2G Identifying what caused heat spots on flywheel

[tay97gst]

Hey guys,
I pulled my engine to do some work in the engine bay, and while the engine was out I wanted to inspect the clutch. I put the clutch in brand new and it has only a few thousand miles on it, but upon removing it from the engine it appears to have an unusual heat mark on the flywheel.
It should be noted that I have had zero issues with my clutch/transmission before pulling my engine, besides the fact that it has always grabbed pretty close to the floor. (adjusted master cylinder rod but didn't make a difference) All the parts were brand new in the hydraulic/clutch system so I'm assuming the heat marks are a result of either the way that I was driving or maybe an error with the install? What do you guys think?
This is a competition clutch flywheel and a Southbend SS-X clutch setup if it matters.

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[chrysler kid]

Pretty serious heat marks, you mention possible install problems and it looks like one side was probably torqued higher than the other side, like they missed the second pass or just over torqued a side

 

[tay97gst]

Pretty serious heat marks, you mention possible install problems and it looks like one side was probably torqued higher than the other side, like they missed the second pass or just over torqued a side

Install was done by me, so whether it was my driving or install I'm taking responsibility for it Just trying to figure out what happened so I can try and avoid making it worse when I install it again.

 

[chrysler kid]

The only other option would be that the flywheel was not flat and unevenly surface but you mention it was new.

My hypothesis is that having the heat burns confined to one side of the flywheel indicates improper pressure applied to the clutch disc from the pressure plate

 

[ThunderChild]

i almost want to say the flywheel might have been manufactured slightly off. otherwise id expect to see more wear on the pressure plate, but couldnt be 100% sure without some measurements.

did you do a proper break-in and whats your driving style like?

 

[tay97gst]

The only other option would be that the flywheel was not flat and unevenly surface but you mention it was new.

My hypothesis is that having the heat burns confined to one side of the flywheel indicates improper pressure applied to the clutch disc from the pressure plate

I did use a needle style torque wrench when installing the bolts, but it didn't seem like the most accurate tool so that's a possibility. I'll grab a good click style torque wrench before installing it again just to rule that out. Thanks for your input man!

i almost want to say the flywheel might have been manufactured slightly off. otherwise id expect to see more wear on the pressure plate, but couldnt be 100% sure without some measurements.

did you do a proper break-in and whats your driving style like?

I basically daily drove this for 6+ months, only had 3 launches on it which were all at the track, but obviously got on it a good amount on the streets though I wouldn't say excessively. But basically all of the mileage on it is street use.
I can try and find a micrometer to measure the surface to see if it was high in that area, I did not do this before installing because it was brand new so I figured I was good.

 

[Tiki2777]

It looks from just a glance that your clutch dragged/didn't release all the way, especially considering you mentioned the engagement right off of the floor. Hopefully your brass synchros are ok, definitely do not skip the drag test and clutch adjustment next go round. GL

 

[Marchev]

Another idea that comes to mind is, did you torque the bolts in a star pattern? If you torqued them CW or CCW the flywheel will never sit flat. Also make sure the mating surfaces on the crank and back of flywheel are clean.

 

[Canadian_CD9A]

Email Competition Clutch and get their take on it - they're the experts and might toss you a new flywheel if the fault was theirs.

 

[tay97gst]

Another idea that comes to mind is, did you torque the bolts in a star pattern? If you torqued them CW or CCW the flywheel will never sit flat. Also make sure the mating surfaces on the crank and back of flywheel are clean.

I honestly dont remember how i torqued them, its definitely a possibility i didn't torque them in the right sequence. I'll keep that in mind when i reinstall it. Thanks

Email Competition Clutch and get their take on it - they're the experts and might toss you a new flywheel if the fault was theirs.

Unfortunately i didn't purchase the flywheel, it came with the car when i bought it so i dont expect them to replace it. Especially without proof that it was an uneven surface finish that caused it in the first place. I still believe it was something i did that caused this result.

My guess is that you guys are probably right and that the torque procedure of either the flywheel or pressure plate was done incorrectly. I picked up a good torque wrench so that when it comes to reinstall it i should be prepared to do it right. I just wanted to kind of confirm that my first instinct was the possible cause

 

[chrysler kid]

I use the dial needle gauge myself it is technically slightly more accurate than a sub $100 click style wrench

The star pattern is key to make sure every bolt has the same individual torque rating. On mine I used a permanent marker to write down the number of which bolt got tightened down. So top I wrote 1 on the pressure plate below the bolt hole, 2 I wrote next to the bolt hole on the bottom and so on.

 

[Black95TSIawd]

You might not be disengaging the clutch completely if its grabbing right off the floor. I would replace the master/slave if you cant' adjust it.

 

[bling5tatus]

I would put your pressure plate against the beam of an engine lift to see if it's flat. A warped pressure plate is easy to "achieve" and will cause the wear condition you're seeing.