Clutch troubleshooting guide from Sachs

Sachs has produced a quick reference Bus and CV Clutch diagnostics chart designed to help resolve technical issues in the workshop.

The Troubleshooting Guide is fully illustrated and includes over a dozen of the most commonly found fault indicators likely to emerge during an inspection of the clutch environment. The aim is to promote greater awareness among fleet engineers and technicians about the associated faults that are worth looking out for whenever a clutch problem has been reported.

“We’ve included examples such as facings contaminated with grease, which can indicate leaking transmission or engine seals, this could also be a result of excessive grease on the spline shaft or pilot bearing. Guide lugs on the pressure plate can get fractured as a result of uneven running, which may indicate a defective engine vibration damper. Damage to driven plate hubs can occur due to excessive force during gearbox installation or because of alignment problems,” says technical manager Matt Shakespear.

“The point is, the damaged clutch may be the result of a problem, rather than the cause of one. In such cases, replacing the clutch is not just the solution to the problem.. If the contributory faults are not addressed, the problem will not go away. The fault will recur, a warranty claim will not be an option and rectification will be very expensive.”