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Tips
Tips

My friction plate is stuck on my flywheel.

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put a brass or aluminum block over the steel center hub and hit it with a hammer! don't hit the friction material or outside edge of the plate. The shock will usually make it let go. Just like getting stuck drums off, whack them straight on.
Rob
 
oh, by the way. If i were you i would not consider saving it. If it's that stuck, it's probably toast anyways.
R
 
When cars sit for long periods, the clutch plate tends to stick to the flywheel. Some cars are much worse that others. I've never had it happen on one of my cars.
 
They just gall themselves from sitting unused, sometimes even after a short period of time. Maybe heat, chemical release in the friction material, not really sure. Many that I've seen appear to be rusty.
 
I had a VW that we used about twice a year. I could count on the friction disk sticking after long periods of sitting. The procedure I'd use to free it was to get the car on the street, warm the engine in neutral, then switch off and start the engine after engaging second gear. The car would start moving on the starter and take off as soon as the engine caught. Holding the clutch pedal all the way to the floor I'd floor the gas and then let off several times in succession until the reversing load broke things free... usually with a loud bang. I eventually got in the habit of wedging the clutch pedal down (cable clutch) while the car was sitting idle. In short... they can seize just from sitting even without galling.
 
My MGC does that if I don't crank it about once a month when it is off the road and I have to do what Doug said to get it free again. I expect this proclivity varies with the amount of ferrous metal used in the friction surfaces of various makes of disc.

BTW, I would NOT advocate hitting the centre with anything as proposed above - you will force the disc to flex in a way it isn't intended to flex and create a possible failure situation if you ever wanted to use it again.

If you don't intend to use it, get a wood chisel and hammer and go art it around the edges (bevel upward and angle it away from the flywheel face). If you do want to reuse it, give it a spray with a solvent that may help when it seeps in between the disc and flywheel (obviously you can't use anything nonvolatile that will stay in the friction material), and start in gently prying with that chisel or a very thin shim, all around the edge. You may or may not be successful. Best way was to have done it when the engine was running, but we don't always find out about it then.
 
if you put any kind of solvent on it it is now junk. Just like brake shoes or pads.
 
trfourtune said:
if you put any kind of solvent on it it is now junk. Just like brake shoes or pads.
Click to expand...
Does that include using something like brake cleaner?

Also, if I end up replacing it, are any of the friction plates better than others? Should I only replace both the pressure and friction plates together as a set?
 
I had one stuck on the last TR8 I bought. The car sat unused for 20 years(86 to 06). I tried every trick I knew to get it unstuck. In the end I had to drop the tranny and pry it off the flywheel. Once it was off, I sanded down the flywheel and roughed up the friction disc. Everything looked great, so I put it back in. I was able to drive the car around, and all seemed fine. Fast forward two more months worth of the car sitting, and the disc is stuck again. I suspect I'll have to drop the tranny again and replace the clutch this time. I used a putty knife the first time to pry it loose.
 
The clutch friction disk is not too much of a problem. If you have to replace it British Parts North West is a good source. The pressure plate and the release bearing seems to be a problem. The clutch release bearing seems to have premature failure. I have a 25 year old bearing and it is still working ok. It is a Borg and beck. The pressure plate can cause problems if you get the extream pressure plate that is good for a 200 or 300 hp motor. The heavy springs in the pressure plate transfers great forces on the crankshaft causing very fast thrust bearing wear or failure. Regular,OEM spec's, is best. The following site may help with your selection.
https://www.buckeyetriumphs.org/technical/clutch/ClutchMeasurements/ClutchMeasurements.htm
 
jackag91 said:
Should I only replace both the pressure and friction plates together as a set?
Click to expand...
No need, IMO. Both the flywheel and the pressure plate can be reused as-is, if the friction surfaces, springs, etc. are in good shape.
 
Twenty years ago I saw a factory trained British Leyland mechanic solve the problem by just knocking the friction plate off with a brass drift and a lead mallet. That was on an Austin 1300 that had been sitting for years. He said you had to be careful not to scuff the flywheel (as if that needed explaining). He placed the drift on the steel edge of the friction plate, parallel to the flywheel, and whacked it, shearing it off the flywheel. Watch your toes.

Scott
 
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