Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

I've seen the original discs with no springs, discs with a full metal cover over the springs, and discs with a partial metal cover on each side to hold the springs in place, but I haven't seen this poor quality one with no spring retainers at all. Anyway this was brought to the club meeting tonight and shows what happened when he was on tour, and had to be flat bedded home. Needless to say.........don't install one of these in your car.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

I have heard stories about the bad clutch disks without the "ears" to hold the springs in. I wonder if that made some kind of strange racket when it came apart?

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

I'd say it had to make a grinding sound, and wouldn't let the disc engage.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

The first car I drove on the street was a 64 dodge dart, on my very first drive on my own after getting my license I was in the biggest intersection in the area and bang ching bamg bang the clutch stopped working---I took the cover off when I got home in 2nd, and picked one of the clutch hub springs out of the pressure plate, then the clutch worked again, drove it that way till I sold it because I had my 46 Ford ready for the road

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

This happened in my s10 at 209K miles, was leaving Rainmaker Rons shop, started the truck, put it in reverse backed out onto the side street and went to put it in 1st it wouldn't go and clutch felt funny. Shut it off got out and saw the rain of clutch fluid running out of the bellhousing. Had to start it in 1st gear and time shifts just right to drive the 5 miles to work.

For months before this every once in a great while when taking off from a dead stop it would sound like metal scraping right before the clutch was fully engaged. I figured with that many miles im hearing the brass rivets scraping the flywheel or something. The clutch would not slip when you did the slip test.

Anyways what happened is the springs wore grooves in the ears and wore thru the springs themselves. The scraping was small sections of spring trapped between the pressure plate fingers and clutch disc. What broke the camels back to to speak was a large spring chunk fell out, jammed up some of the fingers so when I pushed the clutch for the last time the throwout bearing didnt move and I blew the slave cyl...Clutch material wise the shop said I still had about 10-15K left on it.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

This exact same situation happened to one of our club members when he was about a mile from home about a 2yrs ago. At that time no one seemed that interested, using the mind set, "Ah. That won't happen to me."
Well that just happened to me about a month ago, luckily, right in the shop, while sitting on the hoist. After checking through the inspection opening on the clutch housing, and trying to move the engine by hand pushing the car in gear, and using the starter to no avail, the local parts supplier was called to find out where these poor designed clutch discs were obtained from. For now you should order your clutch disc from Bert's or Bratton's unless you are absolutely assured you have received a properly engineered Made in USA product. It must have built in spring retainers.

If you are driving a lighter Model A, such as a roadster, coupe, pick-up,
you may be alright for awhile. Heavier cars.....my condolences.:mad:

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

That is why I like the original solid type. No springs. Have them relined at a clutch shop and use them. Have many cores that could be relined including a few 9 3/4" AA. Rod

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

When the engine is seized, to a point where it cannot be rotated in either direction, unable to remove the starter, or even rotate the starter body in the flywheel housing, you know there is other resultant damage, such as a cracked flywheel housing etc.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

Rowdy....I was told by one of my friends, the original 3 web style of clutch disc is much harsher on takeoff, and that was the reason for installing the dampening springs with the later designs. In your opinion, is that correct?

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

Since mine is not on the road yet I can only compare from the other cars I have driven. I will use 3 examples.

1) Fresh rebuild with new spring clutch and V8 pressure plate. Smooth, but seemed sluggish. Not sure if the clutch was slipping or engine needed tuning.

2) Older rebuilt engine that seemed abit out of balance with newly relined clutch. Seemed abit jerky, unsure if it was the engines unbalance or the cluch. Possibly oil on the clutch disc.

3) Newly rebuilt engine with used non spring clutch. As smooth as the new spring clutch.

All were in my shop for other repairs so was not in the scope of the work to mess with the clutch. Rod

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

This has to be the crapiest clutch disc I have ever seen, to not have the flange around the spring slot show's the total ignorance of the manufacturer, if you want to call them that. They just don't care. Brattons have the good clutch disc.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

The big "S" company told me that they have sold over 500 all over the world. The poor clutch discs were ordered through a company called "M-A-F - P". I am sorry but I won't refer the company in full print. A large order was originally placed off shore.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

It pays to understand the parts you are installing. I had one of these fail in my Model A after about 7000 miles of use. It made a crunching noise on a 1-2 shift and the spring locked the clutch disc to the flywheel. It made for an interesting drive home.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

Yep, they are not wrong.

Got one from the local supplier and after cutting through the "Approved Ford" seal found it was this piece of rubbish.

Don't know whether to bin it ... or flog it to some other poor sucker on ebay.

A moral dilemma.

Re: Picture of Bad Clutch Disc When Springs Fall Out
 

No enemy should receive one of those discs, other than the original manufacturers. Makes a good conversation piece at the next club meeting, and then use it for a wall hanger