Just finished a tranny and ACT clutch kit install. After re-installing the tranny i went to engage the fork so the throwout bearing would make contact with the wedge collar......but no "click". For some reason the new throwout bearing will not engage with the collar and ring!

I pulled the tranny a second time, checked the collar and ring. Installed it back in the pressuer plate and bolted it up. re-installed the tranny again and still nothing.

Im pushing the release fork and bearing as far up as it will go into the pressure plate but out what is wrong. all the parts are new with the ACT kit, and i double checked to make sure everything was installed correctly.

i even tried pushing the collar back with a screwdriver and the release fork forward so they would be pushed together, and they stuck together for about 20 seconds. then they just poped apart again, also when they were together for that short time i could not budge the release fork through its window.

I was also able to pull the collar and ring out of its location with a screwdriver through the window. once in its location i believe it should not be able to pull out correct?

can anyone give insite to why this is not commming together for me. should i order a new collar and ring even though these were new?

 

You can try tightening the ring around the collar. This might make it stay in better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPCi4RpGQCU

 

If you bent or damaged any of the little feet on the wedge collar, then it's pretty much ruined. I attempted to bend one back in the past and it didn't hold for very long. It held for about 5 miles before it let go (requiring me to get towed home). You need to take it out and inspect it.

 

perhaps ill just order a new collar and ring then, id rather be safe then sorry. it just boggles me as to why it wont hold. i never bent it at first...maybe after from screwing with it, but it should have cliped in at the start

 

Test the collar and ring on the pressure plate alone. If the grooves aren't lined up correctly it won't seat and you can see this clearly with everything removed.

David

 

i did this on my second removal.....when you say groves, do you mean the groves in the ring to be aligned with the longer fingers on the collar?

When i did this and pulled the collar outwards it seemed to fit the tapered hole fine. Although when it was installed, i was able to pop the ring and collar right out of that hole with a screwdriver

 

The collar will not lock in place until the throw-out bearing is push into it. However, it shouldn't be too easy to remove from the pressure plate without the throw-out bearing in place. If the collar feet are in good condition, it should require equal "prying" on at least two sides of the collar to remove it from the pressure plate (i.e. you shouldn't be able to easy pop it out from on side only).

 

I bought a brand new wedge collar and ring even thought the ACT kit came with it. Installed the tranny AGAIN and the throwout bearing is still not catching.

It seems that it cant be the problem of the collar and ring. when i looked at the stock collar, pressure plate etc i noticed the collar can be pushed flat against the pressure plate when temporarly installed. when i did the same with the ACT the collar feet hit the clutch, so the collar cant sit flush on the pressure plate. Even when i push the fork and bearing forward its almost as if it makes contact with the clutch center.

If you look at the stock clutch the center splines are raised and the clutch center is lower, making for a space between the pressure plate and clutch. this in turn allows the fork and bearing to push inwards. On my ACT there is no room for the collar, or bearing to move inwards.

Queston...when the pressure plate is mounted up, should it sit flush on/against the flywheel? mine has a 3/16 gap approx, at each bolt going around the pressure plate. is this normal?

is it possible i have the incorrect clutch? i do have the clutch in correctly...flat side towards the flywheel.

quick notes....
-wedge collar does not sit flush on/in pressure plate when installed. (tranny not mounted)
-pressure plate does not mount flush on flywheel with approx 3/16 gap in between at each bolt
-seems like throwout bearing lip is making contact with clutch center

 

^^^^That does not sound right. There should be no gap where the pressure plate meets the flywheel. I've had an OEM, ACT, & Centerforce clutch in the past and none of them had a gap in between the mounting points of the pressure plate and the flywheel. Check to make sure you have the pressure plate on correctly, there should be a coulple of pins on the edge of the flywheel that go through holes on the pressure plate. Make sure you have that lined up correctly. It sounds like you are getting stuck on one of those pins or something like that.

 

Nope...all pins are through the pressure plate. if i take the clutch out the pressure plate sits flush on the flywheel. if i put the clutch back in it creates that gap

 

Sounds like something isn't installed properly. I would undo the pressure plate and check the following:

1. Make sure you have the clutch disc facing the proper direction
2. Make sure you have the pressure plate aligned with the dowels properly

 

everything is in correctly....

