Clutch explosion!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[91taurisho]

Well, first of all, this is basically an update to this topic here. Secondly, my clutch(disk) literally exploded! Upon removal of my tranny I found shavings, of what I thought was metal, in the tranny case... I looked all around and could not find any holes in the tranny case and the TOB looked to be in good shape. I then saw on the pressure plate that one of the fingers ahad broken and bent inward... On the base of the finger was a little piece of metal where it had sheared off half way and bent in! So I start to take off the clutch and when I pull it out, a little bit of the material comes out. The organic part of the disc had cracked and come off the rivets and the metal backing. 1/3 of the material was still there, 1/4 of it had disentigrated, the rest had cracked and fallen off! madflame WTF!!! rant You want to know the worst thing, it only has, maybe 10,000 miles on it!
I will get pictures up when my digital camera gets home tommorrow, but I will need someone to host them for me...

Does anybody have an idea as to what happened to it?

<small>[ January 15, 2004, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: 91taurisho ]</small>

 

[PuckHead]

See? The penguins are doing their job...

J/K! Hope all works out!

Later!
burnout

 

[91taurisho]

Yes they are, *hangs head in shame* yes they are... Thanks

Scott

 

[Zap]

Haven't there been some recent problems with the factory clutch discs? I thought that I had heard of the center portion of the disc separating from the friction material.

 

[SHOman24v]

You that thats bad, imagine being in thrid gear at red line....7 grand, shifting to 4th but missing it only to end up in 2nd, dropping the clutch in 2nd at around 100 mph....BOOOM 2 of the three straps on the clutch blew apart...didnt break anything else tho...hehe gotta love that sho motor...had a friend with a honda do that...booom went his pistons and valves...

http://66.229.101.45/hostw/clutch/BrokenStrap.JPG

http://66.229.101.45/hostw/clutch/InsideOfTrans2.JPG

http://66.229.101.45/hostw/clutch/Side.JPG

**Sorry about the edit, the pics were just too big**

<small>[ January 15, 2004, 08:35 PM: Message edited by: Bizzy ]</small>

 

[ALWyzBrknSHO]

I downshifted into 2nd at 83mph once while tryin to go into 4th, ya, ouch, took a rivet off the clutch though, thats it, but it still prevented my car from moving.

 

[91taurisho]

Can someone host the pictures for me?

Scott

 

[masho95]

91taurisho:
Can someone host the pictures for me?

Scott

Sure shoot them my way... you can email them to me and I'll get them up ASAP.

[email protected]

Edit: Also look on the bright side you can update your profile to say BRAND New Clutch

<small>[ January 15, 2004, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: masho95 ]</small>

 

[91taurisho]

masho95,
You've got mail! Thanks!

 

[masho95]

Here's the clutch explosion pics.. sorry for the delay..
http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/scotts_clutch.htm
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http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/PDR_0161.JPG
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http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/PDR_0164.JPG
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http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/PDR_0166.JPG
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http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/PDR_0167.JPG
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http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/PDR_0168.JPG
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http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/PDR_0169.JPG
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http://webpages.charter.net/masho95/PDR_0171.JPG

<small>[ January 16, 2004, 07:36 AM: Message edited by: Bizzy ]</small>

 

[gmorrell]

Where did you get that clutch? I'm curious about the "Made in China" on the disc hub. I see "Valeo" on the diaphragm spring, and the cover casting numbers are also Valeo.

I have a couple of stock Ford/Valeo SHO clutches in the garage, new in the box, and the discs aren't made in China. The disc and hub construction on yours looks remarkably similar to Valeo: The lining rivet pattern is identical, the hub sheet metal stampings, springs and other pieces-parts also look identical to stock Ford/Valeo.

Mind if I ask a question? Don't get mad now, but do you slip the clutch a lot? There's an awful lot of burning on the flywheel and pressure plate surfaces, and it looks like some lining has transferred to the pressure plate. Those are all signs of some pretty intense heat, not to mention the lining disintegration.

Last time I saw a clutch go to pieces like that was a SHO driven by a teenager who was out street racing most nights a week. The clutch literally exploded after <12,000 miles. The pressure plate and clutch cover fractured, splitting the bell housing, there was a hunk of pressure plate in the radiator, another piece was imbedded in the firewall. What was left of the PP and flywheel was burned to ****. The lining was down to the rivets. I've changed out clutches that had 100,000 miles on them that looked better...

