Topic: deglazing metal clutch plates

[flybox1]

Clutch basket is apart waiting for my new primary shaft and gears.  What do you guys use on these to clean them up ?  Emery paper, wire wheel, brass brush? Nothing in the FAQ's    Should they be smooth or a brushed surface?
Mine are pretty stained, but otherwise straight and really smooth....
Thanks

[edwardmorris]

Mineral spirits, then simple green HD, then hot water with Dawn dish soap. For that clean, squeaky and shiny look 

[PeWe]

Back inte 80's due to slipping clutch: I cleaned mine with engine cleaner and my local tuner soda blasted them.

[flybox1]

Yeah,  I've got all the cleaning fluids, but should they be smooth or roughed up before they go back in?
Emery cloth, wire wheel, etc.

[Lostboy Steve]

I blast them with 80grit aluminum oxide, then brake clean them off. Works great!

[flybox1]

So its best to have a roughed matte-like finish instead of the glossy worn-in texture?
the cork plates are new, but didnt address the metal plates when I was in there last summer. 
Now I'm taking the time....

[KRONUS0100]

REBUILDING CLUTCH PACKS FOR AUTOMOTIVE AUTO TRANSMISIONS, WE USE SCOTCHBRITE BUFFING WHEELS IN A DIE GRINDER, a quick pass and they are good to go

[BobbyR]

One of the things done by dirtbike tuners is to soak the plates in ATF overnight to give the plates a bit more bite.

[Bootsey]

I did quite a bit of searching on here recently for this exact topic. The conclusion I found from a few posts of random threads by experienced members, was to deglaze & rough the discs with some fine wet & dry, emery, brass wire wheel or something similar, so that there was some surface texture, but definitely not too rough.
I went with the brass wire wheel, ended up with a brushed steel kinda finish on the discs, hoping that's the right way.

[alacrity]

here's what my old (no longer with us) race bike tuner showed me:  you wanna rough up the metal plates but you do NOT want to gall, warp or have them be anything but flat.  The human hand is imperfect in this way.  He had a section of his shop concrete floor that was nearly perfectly flat -- just luck (and gravity) made it that way.  He had checked it with a machinist's edge of course and it was within a couple thousands. So that 2x2' square became the official clutch disk area.  we'd tape a sheet of 220grit emery cloth to the ground, lay the plate on it, and swirl until the fresh hash marks were uniform, flip it over, do the same.  VERY light pressure. 

You can do the same thing on a glass table top.

Clutch ALWAYS worked perfectly after that (assuming fresh friction disks and proper springs and non-warped basket etc.)

[Lostboy Steve]

here's what my old (no longer with us) race bike tuner showed me:  you wanna rough up the metal plates but you do NOT want to gall, warp or have them be anything but flat.  The human hand is imperfect in this way.  He had a section of his shop concrete floor that was nearly perfectly flat -- just luck (and gravity) made it that way.  He had checked it with a machinist's edge of course and it was within a couple thousands. So that 2x2' square became the official clutch disk area.  we'd tape a sheet of 220grit emery cloth to the ground, lay the plate on it, and swirl until the fresh hash marks were uniform, flip it over, do the same.  VERY light pressure. 

You can do the same thing on a glass table top.

Clutch ALWAYS worked perfectly after that (assuming fresh friction disks and proper springs and non-warped basket etc.)

That's why I blast them. Its a non directional etched finish and doesn't warp or change the geometry of anything. Perfect for new clutch friction to wear in on.

[flybox1]

Great information.  Thank you.