First clutch job. Pressure plate right?

[Panici]

Never done a clutch job before

In the picture below, I had tightened the pressure plate bolts evenly, until the clutch disk didn't spin freely anymore. There is still a gap between the PP edge and the flywheel.

Is this right? Should I keep tightening?

[FredK]

Assuming you have the correct pressure plate, friction disc, flywheel, and throwout bearing for your application, you must tighten the bolts until the pressure plate bottoms out against the flywheel.

You should continue to tighten the bolts in a star pattern until the PP and FW meet. Then, do a final torque in the same star pattern.

[Panici]

Assuming you have the correct pressure plate, friction disc, flywheel, and throwout bearing for your application, you must tighten the bolts until the pressure plate bottoms out against the flywheel.

You should continue to tighten the bolts in a star pattern until the PP and FW meet. Then, do a final torque in the same star pattern.

Clutch kit is from PP.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=21-21-1-223-119-M262&catalog_description=

Flywheel is from 06/1985 325e.

PP says it should be proper, but I'm not sure now.

[jalopi]

1. make sure you ended up putting the clutch disc in the right way

2. it should take a little bit of effort to turn the PP bolts once its contact surface meets with the clutch disc. you gotta remember that the only reason why your clutch doesn't freewheel under load is because of all the sprung pressure being placed on it by the PP. if the PP only just put enough pressure on the clutch disc that it didn't spin by hand, how do you think it'd hold up with 180-200lbs of torque going through it?

verify you put the clutch disc in right. if so crank down on those bolts until the PP outer surface is tight against the flywheel, as fred said

[Panici]

Thanks for all the help guys.

Torqued to spec in star pattern and PP sits nicely on the flywheel now.

There was no marking of Gearbox or "getriebeseite" anywhere on the clutch. I looked at pictures of my old clutch, which has "getriebeseite" marked on it, and concluded that the flat side of the clutch is the flywheel side, so I did have the clutch right.

[jalopi]

the flat side of the clutch is the flywheel side

bingo. put it in the other way around and the clutch can't disengage

how's that monstrous rust repair coming along?