Help Cerbera Clutch

[swast4]

Please please help before I am bankrupted. I have a '97 4.2 Cerbera. I am having a mare, I had the P/steering problem when the shaft broke and I got it repaired locally with the engine and box out. I also had a few leaking seals repaired aswell. Ever since I got it back the clutch was dragging slightly making gearchanges stiff but not impossible. I thought I would give it a few weeks to see if it would bed in, I left it longer and only reported it when it had to go back because I snapped a diff bracket. While he had it I asked him to check the clutch, he said he had tried to bleed it but had no joy.
I explained that the problem wasn't there before, it was taken apart and he said that it was only my word against his because he didn't drive it. ( don't get me wrong he wasn't being arsy just stating a fact) So I asked him to strip it down again and he has been onto AP themselves
The info he has gathered is that my clutch is a CP4882-3CRV which has a max clutch plate thickness of 7.52mm each with a max wear of 0.4mmm but mine are currently 6.73mm. Also the pressure plate is buckled or more like cone shaped which happens but mine is 10000 out when the tolerance is 3-4000. The float plate is also coned at 5000 out when the limit is 3-4000.
He said that all this makes a poor working clutch and that the only explanation is that it must be because it was disturbed. He can get a new clutch for 600 pounds or get the old one sent to AP and assessed and reconed for about 400 pounds plus VAT (but wouldn't know for sure until they gave a price)
Please could you tell me if this is making sense or is somthing fundementally wrong here. Because I can no longer justify the thousands of pounds I have spent on this car.
I do not understand the theroy of the twin clutch plate system so don't understand how my over worn clutch plates are causeing the clutch to drag rather than slip !!!

[dannylt]

Sounds like you weren't expecting the cost, but these sort of clutch problems aren't too uncommon. If AP will recondition them, sounds like the best bet, assuming the slave cylinder has been aligned properly for bleeding etc.

danny

[joospeed]

Makes no sense to me either .. first thing is how the heck did he manage to get AP to agree to recon the clutch when their previous policy has always been to refer you back to TVR dealer parts dept? but other than that if the clutch was ok before and isn't now it's 99% down to it being out and back in again .. clutches are hardy pieces of it usually (AP diaphragm fingers excepted of course) but the critical part on the twin plate AP clutch is the floating plate between the friction plates, this is sprung on both sides to hopefully ensure it frees off and prevent drag, but the springs are different each side, if it goes in the wrong way around it'll drag. Also there's some little clips to hold the assembly together, it's vitally important that these aren't pressed too far into the pins they sit on or it'll also drag. I've done clutch jobs where I've tried very hard to get everything OK and it still drags, there's nothing for it but to strip it down again and take even more care .. they do work if set corrcetly and maybe your techie bloke didn't realise just how critical this is. bad news is it needs to come to bits again though .. who covers that cost is betwen yourselves.
Incidently you can check if it's going to drag cos on the cerbie you can build the bellhousing up and bleed the clutch before refitting the gearbox etc .. it's well worth checking that BOTH friction plates are completely loose (NO drag AT ALL) at this stage before refitting the whole lot and trying to drive off the ramp .. you only make that mistake once seeing as it's a good 5-6 hour job to take it all apart again ...!!

[swast4]

Thanks again Joolz for your time and advice. I will show my techie but I hope he isn't too proud to take advice, stress I don't need, why do we put our selfs through this !!!!!!