Clutch floater tolerances

After we make a run and pull the clutch out, I notice the inside of the floater looks like the inside is working harder than the outside (turning bluer with build up). I grind my floaters to within .001 checking them inside and outside about three places around. Would it be better to grind with a .0005 taper to the outside?

 

I have never heard of anyone grinding his floater that way on purpose! What you’re seeing is more the results of your tune-up (clutch set up and motor/fuel setting). It is normal to see a bit more blue to the inside of the floater than the out side edge, but not huge difference. If the pattern your seeing continues to get worse make sure to check how flat of all your clutch disks, pressure plate, flywheel as well as the floaters. Any one of those not surfaced flat can cause what you’re seeing.

 

floater problem

check to see if the donut is warped,after the clutch has been run for a few seasons,if you have a aluminum donut it will fatique and even though you resurface it,it will continue to deform under the heat build up in use.thats why a lot of people use a titanium donut or change the aluminum donut every couple seasons of racing.

 

we do have a titanium flywheel and hat but i guess any material will warp over time?

 

You may have ground the clutch perfect. I would also want to dial the bellhousing both for parallel to the back of the block and to the centerline of the crank. Make sure the front of the lenco is flat. Maybe it's got a small ding in it. All of the alignments are very important.

 

Be sure the flywheel and the pressure plate surfaces are flat. Don't know your lever arrangement or how many but if the levers are all applying pressure to the donut in the same position on the donut I found that it will cause the condition you describe. Going to stagered fingers solved the problem for me. Also had the same problem when the donut gets cupped.
Grinding the floaters with a taper is not a good idea I would think. If you are using floaters of different thickness also use the thickest in the middle of the pack.

 

When you say staggered fingers are you meaning staggered weight or staggered finger lengths? Its a six finger clutch and has been a while since flywheel has been surfaced. We have been sanding the hat on a belt sander every couple of rounds. Also have been running different thicknesses of floaters, thickest to the flywheel, thinnest at the hat. Same with disc. Its a three disc clutch. How often do you recommend surfacing hat and flywheel if you're not totally eatin the clutch up? Were wearing .008 off a run. Just so you have some idea we are a roots blower alchohol f/c.

 

It looks like the pressure plate and flywheel are long over due. Don't know what kind of et's your running but, the pressure plate and flywheel should be done after every race (6 to 7 passes) even with a mild tune up they can and will warp within one or two races. I would be very carefull takeing a belt sander to the pressure plate, the idea is to remove any clutch material stuck to the plate, you do not want to try and do any kind of surfacing with the belt sander.

 

Im With Ya On The Belt Sanderdeal,we Can Run Low 5.90s Occasionally An 80 Just Looking For That Last Little Bit To Be A Contender.definetly Going To Pay More Attn. To Grinding Flywheel & Hat