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Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:07 pm

I've been told that the Brazilian pressure plates have a lot more slop than the German ones. I mocked up a German PP today. While it does have much less slop, it isn't perfect. How do I resolve this issue? Are there centering bolts I can use? Can a machinist balance and pin the PP to the flywheel so I have a reproducible reference points?

Cheers,

Paul

Fri Aug 11, 2017 5:12 am

You might look around for a engine builder that can do dynamic balancing of your rotating assembly.

I've never had issues with the hole clearance through the mounting of the plate. But I'm sure you could machine some shoulder bolts to take up this small amount of space to ensure a precise, repeatable install... but is the juice worth the squeeze on a low rpm, low hp engine?

Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:55 am

The problem isn't so much the holes, it's that the ears on the perimeter of the plate are not a snug fit inside of the flywheel.

When I send my parts out to get balanced, I generally have the machine shop center the clutch, bolt it down and have two location pins drilled into the clutch and flywheel. That way it goes on the exact same way, is centered and doesn't affect the balance.

Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:53 am

Just gonna take a stab if I were in your shoes. get some sheet metal that is damn close to what you need to fill the gap (aluminum flashing is pretty thing). Tape or glue it in place around the perimeter tabs so its centered and nail it down.

Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:41 pm

Bulli Klinik wrote: The problem isn't so much the holes, it's that the ears on the perimeter of the plate are not a snug fit inside of the flywheel.

When I send my parts out to get balanced, I generally have the machine shop center the clutch, bolt it down and have two location pins drilled into the clutch and flywheel. That way it goes on the exact same way, is centered and doesn't affect the balance.

This is a good approach

Fri Aug 11, 2017 10:48 pm

Get six 8mm countersunk screws. They are commonly used on VW door hinges. Install the pressure plate using the screws in the mounting holes. Tighten well. With a center punch, strike the pressure plate in several places around the perimeter, forcing the pressure to swell in to the gap of the flywheel, giving a tight fit.

Sat Aug 12, 2017 12:25 am

Two dowel pins is a good practical solution.

IMO, center it with feeler gauges.