Fiat Dino Forum (FDF)

I asked this in another thread but thought maybe I'd get an answer asking in a new thread.

I'm rebuilding my 2400cc Dino Coupe engine - time for a new clutch so I had the flywheel resurfaced and ordered a clutch kit from Superformance. Looking at the DinoParts website they have a photograph of the exact same pressure plate. So it seems like this is the only clutch available.

But...
There are two sizes of dowel-pin fitted to the flywheel
a) 3 x 10.8mm diameter, 25mm long
b) 3 x tapered, about 8mm max diameter and shorter

when assembled with the clutch
the a) pins go through large holes drilled into bosses in the old pressure plate - but there are no such holes in the new plate
the b) pins are a tight fit in the old pressure plate which has 3 x 8mm holes. The new plate has holes for these but 10mm diameter, so they provide no location help.

To use this new plate, I'd have to remove the a) pins, and the b) pins are no help - so the only location is provided by the pressure plate bolts - seems like that's a much weaker solution than OEM. It might work but I don't like buying new parts for an inferior solution. Fiat did it for a reason.

I'm also looking for someone to service/rebuild the old plate, but it seems nobody does that any more - everybody just buys a new part.
Has anybody fitted one of these new clutch plates and have any comment on how well it works? Any other thoughts?

Thanks,

-Richard

Couple of pictures to illustrate

This is the flywheel I just received new from SF Ringed in the picture above are
a) the lack of hole for the large flywheel pins and
b) oversized holes for the smaller flywheel pins.

Then this is a picture of the "Original Style Pressure Plate 2000" from Superformance. This resembles the OEM 2400 clutch plate I have removed
Ringed in this one are
c) the smaller size hole for the small pins
d) the large holes in bosses for the large flywheel pins.

Unfortunately I can't photograph my flywheel or clutch plates because they're all at the machine shop for balancing

Thanks,

-Richard

Dear Richard,

I had similar problem, the one from Superformance just did not fit. Had two clutch cables broken. What we did was to refurbish the pressure-plate with teflon coating. It was done in Hungary, but you need your original plate for that.

Thanks, good pictures.

Shows how the new plate is completely different to the old one.

I think the 2 best ways to go now are either:
- make 3 pins that would fit in the larger holes in the new plate and use that
or
- clean up the old pressure plate and use "as is". Speaking to people around here, all the clutch rebuild shops have closed - but also, the diaphragm style clutches are pretty tough - and only need to be replaced when the finger-tips, where the release-bearing presses, are worn thin. Mine look fine there, so it's just the condition of the surface that meets the clutch disc that matter.

Your story of "broke 2 clutch cables" is making me think the 2nd idea is better.

Thanks,

-Richard

Have any of you asked SF or Dinoparts about this? How can they sell something that doesn’t fit? What is their suggestion?

Separately, how can this cause the clutch cable to break?

Hi Luis,

I haven't found time to call them yet (8 hrs time difference not helping) - but their usual response is, "we've sold lots of these, no complaints so far" - and maybe they're right! So this thread is me checking on that before I discuss with them.

And the plate does fit, you just have to remove 3 pins from the flywheel - pins that have to be removed to re-surface it anyway.

Yes I'm also interested in the broken cable question.

-Richard

Hello again,

I am not a technical guy, just love my car. Thus I cannot tell you why the cables were broken, but after the new coating I do not have that problem. Gregor on this page knows about my ordeal, he was the one who also sent one to switch my old plate with a spare, but that did not work either. I was afraid that my original clutch plate could have been replaced earlier by something foreign. But it is now working in order and still matches the transmission itself, whilst the other two had not.
Superformance (James I think) kept saying that the item sent was used in many cars, but as with Richard's we had those holes and pins in different spots (a seen in the photos).
That is all I can add to this topic, I do not have the correspondence with the SF supplier anymore, but had described my case to them and were not too helpful.
Hope you can overcome the problem soon Richard, best, Zsolt

Noticed the same thing with the clutch on my Fiat 130 (exact same clutch and flywheel as a Dino).
I mounted it anyways and it is working fine, picture attached.

Thanks Stefan, really helpful picture. Yes interesting that the 130 and Dino used the same clutch/flywheel. Same gearbox I suppose so that makes sense.

And good to know that it's all working fine - gives me confidence that making 3 pins to fit the new plate better, and discarding the taller pins, will work fine.

Best, Richard