My clutch saga: When I rebuilt the motor about a year ago now, I had a custom clutch built, using a stock modular clutch, custom ceramic 6 puck disk, which was then bolted together, after the rivits were drilled out on the old setup. Worked great..for a bit..then it started sliping, because the input shaft seal on the trans was leaking..so dropped the trans, replaced the seal, and had a new disk built for me, since the oil contaminated the disk facings. After that, the clutch was never the same. It made a gawd aful screeching noise when engaging the clutch, and also the rattle in N. So took the trans down again, and took the clutch to the builder, and re-worked the disk. PUt it back in, and same thing...drove it like this for 4-5 months until this past Saturday. My hunch was something in the clutch was fuked..So I had the clutch builder make me a completly brand new clutch. This time he used a brand new LUK pressure plate and flywheel, and a better 5 puck ceramic faced disk. Dropped the trans saturday, and put the new clutch and new TOB in. Then started her up..Just beautiful! All noises are gone, no more rattle, and clutch feels great. Some things I found, that may be of interest, i'll try and describe it as best i can.

There are 2 different kinds of pressure plates and flywheels we can use. LUK and SACHS are the ones. The one I have had issues with is the Sachs setup. There is a very noticable difference between the two, just by looking at them. Most if not all, aftermarket clutchs like SPEC, or Clutchmasters, use the LUK setup. Comparing the two side by side, the LUK setup is "thinner" than the SACHS setup. I measured the distance from the back of the flyweel to the release "fingers" on the pressure plate, and the LUK was about at least 1/4"-1/2" shorter. This basically means with the LUK setup, it places the entire release fork and TOB closer to motor, changing the angle of how the TOB is resting on the fork. It now rests "solid" and true, on the release fork. With the SACHS setup, where it pushed back the TOB farther toward the trans, it created a greater angle for the TOB to sit on the fork, meaning it wasnt resting on the fork solidly. Thats what the rattle was. Lets say "]" is the TOB, and "\" is the release fork. With the sachs setup it was like : ]\ . With the LUK setup is was like : ]| .

Now, this was my problem, but if you guys have that rattle and have an aftermarket clutch, this shouldnt be the cause, but that rattle you hear in N, is def the TOB wobbling around. Its due to the angle the TOB rests on the release fork, OR the TOB is not locked into the release fork using the "tabs" on it. I have heard some people not lock the TOB onto the fork when installing. This can cause that rattle, as the tabs keeps the TOB snug against the release fork, deeming its at the proper agle(that was my problem). So there ya have it..all the N rattle is def the TOB, and NOT the trans.. wow a bit long :)