Sunday Drive 1 - My Clutch 0!!!!

[Geordie-Chris]

After the northern region of JOV Heartside thrash on sunday I figured I'd better check my clutch after is mysteriously stayed on the floor when I changed gear half way up the route, and then even more mysteriously came back up by itself 5 mins later and continued working fine, apart from some noise!!??
Took the inspection plate off tonight to find this:
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k147/Geordie-Chris/100_3148.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k147/Geordie-Chris/100_3152.jpg
So with some help from Lomas and SteveTurbo, whipped the clutch out (thank you Vauxhall for making it a piece of piss!!) to find this:
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k147/Geordie-Chris/100_3157.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k147/Geordie-Chris/100_3156.jpg
Thats 1 dead Black Diamond clutch, under 3 weeks before PV where I will be giving it some stick up the strip on the Saturday!!! In a way I'm glad it happened now, and not 250miles from home and not being able to run up the strip!
Its only done 3000 miles, max, which is a bit dissapointing, but to be honest, even though it was broken like that it still took all the abuse I threw at it on Sunday!! That video I posted up of me blasting along the country roads was all done on this knackered clutch!!
Hopefully Steve will be able to get me the bits tomorrow and it'll be all sorted and ready for PV by tomorrow night!!

[Sherco]

Oh dear! Are you replacing it with another Black Diamond one?

[Geordie-Chris]

Oh dear! Are you replacing it with another Black Diamond one?
No, lol!!

[Adam]

Id get a proper Gm/Luke/Sachs one in there TBH.

[Martin]

ouchy, you called them chris?

[Jeff16v]

Don't think i'll bother with black diamond then, you mullered that lol

[Philsutton]

Nice i remember doing a clutch on a mondeo where the biggest piece of clutch to fall out was no bigger than a 50p, and that includes the both parts of the clutch lol

[craig green]

TBH I've always thought Black Diamond was 'boy racer gear'. Case proved.

You dont see there stuff used anywhere other than the pages of car mags. To think there brake linings are likely made in the same way. Fook that!

Get your money back Chris or atleast a replacement to flog on.....

[Geordie-Chris]

I've probably had the thing two years tho, and to be honest it's been fine with lots of abuse, just this particular hard gear change killed it!!
I'm gonna bang a GM one in for now, see how long it lasts, if it eats that just as fast I'll get a paddle one in.
Just need something to get me to PV and a few runs up the strip!
It'll be back on the road tomorrow, then need to sort the breathers, should have a new bit coming for that tomorrow too, so will be a busy night again, was wanting to watch the football but the car comes 1st!!

[Will F]

GM LuK clutches are great...

Mine has lasted 3 trackdays with 240 bhp (ish) ;)

[ck]

yeah ive used luk clutches on my old let and was perfect.. was that flywheel side that the friction material decided to give way? if so what state is the flywheel in?

[Geordie-Chris]

Cheers for the replies guys, ordered a luk one this afternoon, will be here tomorrow.

yeah ive used luk clutches on my old let and was perfect.. was that flywheel side that the friction material decided to give way? if so what state is the flywheel in?
yes it was flywheel side, thankfully my lightened and balanced flywheel only has the slightest score mark on it, so will be fine.
Amazingly I probably did 100+ very hard miles on the broken clutch, with no problems other than a whirring noise, which was drowned out by the carbs lol

[Adam]

Lol, that was proper the release bearing f**ked causing the whirring :D

[Geordie-Chris]

Lol, that was proper the release bearing f**ked causing the whirring :D
Nah, bearings fine, it was the loose bits of friction material scraping the edge of the flywheel, lol!

[big gra]

ive had a clutch shatter on me in a 51 plate mondeo on the motorway, took gearbox off and it came out in a million pieces.

at last it didnt happen at pv mate, would be gutting. although would be a unique display on the PNG stand for people to watch all the members changing a clutch, haha, sure you could have bought one there sumwer and scrounged the tools.

[Geordie-Chris]

Aye, glad it didn't happen at the pod! I'm taking a spare clutch, drive shafts (hopefully) and a few other bits down with me - yes i intend on driving the car hard!!