V-SMART June 2018

AIR CENTRE

Fig. 2

the durability of the solid flywheel. In this instance, during the removal of the clutch, the TechCare engineer identified excessive ‘preload wear’ to the fingers (Fig 4) on the pressure plate; a direct consequence of the defective release arm. At this stage the TechCare engineer and the garage technician contacted the customer via the Valeo Connected Hotline tool which enabled them to contact the customer and share video footage of the release arm and gain authorisation from the customer to replace the release arm. It is also recommended to replace the guide tube due to the amount of wear and tear that can occur on the cylindrical tube.

Using a clutch alignment tool (Fig 5) or one that is supplied with the clutch, mount the drive plate to the clutch pressure plate and bolt the clutch assembly to the flywheel. Torque the bolts (according to vehicle manufacturer specifications) up in an even and sequential order to ensure correct installation.

Next, remove the bottom exhaust mounting and support the engine with a transmission jack on the underside as there is no contact area or support within the engine bay to allow an engine cradle to be used. Finally, remove the gearbox mounting bolts on the near side mount bracket. Remove the final bell housing bolt and ease the gearbox out and transport to a safe working area. Remove the release arm (Fig 3) from its mounting. Ensure the release arm is gently removed from the metal ball joint/pivot. In this instance the release arm was worn and the plastic ball socket/mounting (which fits over the metal ball joint) was damaged.

Fig. 5

Refit the Gearbox and rebuild in reverse order. Refill the gearbox oil according to the manufacturer’s specification. Please refer to the gear oil recommended for the transmission otherwise difficult gear selection issues can occur. Once the vehicle is on the ground, re-torque the hub nuts and wheel nuts to the manufacturer’s specification. Once the repair is complete carry out a road test to ensure the clutch and gear change operations are correct. 1) To reduce the risk of spline damage please ensure the correct clutch alignment tool is used during the course of replacing the clutch assembly and the gearbox is fitted in line with the engine during clutch replacement. 2) It is critical to ensure the correct gear oil that is specified by the manufacturer is used. 3) Check the integrity of the release arm; specifically the plastic molded ball socket. Replace any wearing parts, guide tube, bushes etc. Top tips from the TechCare engineer:

Fig. 4

Fig. 3

Before continuing with the fitment of the clutch, clean the gearbox of dust and debris and clean the input shaft with a soft wire brush. Next, spray brake cleaner onto a clean cloth and wipe the input shaft so it is clean. Open the sachet of grease provided with the clutch and empty it out on to some clean paper or card (please note there is no need to use all the grease provided). Do not use copper slip. Using a fine brush, lubricate the input shaft with grease. Do not apply grease on to the input shaft using your fingers as this will cause excessive grease to radiate outwards when the clutch is in use. Do not apply grease directly to the clutch friction plate.

Remove the clutch assembly from the flywheel. Check the flywheel for surface/heat damage or signs of wear and thoroughly examine the flywheel and check its integrity (hotspots/cracks etc). If in doubt replace the flywheel if necessary. On this vehicle the flywheel is a solid flywheel used on the vehicle since manufacturer launch and was in good condition, a testament to

23