1 counter weight
2 flywheel
3 clutch dics (flat side facing flywheel, even has a sticker saying "flywheel side")
4 pressure plate (with all flywheel pins through pressure plate)

 

here are a few pics i snaped.....

In the first pic i have both "raised" sides of the clutch up. you can see the stock clutch gives room around the splines for the throwout bearing to move and allow the wedge collar to sit flush on the pressure plate. on the ACT, the wedge collar feet hit the metal center along with the throwout bearing when engaged

Second pic is the "raised" side

the fourth pic shows the gap im getting...the bolt is not tight but just held up for viewing purpose


this is the Extreme pressure plate with the S/S clutch and Prolite flywheel

 

first pic is a "raised" side comparison

third pic is a "flat" side comparison

fifth is another flat side

 

I checked the part numbers on my kit, with the numbers on ACT webite and everyhting is correct.

I did some more test fitting today and there is no way the pressure plate will sit flush on the flywheel, the clutch disc is just to thick. So im not sure how the pressure plate could mount to the flywheel flush, as stated it should above. It tried flipping the clutch both ways too......

 

Ring Ring....calling you

 

from everything iv read and the pictures you have there it seems all you need to do is actually tighten the PP onto the flywheel. UNTILL you do that there will be the gap from the spring pressure of the PP and the collar will then clip in as the 'fingers' of the pp will be leveraged away from the disc in the proper installed fashion.

i cant remember why but i was checking something installing mine and it wouldnt lock in...looked around realized what was goin on being a pull style clutch.

z

 

thanx....

By actually talking on the phone with the above poster (jim) it looks like you are correct. It says to tighten down the pressure plate to 19lbs in the FSM, wich in turn is not enough LBS to make the ACT PP sit flat on the FW. This is because of the greater tention of the fingers on the ACT PP (as u mention also) compared to the stock PP.

im going to try this tomorrow...it all sounds dumb, i know. but i knew something was amiss. I never read a "how too" on a aftermarket clutch job. only on the stock one, so it doesnt mention this lil hick-up you will run into with aftermarket PP

cheers

 

Did you ever figure out the problem and what to do to fix it? Cause im going through the same thing right now :/

 

Yes...as mentioned above. The ACT fingers have a greater force on them, the stock torque required is too little for the bolts. Just crank the bolts down and stick the screw driver up there and give it a good POP!

 

Ok cause I too have popped out my tranny for a second time as my clutch fork would actually clip onto the wedge collar, but when testing if it was locked and engaged, it would just pop out. Guess ill try tightening the pp really tight

 

don't go nuts tightening the PP, 25lbs is what i torque them to even on cars pushing 500whp.

the flat portion of the disc should be facing the engine, the raised portion should be facing the transmission. disregard the sticker as i have seen ACT put them on the wrong side before, even though yours looks correct.

you don't need to install the transmission to test the ring to the T/O bearing, press it in there without the transmission to see how far it is going in.

basically you should be able to push the T/O bearing all the way into the PP until the T/O completely sandwiches the clip ring to the PP fingers, if not then something is wrong with your disc and it may be stamped with the wrong part #.

if it does bottom out in the PP but still isn't holding in place then your clip ring is defective.

 

I had the same issue with an ACT release bearing and monoloc collar. I simply could not get the release bearing to engage the collar no matter what i tried. I ended up taking the pressure plate off the flywheel and forcing it to engage the release bearing (in the transmission bell cover) and then after mating the transmission to the engine, torqued all the pressure plate bolts to the flywheel through the access panel. What a pain!

 

When u order a new clutch it comes with a throut bearing, but where do I get the cage and ring to hold the bearing to the pressure plate

 

If it’s the correct clutch and PP it should already have the retaining ring for a pull-type clutch.

Maybe it’s something I’ve missed, but I hadn’t heard of the throw-out bearing included with a clutch kit. I’d want to make sure it’s OEM and not some Chinese knock-off. Where are you getting it from?