Are Clutch Plates visible from Bell Housing Opening? | FerrariChat

Are Clutch Plates visible from Bell Housing Opening?

Discussion in '612/599' started by gsholz, Jan 3, 2020.

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  1. gsholz

    gsholz Formula Junior
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    Jerry
    #1 gsholz, Jan 3, 2020
    I'm spending some quality time underneath my 599 to check things out while the engine cover is off. Everything looks pretty much new as it should with only 11K miles. I noticed there are two openings in the clutch/bell housing. Can one actually see the clutch plates through these openings? Looks like one should be able to but I'm not sure what I'm actually looking at here. The picture is not great as I was struggling to hold the phone and a light.
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  2. brogenville

    brogenville Formula 3
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    #2 brogenville, Jan 4, 2020
    Looks like you can see the rear-most friction plate there. 599 used a twin plate clutch- the front plate is out of sight, from that photo at least. Subjectively there seems to be a decent amount of meat left on that plate. You can never really tell though until you get it out and see what height there is above the rivets. Or unless you had a brand new one to hand to know what thickness they come with.
     
  3. Rex71

    Rex71 Formula Junior

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    Majd B.
    #3 Rex71, Jan 5, 2020
    I was surprised to see how small (in diameter) the clutch off these cars is when i replaced the one of my 599.
     
  4. brogenville

    brogenville Formula 3
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    #4 brogenville, Jan 5, 2020
    That’s the whole idea behind multi plate clutches- have them small to reduce rotating mass (flywheel effect), and hence improve engine response. Multiple smaller friction plates can have a lower moment of inertia than one big plate.

    There are other benefits too, like being able to reduce the clamping load for a given torque rating. This means you can get away with a lighter diaphragm spring for even lower weight and lighter clutch action.
     
    599_GTO and Rex71 like this.
  5. gsholz

    gsholz Formula Junior
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    #5 gsholz, Jan 5, 2020
    Last edited: Jan 5, 2020
    The clutch read-out was 21% worn when I purchased the car in December. I understand that is just an estimate and can be modified with the factory scan tool. It is nice that one can verify actual wear from below.

    I put the engine under-tray back on. This is an awkward operation as the tray is huge and the front lift points interfere with the tray. The sequence that worked for me was:
    1- lower car / Quicklift
    2- slide tray in from the side
    3- pull tray forward and raise front until it locks into front lip
    4- use your left arm to reach behind the front wheel to attach the alternator cooling hose (it is a stretch) and the other hose behind the front wheel.
    5- use some hockey pucks in addition to the standard quicklift blocks to raise the front. This will allow you to move the tray to align fastener holes
    6- raise the car
    7- fasten all 29 bolts

    This would be easier on a four post lift without interference from lift points. The other observation is that there is a large rubber plug in the tray that allows access to the oil reservoir drain plug but there is no access to the crankcase drain plug or the filter. Strange.
     

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