The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline What's the trick?

Isn't the pressure plate held by 3 locating dowels?

FIRST: take a small chisel and mark an area of mating surfaces from the pressure plate and flywheel. So when you put it back together, the old pieces will line up the way it was.
Take a look at the pressure plate 'fingers'. DO they have a groove worn near the inner ends? (that's the wear pattern from the throw out bearing.. You DID check that too didn't ya?)
If it's worn badly replace, But if not you can keep it as long as it's not grooved where the clamping plate gripps the disc.
Also, check the flywheel itself. If it's grooved, it's better to pull it and have it surfaced. If the $$ isn't there at that time, one can put a new disc inbetween but it may CHATTER badly when letting off the clutch peddle.
Some mfgrs will have the dowles in a pattern that lets it go on ONLY ONE WAY.. Kind of hard when you're under there trying to hold everything together and (with your 3rd hand) rotating to find the right fit. Then you may run into a clutch mfgr that seems to punch the dowel holes just-ever-so smaller, and the dowels won't fit in the holes.. Then you may have to persuede it a little..

Get yourself a heavy flat screw driver or prybar and pry apart
around the little separations on the circumference of the plate.

Errol