ALFAGTV6.COM

[planarchy]

My GTV6 clutch has recently started to slip when I accelerate, and it's not getting better the more I drive. Conventional wisdom in these parts seems to be that an entire clutch unit assembly (with pressure plate, bearings) is in order, price: $700 to $800 plus labor. I hate to sound cheap, but I don't want to spend that much money. Is it standard to replace the entire unit? Is there any magic cure to reduce the slipping short of a replacement? How much labor is usually involved? What next?

Thanks

[SamW]

Yes, they come as a balanced unit, and it is not too bad to do yourself if you are handy. I think you can get them relined, and I think you must have shipping cost built into your estimate, they go for $500-$600 here in the US.

[MD]

If you do the job yourself, be sure to have the flywheel and clutch assembly balanced as a whole before installation and save yourself a lot of vibration grief.

[Don]

If you have a clutch relined, can't you just keep the orientation of the pressure plate to flywheel the same and reassemble it without having to have everything rebalanced? Makes sense to me. That is of course only if the flywheel and p.p. do not need resurfacing.

[Bruce]

I have changed just the friction disc with no problems on my 75(Milano). I think you're OK as long as you are not changing the balanced components - flywheel & pressure-plate.

[MD]

Don

You are correct that the assembly should not require rebalancing if you just change the driven plate (friction plate).

It is good practice however given the amount of work involved for maintenance purposes (as opposed to just trialing different clutch materials) and therefore cost to replace the pressure plate and throw out bearing at the same time. So if you do that as you should , you will have a new clutch assembly unit which is balanced as a unit itself but when you fit it to the original flywheel (which should be machined and balanced as well before doing so) you need to rebalance the assembled machined flywheel and pressure plate minus the driven plate.

When this is complete, you install the driven plate and reassemble everything according to your balancing marks.

I hope that makes sense.

I repeat,if you are just changing the driven plate carefully install and reassemble in exact reverse order having marked everything before you started. But the real question is why would you bother? when your clutch starts to slip and the throw out bearing gets noisy you will be cursing why you didn't do it when you had the chance.