First Line Ltd is continuing its commitment to share its extensive product knowledge and technical expertise with the aftermarket and has launched a new campaign to educate the importance of best practice clutch installation, designed to support independent garages and parts distributors.  

Key aspects will be ‘education’, ‘install with confidence’, ‘identifying clutch failures’, ‘correct alignment’ and ‘promoting choice’.

To support the campaign, the clutch specialist has introduced a detailed, technical poster, outlining best practice and top tips for clutch fitment. It is a visual guide highlighting key parts of the process that if not followed, could lead to an avoidable warranty claim, which if it is due to an installation error or driver abuse, won’t be covered.

Jon Roughley, Global Marketing Director, explains, “Our Borg & Beck products are hugely popular among factors and their technician customers and we’re working to support the aftermarket in the provision of extensive information that will add further confidence. We are committed to educating the industry and are proud to announce that we have just introduced a fantastic poster highlighting best practice for clutch installation.”

First Line says when replacing a clutch it’s important to understand why the old clutch has failed, particularly if it has failed prematurely. There could be a number of reasons that can cause premature failure, including poor driving style, towing heavy loads, frequent hill starts or an installation error, that if left unknown, could affect the lifespan of the replacement unit.

One of the key messages shared by all clutch manufacturers is the importance of correct engine to gearbox alignment. Before offering up the gearbox, the Borg & Beck engineers advise technicians to align the input shaft with the hub spline of the clutch disc and not allow the weight of the gearbox to hang off the spline, as this could cause the drive plate to break apart.

Another danger to the clutch systems that the company is urging the aftermarket to consider is over lubrication. Jon Roughley says, “Lubrication of the spline shaft should be kept to a fine film, using the sachet supplied with your Borg & Beck Clutch Kit. Alternatively, any high performance, high melting point, non-copper-based grease can be used. Excessive greasing can affect the performance of the new clutch, so always remove the excess.”

He adds, “If the vehicle has a CSC fitted and it is being replaced, it is also vital that you avoid the temptation to compress the new CSC, as this can cause damage because out of the box the seal is dry. You must ensure that the CSC mounting face is clean and any seals, gaskets or sealant should be used as per the vehicle manufacturer’s guidelines.”

If it is identified that the DMF was the cause of failure, then First Line Ltd recommends that technicians and drivers consider a Borg & Beck Single Mass Flywheel (SMF) conversion kit. Borg & Beck SMFs are designed to provide a cost-effective and durable solution for vehicles that have a dual mass flywheel as original equipment. SMFs are ideally suited to higher mileage applications, low speed city driving and the demanding operating environment common place with LCV applications.

To request a free poster, and to see the other posters available from First Line Ltd, simply visit mailchi.mp/firstlineltd.co/posters