Is My Clutch/Flywheel Glazed? (with pictures)

[judozuna]

Ok first I'll post pics and then below that I'll write exactly what happened and symptoms.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

You must be logged in to view this image or video.

Ok, so I Had just left the car wash and I was driving the car around to dry it off and I stopped in a driveway to turn around on a back country road. I barely got on it a little bit in 2nd gear and heard a huge crash/bang sound and my RPMs went through the roof. I thought for sure I broke something so I stopped the car completely and when I started trying to move again the rpms were like 4,500 but I was only going like 10mph. I was only like half a mile from my house so I drove it home like that and while doing so I tested all of the gears. it slipped in every gear and there was no shaking or anytihng like I broke something in the driveline. I was sure the clutch disc had broken so I ordered a new flywheel clutch disc and pressure plate, oem throwout bearing forged clutch fork new slave and master cylinders and when I pulled it all out this is what I found. I have never seen a glazed clutch before but this clutch doesn't look all that bad to me. I'm hoping I didn't blow anything in the trans or anytihng.

also you can see in the bell housing that there is some oil/mud(there was no bottom cover because I didn't know that it existed when I put it together last time). I haven't found a leaky seal or anything yet but I did notice that I lost clutch pressure a week or so earlier and I bled it and it seemed like it fixed the problem. when I removed everything none of the friction surfaces seemed to have oil on them but the back of the flywheel had just a tiny bit of oil on it from somewhere.

I guess I'm trying to avoid putting all of my new stuff in and having it not fix the problem so questions I'm looking to be answered are as follows.

1. Do the above clutch components look like they're "glazed"?

2. If they don't what else could cause symptoms like this?

3. I know oil in there could cause it to glaze but what about water/soap from the carwash?

4. Have any of you had similar experiances?

 

[954TalonTsi]

An unsprung disc on a dd? It definetly looks like the clutch slipped badly leaving that glazed look on your fw and pp. Ive never had this happen but I prefer sprung discs. Definetly need new clutch. Good luck

 

[judozuna]

Yea apparently... It was the one that came on the car and when I rebuilt the engine a few years ago I never replaced it (I was in college and all my money went into the engine)

I got used to driving it though but maybe I was letting it slip too much to feel normal so it caused excessive wear?

My new disc is an ACT street disc

Edit: oh and it hasn't been my daily driver for almost a year now. It has been placed in the toy zone. I still want to get it back on the road asap though

 

[pauleyman]

Crash bang but no broken clutch parts? You likely broke something. Axle? Center diff? What did the gear oil look like? If something went bang you need to find out what. It obviously wasn't the clutch.

 

[jed344]

Not sure but i will say you will love the act street disc i run the sprung version with a 2600 pressure plate and love the engagement.

 

[judozuna]

I'm starting to think it may have been the center diff. I wouldn't think that it would be so smooth driving afterwards though. and I inspected all of the splines in the front and they look fine.

I did notice that two of the three bolts that hold the starter gear onto the flywheel were broken off but I'm not sure if that could have caused it or not.

I'm having a hard time getting the damn drain plug out of the trans to inspect the oil. I've even exhausted the hammer/chisel method. I wish I had a welder to weld a nut onto the damn thing.

 

[PieEyedPiper]

Did you try spinning the wheels with the car off the ground before the tranny came out?
I see nothing out of the ordinary as far as the clutch goes.

The last time my tranny was out, in like 2009, my bellhousing was dry. This time (it's inevitable that its gonna come out soon) I expect it to look much like yours. Mine will be because my input shaft seal on the xfer case is leaking blood red all over the place.

How are your input splines looking after running the solid hub disc for a few years?

 

[davidrosario]

you showed us the clutch the flywheel but i dont see the pressure plate some clutch failures are due to not enough pressure on the pressure plate or bad springs

on the other side of the pressure plate sorry

i had a similar experience and it was a bad pressure plate

 

[judozuna]

I didn't turn the wheels with it off of the ground before pulling is because I was retarded and assumed it was a clutch problem.

I inspected all the splines in the front including the transfer case one and they all look fine

I'll try to get a pic of the other side of the pressure plate and put it up on here soon.

I've been sick the last couple days so I haven't really been able to do anything with the car.

 

[dsmspickdad]

You need a clutch, the your reference for mud is possible brake fluid and clutch disc material. In the pics that you posted if you look closely you can tell that surface covered with something. I would suspect brake fluid. You had to re bleed the system, why? As for noise I would bet that you broke some springs in the pressure plate. But check that transmission out for a possible diff issue. Good luck!

 

[judozuna]

How can I tell if I broke springs in the pressure plate? I didn't notice anything that looked broken but the fingers did seem pretty easy to push down from what I would have imagined

And does anyone have a procedure for me to check the trans withough pulling it apart? can I spline the axels into it and turn one? the other one should turn the opposite direction correct? if this happens can I assume it's ok?

 

[ghostd'GST4life]

you could put the axles and then put in the driveshaft and try to spin the axle. they should spin opposite and the driveshaft should also want to spin. if not then u should look into the front t-case for being blown..