Clutch plate spring damage

[Ryan_M]

I pulled the clutch and flywheel off the M38 today and discovered a collection of spring pieces piled between the back of the motor and the rear plate. They came from the clutch disc. I'm replacing the entire clutch anyways but I'm curious if this kind of spring failure is common with old worn-out clutches or if there was something else going on. There is obvious contact wear on a few of the nuts that hold the flywheel to the crank.

[athawk11]

I've not seen that kind of damage on a clutch disc, but I've only messed with one old one and a new replacement.

Tim

[Lee]

Was the disc installed backwards ?

Lee

[Ryan_M]

The surface in the picture above was mated with the flywheel, or, facing towards the front of the Jeep. Would that make it backwards?

[Carls_jeep]

That kind of spring damage is usually from clutch abuse, hard engagement, jerky takeoffs and dumping the clutch on takeoff.

It is hard to put the clutch plate in backwards. On one side the clutch plate is almost flat and that goes toward the flywheel. The other side had a high center where the springs are and it goes toward the pressure plate.

The clutch plate has to fit flat against the flywheel and it can only do that when installed correctly. You need a clutch alignment tool to install the clutch. Be sure the pilot bearing is not worn out.   

[garage gnome]

I think if it was backwards, it wouldn't engage. That think looks like it was beat on.

[Lee]

Well I may be wrong, But if the raised side of the disc is what we are looking at as Ryan says then it was installed backwards, and would rub on the bolts and break the springs.

Lee

[Gunslinger]

'It is an old maxim of mine that when you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'

Sherlock Holmes Quote
 

[Ryan_M]

I didn't really get a look at the disc as it came out. I'm going off a few random photos of the clutch before I removed it. Tough to tell with absolute certainty but I am almost positive it was in backwards.

[Gunslinger]

Ryan,
When you were driving it before you pulled the clutch, was there any noise, or slippage or anything that would indicate a problem?   I would have thought that there would be engagement problems if it was in wrong..

[Ryan_M]

It seemed to be engaging alright. There was very little resistance when depressing the pedal but other than that it was OK. No slippage or weird noises.