WARNING
To avoid personal injury and/or vehicle damage, refer to the service precautions at the beginning of this section.
The clutch is a thin disc, the center of which is splined to the transmission input (main) shaft. Both sides of the disc are covered with a layer of material which is similar to brake lining and which is capable of allowing slippage without roughness or excessive noise.
The clutch pressure plate is bolted to the engine flywheel and incorporates a diaphragm spring, which provides the pressure to engage the clutch. The clutch disc is sandwiched between the pressure plate and flywheel. When the clutch pedal is released, the clutch disc is pressed against the smooth surface of the flywheel, thus forcing the clutch disc to turn at the same speed as the engine crankshaft.
The transmission contains a mainshaft, which passes all the way through the transmission, from the clutch to the driveshaft. This shaft is separated at one point, so that front and rear portions can turn at different speeds.
CAUTION
The clutch driven disc may contain asbestos, which has been determined to be a cancer causing agent. Never clean clutch surfaces with compressed air! Avoid inhaling dust from any clutch surface! When cleaning clutch surfaces, use a commercially available brake cleaning fluid.