Problem with pressure plate hitting throwout arm?

[cjshaker]

I got my engine fired up Sunday and immediately heard a tinny metal to metal sound in the bellhousing area. After pulling the transmission back out, this is what I found....



My new Ram flywheel and clutch assembly is not playing nice with my throwout arm and bellhousing assembly. You can see the pressure plate cover rivets are lightly hitting my throwout arm. Not bad, but I obviously can't let it continue this way. It's a Lakewood bellhousing and a stock throwout arm, which worked perfectly fine with my previous Centerforce flywheel and clutch assembly. I have the block plate in place and all clearances for the pilot bearing and transmission snout are good, the starter seems to be properly placed when engaged judging by the light markings on the teeth and everything else seems fine. So what gives? Has anybody else had this problem, and how did you address it?

It's almost as if the new clutch is taller than the old one, but I find it hard to believe that this hasn't been an issue for others if that's the case. Obviously "clearancing" the arm is not an acceptable choice because it would drastically weaken it and spacing the bell out would create problems in other areas. I'm kind of at a loss here.

[machoneman]

SWAG! Is the throwout arm bent from prior use? Pivot is worn? Hard to believe as they are beefy but.....

[cjshaker]

Bob, no, it was a NOS piece that I had bought many years ago. I checked it with an old one and the angle was the same. And the old Centerforce pressure plate didn't have enough resistance to bend it.....or hold the power of the engine

DaleP told me he had to remove the small welded in spacer between the clip and bell when he had the same problem. I forgot about that dang thing being in there. It looks like that will give me enough room. Hopefully it doesn't lead to other issues that I didn't have before

[jayb]

I had exactly the same problem with a McCleod flywheel and clutch assembly and a Lakewood scattershield - in 1978!  The bolt heads on the pressure plate looked like normal bolts.  I was able to grind the bolt heads down to get sufficient clearance, but not by much.  I think it might be a problem related to the Lakewood scattershield.  Dale's solution sounds like the right way to go in your case...

[fe66comet]

I had a weird issue with a center force also, while driving in the city the throwout arm wiped out the clutch fingers. It was a brand new clutch in front of a freshly rebuilt trans and new OEM flywheel. The place where I bought it said I had adjusted it wrong and would not warranty it. I promptly stomped out and bought a Mcload, end of story except then the drive shafts kept breaking LOL. Morale of the story for me is I do not mess with Center force clutches and do not have clutch problems.

[cjshaker]

I had a weird issue with a center force also, while driving in the city the throwout arm wiped out the clutch fingers.

I'm not sure how a clutch arm can wipe out the clutch fingers. The throwout bearing sits between them and they should not even be close to each other. Centerforce clutches are nice clutches, given the correct usage. They hold fine on stock to mild builds and have a mild pedal effort. They will NOT hold up very long under higher horsepower applications or drag use. I have used them twice and on the mild build it has and is still working fine after many many years. The other only lasted one summer behind about 480hp, but it was ok until one time I dumped the clutch and it slipped. That's all it took to smoke the clutch and burn the flywheel.

I think it might be a problem related to the Lakewood scattershield. 

No doubt the Lakewood has some known issues, but this was a new one on me. They all seem to be easily dealt with though. I've used 3 different clutches with this bellhousing and never encountered this problem, but it seems others have. At least it seems to be an easy fix most of the time. The Quick Time bells seem to have their own issues and I don't like their REALLY small housing and issues with supporting bigger clutch sets. It makes me mad though that Lakewood has discontinued the FE bellhousing

[fe66comet]

In my case it was a heavy truck, my 68 3/4 ton with just a cam and headers. It worked for about a week of regular driving and snap, came apart like a dropped glass jar. It was a complete kit also with throwout, arm, pivot and disk.