clutch fail

[PeterBergin at aol.com]

Hi guys, remember when I posted about a month ago with a clutch going out  on 
my 200?  Got it back from Anderson Motor Sports last Friday.  What  they 
found was quite curious.  They started the car after sitting for 3  weeks and the 
clutch worked fine. (when I had it towed there it would not  disengage).
 
After driving enough for things to heat up the clutch would not  disengage.  
Problem was I had a new Sachs clutch kit that I bought from  Blau a couple of 
years ago and what failed were some of the rivets on the  clutch. There was 
enough movement in the disks that allowed them to contact the  pins on the 
pressure plate and stay engaged.  The clutch plate was a Meyle  (spelling?) part 
number 2 264 031.  You can see some offset rivets all the  ones from one side 
only, they alternate every other one from each side.
 
Any one ever hear of this before. Virtually no wear on the disks and you  can 
see where the hit the pressure plate pins. You cannot move the plates  as I 
have the disk on my bench so the movement must be either heat of under high  
load.
 
Bottom line is that I am $1,500 poorer that I was last month.
 
Pete
91 Avant



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