<VV> Topic: Odd noise and pressure plate

[MarK Durham]

Ken, when you torque down a pressure plate all of the fingers should be the
same height so the throwout bearing can ride on all of them at the same
time. Also, the fingers should form a concentric hole that the t/o bearing
shaft fits into. I suggest the plate be inspected. Also, I would take a
good look at the harmonic balancer to make sure it has not started to come
apart. A out of balance pressure plate will cause the balancer to fail
because it is not designed to take those stresses.

Mark Durham Hauser Idaho
62 2Door Coupe 4speed Red/Red
On May 21, 2014 9:20 AM, "Ken Schifftner via VirtualVairs" <
virtualvairs at corvair.org> wrote:

> 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
> 201-749-3063 cell
>  _______________________________________________
> This message was sent by the VirtualVairs mailing list, all copyrights are
> the property
> of the writer, please attribute properly. For help, mailto:
> vv-help at corvair.org
> This list sponsored by the Corvair Society of America,
> http://www.corvair.org/
> Post messages to: VirtualVairs at corvair.org
> Change your options:
> http://www.vv.corvair.org/mailman/options/virtualvairs
>  _______________________________________________
>