>
> The clutch is the obvious candidate.
>
>  1. I don?t know how long is a piece of string, but is there a mean
>     average duration for a clutch in terms of miles? Not driven hard,
>     just driven.
>  2. I see that people quite often sell the clutch as a kit consisting
>     in: the plate assembly, the cover and the release bearing. I
>     thought that one replaced the latter *every time* one got near it
>     and that one replaced the plate *as and if needed*. But ? I
>     thought ? the cover is just a hunk of iron and *didn?t ever need
>     replacing*. Am I right in *any* of that??
>  3. Tools?.I see a great variety. In shape, design and in cost.
>     Broadly speaking there are variations on A or B. The former seems
>     elaborate and not suited to someone who hopes to only ever change
>     one clutch in his life. But B is so very different from A that one
>     wonders if it can do the same job??
>
> Any thoughts on all or parts of the above would be very much appreciated.
>
> Now to battle with the gearbox. Oh joy??..
>
> Simon
>
>


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    We're not sick of hearing your troubles, Simon. We all learn from
    others' problems and solutions. Please keep us informed.<br>
    <br>
    As for clutch longevity, there are several significant variables:
    (your) location, type of driving, driving style, etc. For example,
    if you DD your car in San Francisco, I wouldn't expect a clutch to
    last 50K miles, if that long. If you mostly drive highway miles, I
    think 100K is easily doable; I traded my '08 Mustang in at 124K
    miles with original clutch <i>and</i> brakes. Although I've been
    driving manual cars for over 50  years, I still don't feel I've
    'mastered' them (like landings in an aircraft). Dump the clutch too
    quickly and you'll increase longevity--if you don't break
    anything--at the expense of smoothness, be very delicate and slip it
    too much and you won't get 'normal' longevity. Actually, IMO Healeys
    are relatively easier to drive well, a properly set-up clutch with a
    Healey's torque makes smooth starts easier; my '19 Mustang is
    high-strung by comparison and I still manage to stall it
    occasionally.<br>
    <br>
    The release bearing can be problematic as, unlike a true bearing
    it's a known wear item. I heard a while back there were some low
    quality parts going around that failed within a few thousand miles.
    I'd say if it's more than one-third worn--anyone know the original
    thickness of the graphite?--I'd replace it (again, depending on
    driving circumstances). Last time I had my BJ8's gearbox out I
    didn't replace it, as the bearing appeared to be holding up and I
    mostly drive highway miles in it. As for the disk and cover plate,
    unless they're almost new that's an automatic replace, along with
    the spigot/pilot bush. If fairly new, I believe the cover can be
    turned--like brake rotors--but I'd probably install a new disk
    regardless. With Healeys, with no rear main seal oil on the disk
    will cause nasty judder, so any oil or burn spots is automatic
    reject. If the cover plate disk has any bluish burn spots I'd likely
    chuck it. <br>
    <br>
    Alignment tools are handy, but if you're mating the engine and
    gearbox on the bench you can use the first motion shaft.<br>
    <br>
    Bob<br>
    <br>
    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/1/2021 7:46 AM, Simon Lachlan via
      Healeys wrote:<br>
    </div>
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        <p class="MsoNormal">You will all be as sick of hearing about my
          OD as I am of lying underneath it. I?ve decided to kick the
          whole thing into touch. I?ll whip out the gearbox (hah!) and
          drive it complete up to OD Spares who will sort it out while I
          wait. Even if I have to wait all day. Beats making the round
          trip twice.<o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal">Which leads me on to thinking about ?what
          else to do when I?m in there???.<o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal">The clutch is the obvious candidate.<o:p></o:p></p>
        <ol style="margin-top:0cm" type="1" start="1">
          <li class="MsoListParagraph"
            style="margin-left:0cm;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"> I don?t
            know how long is a piece of string, but is there a mean
            average duration for a clutch in terms of miles? Not driven
            hard, just driven.<o:p></o:p></li>
          <li class="MsoListParagraph"
            style="margin-left:0cm;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">I see that
            people quite often sell the clutch as a kit consisting in:
            the plate assembly, the cover and the release bearing. I
            thought that one replaced the latter <b>every time</b> one
            got near it and that one replaced the plate <b>as and if
              needed</b>. But ? I thought ? the cover is just a hunk of
            iron and <b>didn?t ever need replacing</b>. Am I right in <b>any</b>
            of that??<o:p></o:p></li>
          <li class="MsoListParagraph"
            style="margin-left:0cm;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">Tools?.I see
            a great variety. In shape, design and in cost. Broadly
            speaking there are variations on A or B. The former seems
            elaborate and not suited to someone who hopes to only ever
            change one clutch in his life. But B is so very different
            from A that one wonders if it can do the same job??<o:p></o:p></li>
        </ol>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph">Any thoughts on all or parts of the
          above would be very much
appreciated.                                                                                                                              
          <o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal">Now to battle with the gearbox. Oh 
joy??..<o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoNormal">Simon<o:p></o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
        <p class="MsoListParagraph"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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