Clutching at straws

The clutch has resided at the bottom of the tea chest for almost a year. I think this is the only picture i have of it, sitting on the right of the shot in it's dome. Now I know what it is, it looks like an Ariel clutch though most of the special nuts are missing - but they were soon found in the box of miscellaneous fasteners.

However, since I need to finally face up to the horror that is contained in the gearbox i.e. the long search for a replacement case and mainshaft, I need to get to grips with the clutch and get it fitted.

So dragging it out, what do we have?

Here is the pressure plate, grubby but sound, with all its cups, springs and nuts. All ship-shape & Bristol fashion.

That mangled mess in the background is the clutch centre nut and the tab washer. That is for the bin.  

Here are the plates. One plain plate is missing; the others are mostly OK (no corks missing or horrendously worn) but will relining eventually. The cork protrudes above each plate in the range 1/32" - 1/16" - the plate thickness is about 1/16".

 Hmmm... clutch centre. Ugly.

Hmmm... clutch centre. More ugliness. The splines are very worn and I wonder whether we have a bearing or thrust washer problem that is allowing the centre to rub on the basket screw heads.

Basket/sprocket flange & thrust washers. No evidence of the centre rubbing here? Wierd. Bearing & thrust washers look ok, but most of the needle rollers are missing. Couple of screws missing too.

Here are the pressure plate slots in the basket - not much wear here.

And here is the sprocket. Again, looking good.

Now, we need:

• tab washers
• plates
• needle rollers
• maybe a new centre
• a set of basket flange screws

Let see who's got what...