Clutch Ache

[adam quantrill]

Well I'm still soldiering on with a slippy clutch on the 400SX but I feel it's not long for this world.

My options seem to be:

a) replace with a standard clutch & pressure plate
b) get an uprated clutch - same diameter - maybe with a better compound
c) get a flywheel drilled for a 10.5" clutch
d) get a lightened flywheel which will accept a 10.5" clutch

Options c) and d) also require some changes to the clutch release lever. Options a) and b) have the advantage of ease and speed of installation, and are much cheaper!!

I had a feel of Rev's 10.5 inch clutch at BBWF and it didn't seem that stiff, so I could live with that. Certainly no harder than a standard clutch. [Insert phnarrs as appropriate...]

So I'm undecided really, should I get another 9.5" but run the risk of slipping in another 20k miles time? My driving history is that I'm quite easy on clutches, in my experience it's gearboxes that seem to go!

[adam quantrill]

The torque is supposed to be 340 lbf - very 'ish' though, and add a few pinches of salt.

What's a '5-litre' clutch plate, and how does it differ from a standard (3.5l ?), and who supplies them?

Are the '5-litre' rated ones available with LT77 splines, or just T5?

Edited by adam quantrill on Wednesday 30th April 13:55

[adam quantrill]

I just had a nice chat with the guys at Tvrcarparts.

Apparently the 500 clutch probably has stronger springs on the cover plate, and has a different compound on the clutch plate, but visually they look fairly similar.

In the old days, V8 wedges were originally only supplied with one clutch type from the factory, so the larger cars probably ate clutches for dinner.

Thanks for the tips!

BTW Lee, did the techniclutch one fit in as a straight bolt-in - no dowel removement etc?

And do they have a stock code for this clutch kit that I can quote? Just to make sure I get the right one - I have seen some horror stories about their customer services when things go wrong ;^)

Edited by adam quantrill on Wednesday 30th April 15:50

[adam quantrill]

Mine started like that too, but has got progressively worse.

An oil seal leak will be onto the front face of the flywheel - away from the clutch. The first sign will be oil dripping out of the little hole where the clutch slave cylinder goes.

[adam quantrill]

If you think you've got an oil leak my top tip is to make sure all the engine breathing is working well, to reduce crankcase pressure.

[adam quantrill]

So I'm looking at getting a 5.0l clutch, but at the moment I don't know how to identify one when I see it.

Some research seems to indicate that Range Rover clutches have evolved over time from the old 3.5l ones.

However it's hard to tell what will fit - application data seems to be very hard to come by - the crucial measurements being the spline and the overall diameter.

So the alternatives seem to be:

1. Techniclutch 5.0l - according to Lee this is a Borg and Beck clutch. 9.5" dia.

2. TVRCarparts 5.0l clutch - rumoured to be Techniparts - also 9.5" dia. Mates with LT77 and T5 (yeah, right...) Very vague description of why the 5.0l clutch is better than the 4.0l one.

3. Borg and Beck make the Range Rover 3.9l clutch part number FTC2001/2

4. Then I see this part has been superceded by FTC4828

The prices range from £100 including delivery up to over £250, which is why I'm being careful.

If anyone knows how to get hold of B+B application notes please get in touch.

[adam quantrill]

Yeah thanks Rev - but it's still quite light on hard-core technical facts.

The LT77 is a 23-spline, by the way. The other pertinent dimensions are the inner and outer spline diameters, I'll see if I can measure them up and post them here.