Thread: Clutch Plate Contamination - can it be flushed clean?

You can try, but it is unlikely to be successful once the fluid has been burnt into the surface of the linings.

At that mileage it should only be necessary to replace the driven plate - the flywheel and pressure plate will clean up OK. But you still need the box out to replace it.

John

As lads we used to douse brake fluid contaminated brake linings with metho and light them. The low heat of burning metho would bubble out the brake fluid and leave them clean and dry. Just remember its very hard to see metho flames so don't make the mistake of touching the facings until you are absolutely sure they're cold. A few drops of water on the metal parts will check that. And also all the metal parts are best cleaned with soapy water, brake fluid is easy to get off.

Brakes shoes are one thing but having to remove the gearbox again in a couple of weeks/months will be a huge PITA plus it will be one of those thing in the back of your mind waiting for when it does fail and when it does it will be were and when u dont want it to happe murfies law haha

I'm a diesel mechanic and I would never recommend cleaning and reusing a friction plate as they are fairly cheap if you go to a decent brake and clutch place. Which if your paying for the labor to remove and fit gearbox will look like pennies once you've paid twice just my thought.

cheers Brian

Understood, and if I end up splitting the engine to gearbox again will definitely put new bits in. Im talking about flushing the clutch in situ.
The annoying thing is it had a new clutch and flywheel less that 30kk ago..

Ah different story I thought you had already removed the gearbox and could physically see it soaked.. I would run it and see how it goes most of the fluid would have just run down the inside of the bell housing plus with the clutch spinning any fluid tends to be flicked off... let it roll my guess is it would be ok but you will know with in a week or so...best of luck mate.

Cheers Brian

IMO I would be using brake cleaner to clean the friction surface, I cant seem how it would harm a friction material.
You can try slipping the clutch a bit to burn the oil out of the surface but I would try the brake cleaner first.

Patchy is on the mark I reckon.

Drive plate is designed to be replaced. A wear component, and so cheap if u goto the right place.

A good soap and water scrub of the flywheel, flex plate and housing, followed with mild pressure clean (minding the engine rear main and gearbox input seals!) will sort the rest out.

Check for glazing on the contact surfaces. May need sand blasting.

I should mention the flywheel. When u had the clutch done at 230k, did the flywheel get done? Or has it been swapped out as per the recall? They can disintegrate, although I haven't heard of one that let go with shrapnel in the cabin yet.....yet!

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Yeah small squirt prob wont hurt but getting into actually clean it is near on impossible and you could actually make it worst drowning it by washing the mix of brake cleaner and brake fluid into the friction material...

By operation a clutch should spin and flick most contamination away from itself so any fluid you have on it will most probably just be near the out side and not near the centre of the plate.

Its up to you but if you really want to do it maybe disable the engine by pulling ecu fuse or fuel from engine and spray it while someone cranks the engine just by the starter motor they way your not actually washing it into the clutch.

hope you know what I mean haha.