 

[AutoSHO]

Gary M.:

Last time I saw a clutch go to pieces like that was a SHO driven by a teenager who was out street racing most nights a week. The clutch literally exploded after <12,000 miles. The pressure plate and clutch cover fractured, splitting the bell housing, there was a hunk of pressure plate in the radiator, another piece was imbedded in the firewall. What was left of the PP and flywheel was burned to ****. The lining was down to the rivets. I've changed out clutches that had 100,000 miles on them that looked better...

eek!

Wow. Really wow.

 

[SHO_Driver]

Made in China. shrug
Wow.

 

[91taurisho]

Gary M.:
Where did you get that clutch? I'm curious about the "Made in China" on the disc hub. I see "Valeo" on the diaphragm spring, and the cover casting numbers are also Valeo.

I have a couple of stock Ford/Valeo SHO clutches in the garage, new in the box, and the discs aren't made in China. The disc and hub construction on yours looks remarkably similar to Valeo: The lining rivet pattern is identical, the hub sheet metal stampings, springs and other pieces-parts also look identical to stock Ford/Valeo.

Mind if I ask a question? Don't get mad now, but do you slip the clutch a lot? There's an awful lot of burning on the flywheel and pressure plate surfaces, and it looks like some lining has transferred to the pressure plate. Those are all signs of some pretty intense heat, not to mention the lining disintegration.

Last time I saw a clutch go to pieces like that was a SHO driven by a teenager who was out street racing most nights a week. The clutch literally exploded after <12,000 miles. The pressure plate and clutch cover fractured, splitting the bell housing, there was a hunk of pressure plate in the radiator, another piece was imbedded in the firewall. What was left of the PP and flywheel was burned to ****. The lining was down to the rivets. I've changed out clutches that had 100,000 miles on them that looked better...

To answer the first question: I got it at NAPA. I wondered about the China thing! It does look just like the stock clutch so when I installed it I just didn't think twice about it...

On to the next question: No I do not burn/slip my clutch a lot. No offense was taken because I agree that there is a lot of burn/heat marks on the flywheel and pressure plate. The reason for that is when it broke I had to drive it home. While I was taking off(from a stop) the clutch would just slip and the car wouldn't move very much. Also I would have to rev it up pretty high to get it to go. The engine seemed unbalanced because the weight on the flywheel was shifting and it was trying to **** the car when I would start to let the clutch out a little bit. The lining that looks as if it transferred to the PP was just the dust from the disentigration. I'm pretty sure that as I was driving it home it made it worse. When I first unbolted the clutch from the flywheel there was all this dust falling down. That dust is what you are seeing on the PP.

The last statement: That is pretty bad! I've never seen anything like this or what I have done... Till now!

I was really easy on my clutch, except for those times that I would shift at high RPM's. But other than that I didn't really "hotrod" the clutch a lot.

Spec stage 3 will be bought soon and new motor mounts(Both front and rear seperated) any advice on anything is welcome!

Thanks again,

Scott

 

[masho95]

If you have a stock flywheel I'd seriously recommend the SHONut 9-puck fibertuff disc with the HD pressure plate. If you are running a basically stock car with bolt ons that should be all you need. It's got great grab and smooth engagement on stock flywheels. Still messing around with the idea of changine mine out with my SS 8-lb. FW.

 

[91taurisho]

I would eventually "like" to supercharge my car. I "might" get an aluminum flywheel later and I know that I will need a good clutch for that too. If I don't oh well, at least I know I did it right the first time(Actually the 2nd but who's counting??? Not me, I swear!!! )! That's why I'm going with the Spec. I might be going with the Southbend DXD though if they're on backorder or something. I have been kind of torn between the two though... The DXD is $465 and the Spec stage 3 is $489. I don't have a problem with the extra money but I don't know which clutch is a better one??? I don't want to do this again because I chose the wrong clutch this time! I need opinions on what you guys think!

 

[Bizzy]

91taurisho:
I would eventually "like" to supercharge my car. I "might" get an aluminum flywheel later and I know that I will need a good clutch for that too.

