Had a look at the engine on the AK earlier, seeing whether I need to add a new clutch to the shopping list. It looks fairly new, and has a 2004 date stamp on it, but it's clearly been sat for a fair while, with a lot of surface corrosion. Not a problem, use'll clean that in seconds.

BUT... One of the three fingers is WAY out of adjustment, with the finger considerably higher than the other two. I've had this before, on the ol' beige Dyane, and it killed the gearbox in the end, because there was just no way to get it adjusted so it wouldn't crunch - in effect, only 2/3 of the clutch is being released, so it'll always drag.

Looks like this one's been doing the same. There's slight traces of blueing on the pressure plate, just by that finger.

Is this a common problem? Or is it just me? Is there any point in attempting to adjust that finger back to where it should be, or am I on a loser from the word go, admit it, and buy a new clutch?

Anybody got any experience of these coil-replacement-with-diaphragm clutches that Cassis are punting? I notice Uncle Roy's only got the "normal" coil-types.

http://www.mehariclub.com/embrayage-anc ... 13300.html

We sold a few of those with no complaints. Don’t know about the UK but in Australia we had lots of problems with new Valeo clutches vibrating shortly after being fitted.
Same here in France. My conclusion is that the friction plate no longer contains asbestos and therefore gets glazes very quickly. This is causing the clutch to vibrate when letting your foot off the clutch pedal. The clutches from Cassis is supposedly not vibrating. How to adjust the 3 fingers I do not know. Never done it and never felt a need to.

My car suffers from clutch judder, has since I've owned it and I've done 109,000miles with it Still works, though looking to replace this winter(Finally )

Good man you are. Most people wont put up with a shitty clutch

Adrian,
I've adjusted a couple, but both of those were about 20 years ago and neither of them were Valeo units, but refurbed items from LUK RepSet, iirc.

Anyhow, it was common practice with clutches on old motorcycles to have to adjust the spring tensions and a Citroen coil spring clutch really isn't that different.
The instructions for doing this are given in Citroen's 812 manual, but the most awkward part will be undoing the 'clenching' of the adjusting nuts, which is used to prevent them from working loose.

Btw, are the contact surfaces of the toggles still slightly rounded, or are they worn flat?
If it's the latter, the clutch may already have had a fair bit of (ab)use...

I know of a few folk who have fitted those 'crossover' clutches and the only bad report was from Chris Stuart in sunny Perth, who reckoned that the release bearing wore out in no time at all.
I never did find out why that had happened, although I've always been puzzled why the release bearing which was supplied was of the type used on coil spring clutches, rather then the slimmer variety you'd expect with a diaphragm mechanism.

ken.

The "squishing"? Yeh, the one that's "worked loose" is definitely squished.



The end of the finger, where it contacts the release bearing? All are marked. but not worn. The friction plate looks almost new, as does the release bearing. The finger that's "out" is not marked evenly, though - one side's worse than t'other.

In that case...
< http://www.flickr.com/photos/30132857@N06/3937872669/ >

ken.

TA!

I'll get some pics of the fingers etc.

We sold them for a short time but found that the release bearing supplied was incorrect, it needs a custom made bearing carrier - neither of the available bearing types work correctly, biggest problem with fitting Valeo or any replacement clutch is that even the youngest 2cv is now 20 years old and owners still expect to simply bolt on a new clutch without analysing old unit failure & checks & refacing on flywheel surface, therefore vibration on engagement is common.

Thanks, Roy.

<re-adds coil spring clutch to shopping basket, intends to loctite finger adjustment screws on fitting>