Siberian Patrol with burned clutch?

[SiberianPatrol]

I took the Patrol out a couple of days ago down to our local river banks here - mild off-road conditions (rock, gravel, slight incline, etc.). Nothing requiring 4L to get out to. When we packed up to leave the river, the ol' Troll was on a slight incline and had to start from a dead stop on the incline which was all solid rock. Stupid me didn't think about putting it into 4H, because I drove out in 2WD. But the Patrol wanted to stall going up the slight incline, so I gunned it and made it up with some tire spin. As soon as I cleared the incline, I could smell the clutch - hot and acrid. It drove fine the rest of the way home, I parked it and it cooled off and the smell went away.

2 days later I'm driving it in normal conditions and I start to smell the clutch again - very, very faint in the cabin, but step out near the front wheels and it's noticeable. It's more pronounced when going up an incline, starting from a dead stop — anytime you would tend to feather the clutch.

The $6,000,000 question is this — have I fried my clutch? Is there anything I can do, short of a full clutch replacement? Any work that needs to be done would have to be done personally since our winter road is closed and access to a good mechanic won't be possible until December.

Just for the basic info - I have a 1999 GR TD6 (European model) RD28ETI, chassis #TDSY61, manual transmission, mechanical injector pump, engine completely rebuilt 4 months ago (top and bottom end).

[BigRAWesty]

Unfortunately these clutches in the patrols tend to fail quickly. .
To me it sounds like your number is up. .

[SiberianPatrol]

Unfortunately these clutches in the patrols tend to fail quickly. .
To me it sounds like your number is up. .

That's what I was afraid of. It was just the stock clutch and I have no idea of the previous owner's driving habits. Thing is, it seemed to drive ok without any noticeable slipping.

What should I look for in a replacement clutch? Should I try for a heavy-duty clutch like Xtreme Outback? Should I go ahead and get a single mass flywheel and do it all at the same time? What would be the downside to a SMF over the stock DMF?


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

[mudnut]

Get the most heavy duty, name brand clutch you can afford as the RD28 drive train is not as strong as for the TB / TD engines.

[SiberianPatrol]

Get the most heavy duty, name brand clutch you can afford as the RD28 drive train is not as strong as for the TB / TD engines.

Any downsides to running a super heavy duty clutch with a mostly stock engine setup?


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

[BigRAWesty]

Maybe a heavier pedal..
But are the rd28 dual mass flywheel?? I thought that was only late td42 and zd30?
But single mass are better for longer life..
Just get the fly and clutch balanced

[SiberianPatrol]

From my research, it is a DMF in the RD28TI (GU). More than likely I will be doing the work myself with limited tools, so no chance of getting the clutch or flywheel balanced or machined up here in the village where I am. I know Xtreme Outback clutch kits are sold in big cities over here. Not sure about other name brands. Have to watch it though, because so much is Chinese ripoffs that won't last.

[SiberianPatrol]

Anyone done the dual mass to single mass conversion? Can you give pros and cons for the switch?

[mudski]

Pro's are longer flywheel life. Cons are extra cost to replace the flywheel and slightly more drive train noise. Solid flywheel wins every time.

[SiberianPatrol]

Pro's are longer flywheel life. Cons are extra cost to replace the flywheel and slightly more drive train noise. Solid flywheel wins every time.

As for the extra drivetrain noise, I've read some that say the increased vibration and noise almost made the truck undriveable. Is this true or a rare case from not using a quality name brand replacement?


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

[mudnut]

Another pro for a solid flywheel is that it can be machined, but a DMF has to be replaced . If it were me, I would replace the DMF or fit a solid one while I had the gear box separated any way. Some TD owners have switched to a solid flywheel, but since this thread is about an RD they might not read it.

[mudnut]

This thread has the answer you seek.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?33003-New-clutch-which-one&highlight=solid+flywheel

[SiberianPatrol]

Thanks mate. Need to research the best brand I can get here. Who has done a clutch here before? What tools do I need to get the job done right? Since I'm out in the village, I need to make sure I have everything on hand before starting the project.


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

[SiberianPatrol]

Given the choice between and Exedy clutch or X-Treme Outback, which one is the better option?


1999 GU RD28Ti; mechanical injector pump, 5kBt Webasto circulation heater, 33" Yokohama Geolander I/T, SaaS boost & EGT gauges, 2" Ironman suspension...more to come

[mudnut]

I have an Exedy clutch. Early days yet as I have only done around 25000 Ks and no problem so far, but that has been mostly highway driving.