Persistent dragging clutch issue - 2001 Turbo Ranger

[Sevensecondsuv]

Update:

I got the clutch the mail. It looks pretty nice for cheap ebay stuff. The flywheel was still very flat (only 8000 miles on it), so I scuffed it up good with emory paper and installed the new clutch. I checked the pilot bearing and there was nothing wrong with it. The seated depth allows for at least 3/4" engagement with the input shaft.

I'm thinking the problem was due to dry rusty splines on the input shaft. I could see where that could cause just enough friction with the PP to make the disc drag. So I polished up the splines with a fine wire brush in an angle grinder and put some 540 F drop point grease on them.


Yesterday I got the trans back in. Today I'm going to bleed the clutch hydraulics and then it's time for a test drive. Fingers crossed - I really don't want to drop the trans again.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

I finished it up and put 30 miles on it yesterday. Everything is working great. The ceramic puck style clutch is a little bit of an on-off switch, but nothing that some getting-used-to won't fix.

At this point I can't say for sure what the issue was. I suspect it was the rusty splines on the input shaft, but it could have been something jacked up with that pressure plate that wasn't visible to the eye.

 

[bobbywalter]

be nice to take it to a dyno facility and figure it out..