KZJ90 Clutch Conversion ?

[Shayne]

I think my clutch is on it's way out again though it's only slipping when pushed hard in fourth gear and i am wondering about the flywheel conversion offered by Milners .

http://www.milneroffroad.com/toyota...utch-1/kzj90-flywheel-clutch-conversion-kit-1

Trucks history shows a "used" clutch was fitted a few months before i bought it in 2012 .
I had Toyota fit a genuine clutch in 2013 which last exactly one year .
Then i had a mate fit an Exedy clutch which has been good despite my being a clutch killer and regardless of towing my trailer 5000 miles last year at stupid speeds , and might still be good had i not changed gear a few times recently while meter deep in muddy water , i believe from web reading this draws crap into the bell housing ?

My truck is UK spec so would i be right in think the "conversion" offered by Milners would just be a straight swap ?

Of course i could phone them and discuss it but it's early days yet and i would appreciate any input as i will be searching the web somewhat blindly over the next fortnight seeing whats on offer for a KZJ90 clutch .

 

[diggerdave]

Hi Shayne. I just wondered if your clutch slip could be a dirty/contaminated friction plate or even a mud-filled bellhousing given what you say about deep mud, rather than a completely ruined clutch. My experience is with the earlier model with solid flywheel (KZJ90).

The bell housing isn't designed to be sealed and has no 'wading plugs' like a landrover. There's a largish drain hole at the lowest point of the bell housing towards the front of the vehicle and it might be worth checking if that's blocked with mud.

When I had my own clutch trouble I found that there is a plate that attaches to the front of the bellhousing to close the gap between it and the engine block/sump (the bell housing hangs partly below the sump). Inexplicably, Toyota call this the rear end plate even though its at the front of the bell housing . The end-plate was missing on my vehicle allowing any water and crap that got past the undershields to pass directly into the bell-housing past the flywheel teeth.

If it is mud in the bell-housing I've always wondered if sticking a hosepipe up there (through the drain hole or even through the hole in the side for the clutch release arm) might be a way of attempting to clean it, rather than going to the cost of clutch replacement. I've never tried it though! I guess you would lose all the lubrication on the splines, but if its been filled with watery mud that might well be gone anyway.

 

[Shayne]

Thanks for that Dave definitely worth a look

 

[Shayne]

Well the end plate is off but doesn't tell me much because i'm looking at the back of the flywheel , though i must say i am surprised the clutch is so exposed to water ingress . If i was looking for a project to keep me occupied i think i would knock up a plate that seals the bell housing and put a couple of breathers up into the engine bay . But that's not for today .

There's no doubt my clutch was drowned in muddy water which could have damaged the facing and it would seem to me the flywheel teeth are showing wear that they shouldn't .

Nothing to lose by blasting some clean water in there me thinks .

 

[diggerdave]

Nice job. Can you imagine how I felt when I found the end plate missing on mine - nothing apart from the skid plates between the back/teeth of the flywheel and the elements, not to mention the additional route in for muddy water. In my memory the drain hole on my KZJ90 opened more into the bell housing. They may be slightly different on the later trucks or it could be my memory at fault.

 

[Shayne]

This is the KZJ90 clutch

 

[Shayne]

Come to think of it if that battered bit of formed sponge was still in one piece nothing but filtered water could get in it's obviously a genuine part and is marked NZP0088 but i can find no mention of it on the web .

 

[Shayne]

The KDJ drain looks exactly the same , I wish i had known about the plate when i had the steering rack off it would have been easy to get a template with that out of the way . There is about a 5mm gap right along the top of the plate as well or at least that's what my finger tips tell me .

From what i can tell Dave the plate only serves to support the foam and together they are nothing more than a splash guard any way .

 

[diggerdave]

Yes, its just a splashguard but I'd rather have it than not and I suspect it keeps out a lot of water and certainly prevents any more solid or gloopy stuff from getting to the starter ring. I bought one from Mr T to replace my missing one and the price didn't make me cry thankfully (its just a piece of thin tin). I might be misunderstanding, but if your clutch problem is with the KZJ90 with solid flywheel what purpose would the Milner conversion kit serve? Isn't that intended to replace a dual mass flywheel or are you just thinking of renewing the old flywheel? It seems unlikely that your flywheel has been damaged by muddy water and could be cleaned if you do end up renewing the clutch.

 

[diggerdave]

P.s those two beauties look great, esp. in black! On the KZJ, bonnet scoop = intercooler mod?

 

[Shayne]

Yes i was thinking the Milner kit would just be a one stop shop rather than a conversion .

What i was suggesting about the end plate is i'm inclined to think the foam does more work than the plate so i may have to get a price .

And yes top mount intercooler , 3" exhaust , boost controller , K&N air filter , egr deleted mean my KZJ doesn't resemble a standard one performance wise at all especially with 285/75 tyres suspension and body lift .