Re: Soaking a clutch disc in oil/grease

[Fluhr <ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com>]

>Aha, here is a new candidate.  I replaced the pilot bearing and
>greased it with careless amount of grease.  Some of this may have been
>squeezed out and pushed out to disk surface via centrifugal forces.
>What's the word on this?  If the clutch is contaminated, does it clear
>itself up or is the disk ruined?

Quite some time back, I changed the clutch (disc, pressure plate, T/O
bearing) on my Coupe GT, but did not realize that the pilot bearing
had self destructed.  At the track a few months later, the tranny
was spewing oil throughout the bell housing...and all over the clutch.
Despite a thorough (and we are talking complete and utter) soaking
in synthetic transmission oil, the clutch operated perfectly.  The
clutch was a lot more slippery when coated with oil, but the pressure
plate had enough clamping force to grab the clutch even when
speed shifting at high rpms & full throttle. 

So, in my experience, some oil/grease should not hinder the operation
of a new clutch.  The only caveat is that my engine only makes 110hp.
Perhaps 200hp could slip the clutch.

Later,
Eric
'85 CGT, '82 urq
---
Eric J. Fluhr                                Email:  ejfluhr@austin.ibm.com
High End Processor Design                    Phone:  (512) 838-7589
IBM Server Group                             Austin, TX