DeTomaso Mailing List: September 98, Message #36

It has always been my impression that the valve train can limit high rpms.
Weak springs cause valve float and the engine won't turn any faster.  Though
there may be valve train damage.  Has the engine been apart?  There may be
dents in the tops of the pistons due to exhaust valves staying open too
long.  In order for your engine to spin fast enough, your valve train was
probably in excellent condition.

I would check with the pressure plate manufacturer (if it is an after market
unit) about how common it is for the fingers to break. If you have a stock
unit, then I'm sure that the vendors would have heard about this potential
problem.

I am not an expert, but the pressure plate fingers I've seen seem quite
small.  It just doesn't seem too likely that one of these could wedge itself
between the bellhousing and the clutch housing (quite a bit of room) in such
a way that the pressure plate shears all the bolts?  They should have been
grade 5 and torqued to something like 55-65 ft-lbs.

Good luck Bjarke,
Paul
#9270

PS.  your english is very readable!!!

-----Original Message-----
From: Bjarke BC Nielsen <BBCN@Post5.Tele.DK>
To: Multiple recipients of list <detomaso@realbig.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 01, 1998 4:52 PM
Subject: Information regarding exploded clutch.


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>To all that can help.=20
>
>Part two of the Exploed clutch, Pressure plate, Bell housing, transaxle =
>and engine block.=20
>
>Part one is attatch at the bottom.=20
>
>A person from a third party company was selected to clarify the above =
>damage in part one.=20
>
>The person had a look at the flywheel and the housing of the clutch =
>pressure plate, (that is all items that remains from the damage).=20
>
>The third party person=B4s consulition is that the damage has occured =
>due to metal fatigue in one of the clutch levers that broke off and got =
>traped between the bellhousing and the housing of the clutch pressure =
>plate. (the person dose not have any levers to look at).=20
>
>On the housing of the clutch pressure plate there was no levers =
>(fingers) left, rember that it had cracked open and shered the bolts to =
>the flywheel, there was no damage to the flywheel.=20
>
>When asking the third party haw he can be sure when he did not hav any =
>levers to look at, he claimed that is is quite common for the levers to =
>breake and that is normaly what his expirence tells him.=20
>
>When asking about wrong gear shift, he claims that to high rev. would =
>cause damage to the valve train.=20
>
>The housing of the clutch pressure plate has no scratches on the =
>outside.=20
>
>I belive that a wrong gear shift caused the damage, first too high rev =
>caused the damage ie.=20
>
>wrong gear caused the pressure plate (not the flywheel) in the pressure =
>plate housing to crack=20
>
>the havy pices from the pressure plate caused the pressure plate housing =
>to crack, that then caused the bell housing and engine. gearbox to =
>crack. Parts from the pressure plate had penetrated the engine =
>compartment.=20
>
>Question. Where can i find any information about if it normal that the =
>clutch levers breaks.=20
>
>Question. In case a wrong gear shift caused the explotion ie to high =
>rev. would it not then have caused some damage to the valve train?.=20
>
>Question. Who may be able to help with some info regarding this damage?=20
>
>Question. Can the high rev cause the movebale pressureplate to explode =
>and how is the valvetrain duing if this would happen?=20
>
>_________________________________________________________________________=
>______=20
>
>Part one=20
>
>
>My Pantera GTS from 73 was sendt to a garage for whell aligment, when i
>wanted to pick the car up a major explosion had occured in the engine
>compartment.
>
>The rear deck (lid) had dents from below.
>The bellhousing was missing about 50%.
>The pressure plate shield had been changing schape to something looking =
>like
>the letter U.
>The pressure plate shield was still attatch to the flywheel wtih one =
>bolt,
>the rest was sheared off.
>Parts from the pressure platehad penetraded the wheel "housing" (inner
>frame) p/n 19217 a+b.
>The damage had caused the transaxle housing and engine block to crack.
>The starter was cracked.
>The clutch disc was still OK.
>
>The bolts in the flywheel had not been over tighten and did not have any
>other problems.
>
>If possible can some one explain this encident?.
>Has there been any common problems with the clutch assambly on the =
>Panters?.
>What would happend if say a finger in the pressure plate would brake off =
>and
>is this a common problem
>or has some one expirend that a finger in the clutch been broken ?.
>
>Thanks and Regards
>
>
>Bjarke BC Nielse=20
>
>Bjarke.Nielsen@MaerskEsbjerg.Com
>
>
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><META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.71.1712.3"' name=3DGENERATOR>
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><BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
><DIV>
><P>To all that can help. 

