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Opinion wanted: Do I need a new clutch? (pics)

abikepeddler

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
34
Location
San Diego, CA

I'm such a sic pup... A cracked bell housing has ended up leading me to not only fix that issue but to basically tear the entire car apart and fix EVERYTHING. So basically I have torn #1607 apart. Just pulled out the clutch and wanted an opinion if I should replace it. I'm guessing the answer will be yes but just wanted verification from those of you that are far wiser than I. Clutch does not slip when I drive the car but the disc is looking a bit thin and the flywheel is pretty glazed. Also on a side note does the starter backing plate normally have some bend in it or it supposed to be dead flat? Mine has some subtle undulations that look Factory. Thanks for any input... I want to take care of crap while I have everything apart.






 

kumfasa

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
125
Location
Tauranga, New Zealand
That clutch and flywheel look okay to me, just a bit dirty, but no real bad heat spots or chatter marks and the meat on the disc looks okay.
It's a big job to take the tranny out though so if your thinking about turning up the boost at any point in the future I would replace/upgrade it and get the flywheel machined at the same time.
It's your call though and totally depends on your plans for the car.

IIRC my starter plate was dead flat, no bends or kinks like yours.
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
That starter plate has been tweaked by the movement from your broken block. Certainly fixable or usable straightened.
 

GSTwithPSI

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
3,460
Location
SoCal
First, check the step height on the flywheel and ensure it's in spec.

Regarding the clutch, personally, I'd replace the clutch while the trans is out. But, I hate pulling the transmission. The one pictured looks like a stocker to me, which are fairly cheap. Even if the disc looks good (and it does) I'd still replace it. The problem with those discs is the springs pop out, which will leave you with a clutch that won't disengage. If you look at your disc, it looks like those damper springs have already taken an impact or two. If I were you I'd throw a whole new clutch assembly in, but replace the disc itself at a minimum.

Look familiar? click
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XpOEt8x4n4VQ_9UsazUtxDX3GvEICKdL4fzYzvqwl2qk_s-PAIhvletur3L7u_5Ib8p-zIyYgustrxte2sH1sHLZa0_WZrpSADz2VCQsee39JBX8_4v27hIXtkMgmSUV4qBCqNlSlklFs_7aS2PoHwy0kAn8TtD5KLC_HmgcrTmHWE1wC8sqtZ7BItGjlmA5t6lRIbCuKb1eIdrngz3aZYFepTQ7z3ffN8CtfpZ7yJizomD7cTqCfulb5jBdFXn-tXCUthXSBq5s-mPU7E_ZBy0TUCZ5d1qGDUPTsyg0b8cJssirn4NLiEIheYzfjEuuCNHOJwD6Vdb2odEaMFL4eSZWK75PLzG5LBCqb2BRwrgyCTXz1C0xCEb5LConY-d5RDvyZV8VwEnYaGDyS9E-nVFj46QdAJr53WD12m2HgjoBw2cLUhxkAuj5D0fD0VQj6-WE4_dsh32ZZVu0P2VfRlgO7RRNw4CfGWGKds4WzQ3sTXksFagyWsPUjv_BkpdPPDgs8yN0fYFxjgtVydlIT9RPVXr6EXRLf5mhfw7hVmBuTPAFePVS8sSP6wMTNe7J9UArlGsxeg7uVN0YVTWnTEFpqxR91jo=w1218-h685-no
 

abikepeddler

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
34
Location
San Diego, CA
Quoting iceman69510:
That starter plate has been tweaked by the movement from your broken block. Certainly fixable or usable straightened.



Agreed. Not only did the engines cast iron transmission mounting tab break off (where one of the pins passes through the starter backing plate) but the bell housing itself had a 14 inch crack in it. diambo4life saved me by offering up a new bell housing and I was able to weld up the engine block tab cleanly but the starter plate does not line up anymore with where the pins on the block are located. I am certain that the pins are in proper alignment so the backing plate itself is actually spread out from the forces involved (as you stated) with the broken engine block and movement of the cracked bell housing. I ordered up a new starter backing plate for JNZ.
 

abikepeddler

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
34
Location
San Diego, CA


Thanks everyone for your input. A new clutch it is... So I read and read for hours about all the clutch options. I have only a mildly modded car... prob around 240hp... maybe someday might turn that up to 300 but not likely to bump above that. So from all the reading I did on this forum Centerforce and Southbend seem the have the least bad to say about them for DD use. So that is the direction I am leaning. The option of using a Kevlar disc is tempting.
 

idreamidrive

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2012
Messages
430
Location
Murray, KY
I love my south bend clutch. I contacted tmzperformance with my goals and how it was going to be driven. 400lb/ft was my goal, but I have changed my mind and I still love the clutch I have for stock power. It feels like a stock clutch too. I went with the recommended SS series pressure plate with TZ/B Kevlar/Ceramic dual friction disk.

Quote:
For a great daily driver/autox setup in a galant vr4, the SS series pressure plate with TZ/B Kevlar/Ceramic dual friction disk will be the best option on a factory flywheel or a chromoly steel flywheel. If you are running a fidanza flywheel, the full ceramic B series disk is the best choice (same price as the TZ/B disk).

I had a SS/TZ/B in my galant around the same power levels and it drove like a stock clutch and was extremely streetable while still handling autox duties. At a 1/4mi track the full ceramic disk was a better option due to the vehicle weight as it would glaze the Kevlar material otherwise.

 
Last edited:

abikepeddler

Active member
Joined
Aug 11, 2016
Messages
34
Location
San Diego, CA

To update this tread: So I ended up buying a brand new starter plate because the one that was tweaked was not really saveable. (The transmission bolt holes in starter plate would not line up with transmission.)

I decided to try the Centerforce Dual Friction clutch in the car but before I do wanted to make absolutely certain I buy the correct part. Is this the correct part number?: Centerforce Dual Friction DF536010
 

mitsuturbo

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 2, 2008
Messages
3,544
Location
Near Seattle, Washington
If you welded the tab back onto the block, i don't expect it will hang on for very long. I tried this one one myself. The welds on cast iron just generally will not hold, at least not in that area.

What i wound up doing was welding a 1/8# thick chunk of steel to the mount bracket that bolts to the block, then drilled a hole to line up with the transmission bolt hole, used a longer bolt, and filled the gap with a spacer and a washer. Worked fine for years after that.
 

diambo4life

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
315
Location
Edmond, Oklahoma
That is exactly what I suggested to him since my old Talon broke off one of those mounting tabs. I bought a mount bracket that had been modified as described and it worked perfectly for years. This was on a mid 10sec car too and the car that had it previously was a low 9sec car. So it is a good piece of backwoods engineering. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 

iceman69510

Turn Right Racing
Staff member
Joined
Mar 5, 2001
Messages
10,964
Location
Michigan
I wish I had known about/thought of this back when mine re-broke in 2014. Would have saved lots of time/money not having to change the short block!
 
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