Clutch Plate Thickness

[simon.holyfield]

Chaps,

I've recently reclined the clutch on my W/NG, and it's working fine but the plates barely fit the basket. I don't think I have sanded them enough.

What should the finished thickness be?

[Vincent.vanGinneke]

Dont know really. I sand them until I got all corks and then check if the front one does not fall out of the basket when declutching.
But I think you already came to that conclusion.

[simon.holyfield]

Ha ha! Yes suppose I did. But now I am worrying that one of them is going to fall out of the basket...

Maybe I am being a little paranoid!

[will_curry]

A set of new plates I bought from Club Spares a few years ago were all more-or-less 1/4" thick.

[Vincent.vanGinneke]

Then....I suggest you go out and enjoy a bit of hill climbing , that will get them nicely seated

[simon.holyfield]

I live in Norfolk Vincent - and you in Holland! Maybe drag racing instead?

[Vincent.vanGinneke]

Thats a good idea! or pop a few wheelies

[alan.moore]

Chaps,

I've recently reclined the clutch on my W/NG, and it's working fine but the plates barely fit the basket. I don't think I have sanded them enough.

What should the finished thickness be?

Simon
Just checked my WNG, with the clutch fully engaged under spring pressure the tongues of the last friction plate sits 6mm down into the basket slots (measured from the outer lip of the basket) and the last plain plates outer face is 2mm below the outer lip of the basket. When the clutch lever is fully pulled back the pressure plate moves out 1.25mm. In this example the friction plate or outer plain plate cannot fall out of the hub as there is insufficient room for it to do so.
The friction plates are not new but in good condition. I've got the clutch operation just right so I don't really want to strip it to measure the cork thickness.

WNG clutch plates

Now my VH has new club cork friction plates and new Drags plain plates. Here the tongues of the friction plates sit level with the outer edge of the basket and the outer plain plate is outside the basket (its outer face is level with the ends of the splines on the centre clutch hub). I've not got much mileage on it and have had no problems but looking at the WNG clutch the one on the VH does not look right and the only variable is really the thickness of the corks as you say.

VH clutch plates

I think I will need to sand the VH cork plates down so that the whole assembly fits inside the hub with some leeway for when the clutch is operated...as Vincent has said

Cheers
Alan

[simon.holyfield]

Thanks Alan. My W/NG is somewhere between your two
- all the plates are in the basket, but only just. It works fine, but I think I have a rattle on the overrun - it's one of those noises that I'm not yet sure I've really heard!

By the way, I'm just re-reading the story of your restoration!

[nevhunter]

Just looking at the corks they appear too thick. They don't wear a lot in use. I have skimmed them with a razor sharp balsa knife. Use fairly high revs on the lathe and it works better. There is a chance you will muck it up but it's a neater job if you can do it that way. Corks need less spring pressure and the replacement bonded fibre ones are very heavy. Nev