><P>Part two of the Exploed clutch, Pressure plate, Bell housing, =
>transaxle and=20
>engine block. </P>
><P>Part one is attatch at the bottom. 

><P>A person from a third party company was selected to clarify the above =
>damage=20
>in part one. </P>
><P>The person had a look at the flywheel and the housing of the clutch =
>pressure=20
>plate, (that is all items that remains from the damage). </P>
><P>The third party person´s consulition is that the damage has =
>occured due=20
>to metal fatigue in one of the clutch levers that broke off and got =
>traped=20
>between the bellhousing and the housing of the clutch pressure plate. =
>(the=20
>person dose not have any levers to look at). </P>
><P>On the housing of the clutch pressure plate there was no levers =
>(fingers)=20
>left, rember that it had cracked open and shered the bolts to the =
>flywheel,=20
>there was no damage to the flywheel. </P>
><P>When asking the third party haw he can be sure when he did not hav =
>any levers=20
>to look at, he claimed that is is quite common for the levers to breake =
>and that=20
>is normaly what his expirence tells him. </P>
><P>When asking about wrong gear shift, he claims that to high rev. would =
>cause=20
>damage to the valve train. </P>
><P>The housing of the clutch pressure plate has no scratches on the =
>outside.=20
></P>
><P>I belive that a wrong gear shift caused the damage, first too high =
>rev caused=20
>the damage ie. </P>
><P>wrong gear caused the pressure plate (not the flywheel) in the =
>pressure plate=20
>housing to crack </P>
><P>the havy pices from the pressure plate caused the pressure plate =
>housing to=20
>crack, that then caused the bell housing and engine. gearbox to crack. =
>Parts=20
>from the pressure plate had penetrated the engine compartment. </P>
><P>Question. Where can i find any information about if it normal that =
>the clutch=20
>levers breaks. </P>
><P>Question. In case a wrong gear shift caused the explotion ie to high =
>rev.=20
>would it not then have caused some damage to the valve train?. </P>
><P>Question. Who may be able to help with some info regarding this =
>damage? </P>
><P>Question. Can the high rev cause the movebale pressureplate to =
>explode and=20
>how is the valvetrain duing if this would happen? </P>
><P>______________________________________________________________________=
>_________=20
></P>
><P>Part one 

><P>
My Pantera GTS from 73 was sendt to a garage for whell aligment, =
>when=20
>i<BR>wanted to pick the car up a major explosion had occured in the=20
>engine<BR>compartment.

The rear deck (lid) had dents from =
>below.<BR>The=20
>bellhousing was missing about 50%.<BR>The pressure plate shield had been =
>
>changing schape to something looking like<BR>the letter U.
The =
>pressure plate=20
>shield was still attatch to the flywheel wtih one bolt,<BR>the rest was =
>sheared=20
>off.<BR>Parts from the pressure platehad penetraded the wheel=20
>"housing" (inner<BR>frame) p/n 19217 a+b.
The damage had =
>caused the=20
>transaxle housing and engine block to crack.<BR>The starter was =
>cracked.<BR>The=20
>clutch disc was still OK.<BR>
The bolts in the flywheel had not been =
>over=20
>tighten and did not have any<BR>other problems.

If possible can =
>some one=20
>explain this encident?.<BR>Has there been any common problems with the =
>clutch=20
>assambly on the Panters?.<BR>What would happend if say a finger in the =
>pressure=20
>plate would brake off and<BR>is this a common problem
or has some one =
>
>expirend that a finger in the clutch been broken ?.<BR>
Thanks and=20
>Regards<BR>

Bjarke BC Nielse  

><P>Bjarke.Nielsen@MaerskEsb=
>jerg.Com</A>

>
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