Borg & Beck has issued some useful information for technicians on common clutch fitting issues and how they can be avoided. 

The brands technical experts point out that despite the complex nature of the modern clutch system, many technicians remain under the misapprehension that clutch replacement is a simple and straightforward affair. However, with clutch replacement now often taking several hours it’s imperative to workshop profitability that technicians have the information they need to fit the replacement right, first time.

Borg & Beck have produced some useful fault diagnosis information to highlight the issues that can result from incorrect clutch fitment, so that fitting problems can be avoided and business profits and customer satisfaction retained. Using the information technicians can identify the cause, its effect and the remedy and therefore prevent costly installation problems before they occur.

For example, to ensure the correct operation and maximise service life, the correct quantity and formulation of grease is crucial. This is why all Borg & Beck clutch kits contain a sachet of grease tailored to the job. Without any grease on the bearing guide tube or in the bearing recess, the bearing bore will become scored and the clutch action jerky, with heavy pedal feel. To avoid this, technicians must ensure that the grease is applied to the bearing guide tube or the groove on a new bearing is filled with good quality, high melting point grease. If necessary, the bearing guide tube should also be renewed.

Incorrect grease on the driven plate splines will lead to clutch drag due to dirt contamination of the splines and this is best avoided by thoroughly cleaning the first motion gearbox input shaft and applying a fine smear of approved grease and renewing the driven plate.
Incorrect lubrication on the bearing guide tube will also cause jerky clutch action and a heavy pedal. The remedy to this issue is to replace the worn guide tube and lightly lubricate it with the approved grease.

Broken spring fingers can occur when the cover assembly is not located correctly on the flywheel or the bearing over travels. This allows the spring fingers to come into contact with the driven plate and break off. To avoid this the fitter should ensure that the release mechanism, including the auto adjuster is working correctly and replace the complete clutch and any other damaged parts, before re-setting it properly.

Another effect of an incorrectly located cover assembly is vibration and clutch drag. Here the technician should check the flywheel dowels for damage and if they are okay, correctly fit a new cover assembly. If the driven plate is fitted the wrong way round, the clutch could be completely inoperative and damage will result. Here the technician should replace the driven plate assembly and install it in the correct direction, while also checking for damage, and if necessary replacing, the cover assembly.