<VV> Topic: Odd noise and pressure plate

[Ken Schifftner]

Gang:

I recently was part of a crew that ran a rebuilt 140hp on an engine stand wherein the flywheel and pressure plate was exposed (just engine, bell housing, no transaxle). The engine had, when installed in the car, an odd rattle...random, not rhythmic. On the stand, there was perhaps some of the noise but not like the noise was when installed.

While looking at the running engine from the point of view that the throwout bearing would have (if said bearing were installed), the pressure plate fingers were not cycling as if they had a common center. In other words, if you tried to put a pipe (or the like) on the same centerline as the crankshaft bushing, some of the fingers would hit. It was almost like some of the fingers were loose and centrifugal force was spreading them, while others didn't want to move. If the throwout bearing were to be installed, the fingers would not touch smoothly on the bearing but instead be eccentric and make like a polishing motion rather like a rotating motion (I hope I described this OK).

Having never seen a running engine from this vantage point, I don't know if what I saw is "normal", "abnormal", or "panic inducing".  I'm thinking that the pressure plate may be shot...or at least has weak springs.  The flywheel seemed to be running smoothly however. Loose rivets?

Other oddity. When using a timing light that provides a strobe like effect and shooting it towards the harmonic balancer, the image was fluttering....usually the image is fairly steady. Maybe the two things are related, I don't know.


Ken Schifftner

Kenneth Schifftner, Consultant, LLC
210 Indian Hollow Court
Mahwah, NJ 07430

201-236-0786 hm/bz
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