Clever thought to use the flexplate -- it would pick up the starter drive, but I think it lacks the alignment shoulder to radially align the stuff on the transmission side...

If you *do* figure that out, you might be able to just stack up flywheels and/or flexplates. Very non-linear! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Take it a step further -- how thick is the stock flywheel? Sure, thicker than a 1/2" -- but that is the relative MINIMUM to get full engagement on the splines. Those same splines run back a good bit further... what's the downside if one flywheel sat up front to engage the starter, and another sat right behind it to drive the friction plate?

Randii (Dan started it)

I already did that. I have my disc reversed so the splined hub is facing the trans. I have always installed my clutches like that. It is the oposite way that is pcitured in your diagram above. on the GM 3.1 it wont fit the other way so I thought all setups were like that.

Also the flywheel is not very flat so I would be looking at a great deal of milling to get a "slice" of one.

Most friction plates come with an arrow or at least a sticker that says "this side toward motor." I always assumed that friction plates were intended to rotate a certain direction... are there any such markings on your clutch?

After thinking about this, I'm frankly not sure whether the direction is critical for a new clutch, as long as it physically fits (on some FWD cars, the flywheel is really dished out in its center)... as I visualize a friction plate, I can't see how the friction material, engagement dampers, or marcel plate would particularly care which way they are turned. Some clutch plates have the friction material aligned or slotted with a radial tilt, so I imagine they might be different, but a symmetrical clutch plate... hmmm...

Let me beat this dead horse a little more. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />
This article is along the lines of what I was thinking -- customizing the hub;s position relative to the friction material:
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/t5tranny2.htm
Can you approximate the relative offset of the hub boss to which the friction material is riveted (offset + boss/flange + offset = total inner spline length -- what are the first three dimensions?)? If you've got the old clutch that came on the motor, you could drill out the rivets and measure, otherwise, you'll have to approximate. There's some interesting pics at: http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/clutch/
Down at the bottom, you can see the offset, a bit. Cool pic of a naked marcel, too.

Randii (persistent!)

There is really a right way and a wrong way to put on the clutch, often the flywheel bolts will hit/rub on the rivets of the clutch if you put it on the wrong way and I don't think the dampener springs will work correctly either.

See my note... "as long as it physically fits". Some will actually fit backwards, depends the physical dimensions of the flywheel, friction plate, and pressure plate.

That said, I still kinda wonder IF IT FITS whether there is a right or wrong side. Dunno.

Randii

That was just an example, there IS a right and a wrong side.

I know that most all of them are marked as such, but can you explain why? Is it the pitch of the 'leaves' of the marcel spring?

Randii (baffled)

That's just what I remember right now, I'll have to check my textbooks but if I recall correctly the dampener springs won't do any thing because things will be rotating the wrong way.

The clutch disc and dampener spring assembly has to operate the same way in response to torque from both directions. They have no orientation. You load the springs one way during a clutch "dump" and the other way if you do a sharp "compression brake" or downshift maneuver.

besides that, their other job is to even out the non linear rotaional speed of the engine. If you were to accurately graph the crankshaft speed of an engine idling you would see that after each combustion event the crank spins faster and slows down again within miliseconds. The clutch disc is "wobbling" all the time back and forth in relation to the crank evening out that resonance. Meaning, the clutch has to be deisgned to absorb a load in both directions equally.