merkis1024

Hello.
I just installed a Ballade Sports clutch myself. After unmounting the tranny 3 times, i finally got it right. Or so i thought.
Now, the clutch has a really nice feel to it, but the clutch won't disengage completely. Good thing i tested while the car was still on jack stands, or else i would've shot forward.

2 questions:

1. Does this mean i need to adjust the master cylinder to disengage completely?

2. I was informed that s2000 uses a pull type clutch. As in, the fork pulls the throwout bearing, which disconnects the clutch plate from the flywheel. My question is, if there is no physical connection between the throwout bearing and the clutch disk, by what mechanism does the clutch plate actually disengage itself from the flywheel?
The only way i can think of this is that when i press the clutch pedal (throwout bearing is pulled), the clutch disk just kind of backs off the flywheel since nothing is pushing it to the fw. I still don't see it as a sure way to disengage clutch.

Polaris0352

There are three components. Flywheel, clutch disk, and pressure plate.

Slowcrash_101

Pressing the clutch pulls the release bearing which bends the pressure plate diaphragm springs and the pivot raises the clamping surface of the pressure plate.

merkis1024

Yes, I realize that. But my question is a little more specific.
When I press the clutch, the clutch fork will pull the release bearing, thus bending the pressure plate diaphragm. But the diaphragm and the clutch disk itself are not necessarily bolted together. In other words, my understanding of the clutch is that the clutch plate is just sandwiched between the pressure plate and flywheel without a permanent attachment to either components (obviously not the flywheel haha). So, when the diaphragm of the pp gets pulled backward, what actually pulls the clutch disk away from the flywheel?


I hope my question is making sense..

slalom44

Nothing pulls the clutch disc away from the flywheel. When the release bearing is pulled (by stepping on the clutch) you are pulling the pressure plate away from the clutch plate. Just like a brake pad and calipers, without the pressure there is no friction, and the clutch plate won't transfer torque from the flywheel to the input shaft. Look at this video:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/116-ho...work-video.htm

Slowcrash_101

The clutch disk is splined to the input shaft, it can slide back and forth. The pressure plate "lifts" itself off the friction disk, leaving it to move freely about it's spline. I guess it's partly centrifugal force and some air pressure from the spinning components, the clearance is tiny after all, and the friction disk has vanes. Remember the pressure plate and flywheel move at engine speed, the friction disk moves at the speed of the transmission input shaft.

merkis1024

Yeap.. I got the idea that the clutch plate physically lifts off (or gets pulled back) from the flywheel from that exact video. at around 0:48, you can see that the clutch plate massively pulls away from the FW. I suppose it's exaggerated in the video to make a point, but I just wasn't sure if anything physically pulls it. Wow, I actually didn't know that the brake works the same way too. I always thought there was some sort of clearance between the brake pad and the rotors for some reason. So.. in the long run, if the a pad wears, wouldn't that eventually create a gap btwn the rotor and pad? do calipers self-adjust to minimize this gap?


Thanks for your input. Yeah, I just mated the old clutch and flywheel that I removed and tried to spin the clutch disk. Even with a little pressure, it spins quite freely. Given that the old clutch is worn out, I suppose it only exaggerates this phenomenon..

SpitfireS

The diaphragm spring pushes the pressure plate (PP) towards the flywheel (FW), the clutch disk (CD) is in between.
When you step on the clutch you pull the diaphragm spring away from the FW, so there is no more pressure on the PP and it moves backwards too a little.
The 3 "leaf spring plates" that hold the PP in the PP housing move it a little, back to "normal"
Now there is a little room for the CD to move on the splined transmission input shaft, break free from the FW and slow down.
If the splines are rusted / dirty / whatever it prevents the CD from moving.
So the CD kinda sticks to the FW, stays at FW revs and transfers a bit of torque too.
When you shift gear now it will be crunchy as the synchro has to slow the CD and input shaft to match the gear you selected.
Doing so it will "unstick" the CD from the FW, IOW it will break it free.
So the splines (CD and input shaft) need to be clean and greased to make your clutch work nice.
And guess what: that's how it is described in the workshop manual too....

merkis1024

I didn't necessarily clean anything, but I did grease up the teeth of the spline real good. I didn't notice any rust or damage that would inhibit the CD from lifting off the FW, so hopefully this disengagement problem is simply a matter of adjusting the master cylinder. I left the car in my parents garage in Irvine and can't get to it til the weekend, since I work and live near Burbank.

Thank you everyone for the input!!! I'll keep updating how this goes

starchland

How are you verifying it won't disengage (disconnecting
Power) completely?

And is there any play in your pedal?