Cross the stronger clutch kit bridge for an S/C car when you come to it. "Right now" use is what you need to be concerned about. I highly suggest the fibertuff disk and reinforced PP from Josh. It feels very stock like with a stock flywheel.

Some have noted some drivetrain chatter at times when using it, myself included, but I believe is related more to the practice of trying to "feather" the pedal when engaging the clutch. It's best to not do that and will engage quite smoothly otherwise. You have to remember the difference between this disk and a stock disk. This disk has 9 "pucks" of fibertuff material on both the front and backside of the disk. A stock disk has an organic surface covering the entire disk. Thus when you try to feather the fibertuff disk it tends to "skip" (chatter) because the pucks are not fully engaging.

I believe I was the 2nd person on this forum (maybe 3rd) to have this clutch setup. I've had mine since November 2002 and it's still going strong. I've done a fair amount of 1/4 mile racing at the track along with many miles of spirited daily driving. When I want to get up and go, by damn I want to get up and go, and this kit does just that.

In September after nearly a year's worth of use the tranny was pulled (3.2 swap time) and I was very pleased with how well the disk had worn. Very evenly and had plenty of meat left on it. Needless to say, it's still in my car and will be for quite some time to come. I love it!

Edit: I'm going to take the image tags out of the images above. The scrolling effect it's giving this thread is driving me insane.

<small>[ January 16, 2004, 07:30 AM: Message edited by: Bizzy ]</small>

 

[gmorrell]

Originally posted by 91taurisho:

On to the next question: No I do not burn/slip my clutch a lot. No offense was taken because I agree that there is a lot of burn/heat marks on the flywheel and pressure plate. The reason for that is when it broke I had to drive it home. While I was taking off(from a stop) the clutch would just slip and the car wouldn't move very much. Also I would have to rev it up pretty high to get it to go. The engine seemed unbalanced because the weight on the flywheel was shifting and it was trying to **** the car when I would start to let the clutch out a little bit. The lining that looks as if it transferred to the PP was just the dust from the disentigration. I'm pretty sure that as I was driving it home it made it worse. When I first unbolted the clutch from the flywheel there was all this dust falling down. That dust is what you are seeing on the PP.

I wondered if it got trashed post-failure. The broken finger may have precipitated a partial failure of the diaphragm spring, so the pressure plate would have lost a lot of clamp load.

The last statement: That is pretty bad! I've never seen anything like this or what I have done... Till now!

I wish I had some pictures of that one. The local Ford dealer asked me to look at it and render an opinion. When that clutch exploded and shattered the bell housing, it levered the bell housing-to-engine block bolts so severely that the threaded bosses broke out of the engine block. You really had to see that one to believe it, it looked like a stick of dynamite had gone off in the bell housing.

That SHO had to get a transaxle, a used shortblock, new clutch & flywheel, and a new radiator, among other things. Am not sure, but I think the kid's father took the car back after that. If that had been my kid, I'd have bought him a Yugo with burned valves.

Scott, I'll toss in my recommendation for a SHONut reinforced pressure plate with a Fibertuff 9-puck lining. Before I installed the supercharger, I put many, many miles of street and road racing on a Fibertuff lining with one of my own built-up pressure plates. The clutch felt as good the day it came out as the day it went in. I know I had >50K miles on that lining and it had plenty of life left.

<small>[ January 16, 2004, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: Gary M. ]</small>

 

[masho95]

Bizzy:
Some have noted some drivetrain chatter at times when using it, myself included, but I believe is related more to the practice of trying to "feather" the pedal when engaging the clutch. It's best to not do that and will engage quite smoothly otherwise.

Yeah are you talking about the 9-puck/aluminum FW setup or stock FW? If you're talking about the aluminum FW setup what is your suggestion about getting the clutch to engage smoothly? More of a clutch dump then feathering? Thanks

Edit: Sorry Bizzy for the IMG tags, you're probably right that was a making me a little dizzy

<small>[ January 16, 2004, 10:46 AM: Message edited by: masho95 ]</small>

 

[Zap]

I will jump on the bandwagon here, and add to the recommendations for the SHONut reinforced PP/Fibertuff disc/ceramic TOB setup. I absolutely love the one that is on the '94, and it has about 5,000 miles on it now... (been in since summer of this year). I liked it so much, that when the clutch in the '95 went, I bought the exact same setup.