Hey guys I was wondering if a pressure plate can go bad, what does it do when its bad? I am haveig a problem with the clutch disengaging but only some times. I know its not the tranny, the flywheel was resurfaced. and it sonly sometimes so i don't think its the hydraulics. also i just changed the clutch ball. So i am pretty sure its a clutch problem but i am just wondering wut coudl go wrong in there that causes it so not disengage fully sometimes. Also out of curiousity, in the clutch disc why are theres little springs? thanks guys

 

There are a lot of different things that can cause disengagement problems with a clutch. You could be getting an air bubble in your hydraulics, but if you're not losing any of your pedal and it doesn't feel overly soft, that's unlikely. Pressure plates do get screwed up, the fingers get bent or broken or worn out. You would see this by looking at it, it's kind of hard to miss if you're looking for it. Also, the springs inside of the pressure plate can break, a broken spring would probably rattle around or fall out if you took the clutch down. A worn out input shaft can cause release problems, if the disc won't slide freely or the pilot bushing journal is messed up and won't move in the pilot bushing. If you put any sort of grease or lubricant on the input shaft it will tend to collect clutch dust on the grease and make a sludge that will also inhibit disengagement.

The springs in the disc are damper springs, they help for a softer engagement. Clutch discs do exist (somewhere in the universe) that have a solid hub, that is they have no damper springs. They are generally for hardcore racing and such, as they have a very hard engagement that would be discomforting to the average driver.

That's my little spill on what I think I know about clutches. Maybe someone who knows more than me will throw something out there, but my best guess is that you're onto something with the pressure plate.