Clutch source? (and a winter long frustration)

[Batan]

Ready to pull my hair out. Last August my pressure plate collapsed on my '69 Bus. Between the wrong disc pictures on the site and bushings kits that don't fit(and come in god knows how many versions even though part number is the same) and finally realizing it was the faulty pressure plate all along, I ended up taking the trip from downtown to CIP about 3 or 4 times and pulling the engine as many times as that.
Earlier thread: http://www.airspeedparts.com/forums/index.php?topic=19589.msg128518#msg128518
Then it was all good. For a nanosecond! After I got the SACHS plate(which I could not originally find on the site, hence buying their "OE quality")and installed it, I noticed I had vibration vibration going on. Got sick of the whole thing, and drove the Bus only a handful of times between October and couple of weeks ago. This time I got Busdaddy to drop the motor and run it outside of the Bus to see WTF could had gone wrong. And sure enough, the goddamn pressure plate is unbalanced! 

Sorry, ranting here but what I'm getting at is, I am in need of a QUALITY 200mm pressure plate. Any ideas? Seems that most of places carry the same stuff. Maybe somebody on here has a used German one that they know has low use on it? And if something goes wrong again, I'm going postal! I haven't returned any parts to CIP yet(don't even wanna think about it!) and between the plates  there is over $100 I spent for nothing.

Thanks for reading and for any potential pointers!

[Jeremy]

Maybe try getting the PP balanced.

[steveo_32]

Seems really weird? i have used many.....many and on quite a few bad trannys and bad endplay motors over the years and not had that kind of problem?

on the buses in the 68 to 71 thou i have had bad trannys cause vibration due to bearings begining to fail?

I have used ones that have worked fine and i have kept if you want to try one that works for sure, to see?

[Jeremy]

I agree with Steveo. It  seems weird that the pressure plate can be that out of balance.

[Batan]

Well, the motor when ran on the bench outside the bus with the clutch on shakes. Clutch taken off, doesn't shake. Weird? Definitely!

[BUSDADDY]

Well, the motor when ran on the bench outside the bus with the clutch on shakes. Clutch taken off, doesn't shake. Weird? Definitely!

I was just about to say that

Shook like it ran on 2 cylinders with the PP installed, smooth as baby's ass with it removed

[Geoff]

Whe you ran it was the disc installed and aligned with the pilot tool! A offset disc will make it vibrate bad!

[Batan]

Whe you ran it was the disc installed and aligned with the pilot tool! A offset disc will make it vibrate bad!

It indeed was, I installed it with the clutch alignment tool. I don't know though if Busdaddy tried to put it back on again after he ran it clutchless on the bench to check for a possibly alignment error.
I would way rather it be such a trivial mistake on my part then what seems to be an endless part frustration.

[Chris]

maybe the clutch disc is not making good contact with the pressure plate and flywheel? Have you checked the tolerances on your flywheel as well?

[Bruce]

Chris has a good point.  When you take the wobbly pressure plate back, they're going to ask a bunch of questions.  If you have all the answers, you'll get a better response.
Check the depth of the disc surface from the ledge where the clutch bolts on.  It should be 21.0mm.

[BUSDADDY]

Already did and it is 21mm, it shakes sitting in neutral and also with the clutch pushed in in gear, it's not slipping and it's not the disc.
Just tried an older used Brazilian plate I robbed off another bus and it's fine, no shake and works great. But I think Batan is still looking for something better or newer incase anyone is still checking thier stashes, almost any 200mm pressure plate with the center ring will do as long as it's not another Sachs.

[Batan]

But I think Batan is still looking for something better or newer incase anyone is still checking thier stashes, almost any 200mm pressure plate with the center ring will do as long as it's not another Sachs.

Indeed!