I have beeen off of this list for quite a while. I searched the archive looking for answers to the questions below but did not find what I was looking for.

I **think** that I am beginning to notice some miniscule clutch slipping in the upper gears on spirted acceleration (occasionally the tach is rising faster than the speedo) and the clutch engagement point is at the very upper end of the clutch pedal travel.

Do these clutches typically fail in a benign manner (more and more slip at increasing lower acceleration) of have you heard of catostrophic failures where the rivets wear thru and the lining drops off suddenly. I am trying to access how urgent the clutch replacement needs to be.

Years ago on this list the consensus was that the OEM cluch was the best choise for replacement. Still valid? I surfed to Autozone today and they have several choises available for clutch kits including their Duralast house brand, LUK and Beck Arnly (and heavy duty versions of most of these for an extra $80 to 100). Prices range from about $120 to 250. Has anyone installed a HD version of a clutch in their vehicle? If so, was there a noticeable difference in the force to depress the clutch pedal? My point of view is the stock OEM (2wd, 8.5 inch dia) clutch.

On another list (different vehicle, decades older) a poster that I hold in high mechnical esteem mentioned that he never replaces pressure plates for the first 250-300K miles of use - only the clutch disc. He claims that there is minimal spring fatigue in a pressure plate and if the friction contact surface is good the pressure plate is good. Anyone here follow that philosophy? I have always replaced the pressure plate and disc at the same time.

Does anyone have a loose 2.6L/4WD throw out bearing or T/O brg installed on a clutch fork that they could take a couple of .jpgs of and make a few basic measurements. This may sound like a strange request - but my "Amigo" is a bit of a Frankenstein and I know that the T/O brg is different between the 2.3L & the 2.6L (atleast for '92).

My vehicle started out in life as a 2.3L 2WD. I converted it to 4WD and chaged over toa hydraulic actuated clutch. I am using a MU5 trans as found on the European version of the Amigo (Opel/Vauxhall Frontera) with the the forward trans casting from my old 2WD trans (to be able to mate to the Isuzu 2.3L, the Euros use a different (GM) engine, predecessor to the Ecotech). Clutch and pressure plate (8.5 inch) were reused from my 2.3L Amigo. I reused the throwout brg and fork from the 4WD Frontera donor trans. Up to now I have had 80K trouble free miles with the Frankenstein drivetrain combo. Before special ordering a T/O bearing for a 2.6L, 4WD, I am trying to assure that it will fit - I prefer not to spend money on nonuseable / returnable parts. Otherwise, I need to get a cluch fork from a 2.6L before tearing everything apart - this is my winter daily driver - if I am R&Ring the clutch, I need to be able to do this in a day. The Frontera T/O brg is not making any noise but it has about 120K miles of use on it and I prefer not to reuse it (again).

Thanks for putting up with this long posting.