<VV> What Broke?

[RKHenry]

> Last night I was driving and suddenly a loud clack clack clack sound
> started
> apparently coming from the drivetrain area. The clack gets faster as I
> accelerate.
> The engine is fine and the half shafts and stuff are okay.  When I clutch
> in
> the noise disappears and the engine revs freely with no apparent problem,
> but as soon as I put it back in gear it clacks from 1 through 4. 


My Corvair, or rather before it became mine, was doing this. It was the
Clutch Pressure Plate assembly. The assembly is riveted together and the
rivets tend to come loose. Then the partially riveted clutch assembly flops
around as it rotates, making a clacking sound. When you apply the clutch
pedal, the pressure on the release fingers causes the assembly to stop
flopping around. The fix is a clutch job. 

WORSE, the assembly flopping around makes the clutch ring gear flop around.
Result: IT BREAKS STARTER NOSES! The car broke several starters before the
problem was identified and corrected. 

Considering the possibility of breaking the starter, the car should be
sidelined immediately and the problem identified before damage occurs.

Another problem that occurred as part of the fix: Chevy at the time had quit
providing the original style clutch disk with the welded center and instead
provided a substitute with a riveted hub. The hub rivets interfere with the
clutch assembly and won't rotate. I had to get the old disk recovered and
reuse that. I assume that's no longer an issue since I guess Chevy doesn't
provide clutch parts of any description for the Corvair anymore. 

Robert Henry