I have been replacing the clutch in a 2000 PY that I bought recently from a person I never met, and whose knowledge of the car is limited. This has taken longer than I expected because at every step, I have found missing parts and broken/defective parts. So, I have been gradually digging into the car, and replacing and fixing things as I go.

As an example, I found that the engine stiffener was attached with only 2 of the 6 bolts. Another example: the small engine coolant hoses that go to the intake manifold were so old and brittle that they broke when I wiggled them to check their flexibility.

So, anyway, I finally got to the point that I removed the transmission, and inspected the clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel. I found that the pilot bushing was missing about half its ball bearings, and the friction surfaces of the pressure plate and flywheel were damaged. The clutch itself was actually in pretty good shape.

But the thing that caught my attention is that there were only 6 bolts holding the pressure plate to the flywheel. There are 9 hole locations. Given the other missing parts on this car, I wondered if it should have 9 bolts rather than 6. The service manual shows 6 bolts, but does not specifically call out the B18C5 engine. So, my question for the forum is, "does the B18C5 engine use 6 bolts or 9 bolts for the pressure plate?"

TIA, Cap

 

Should be 6.

 

Thanks. I put it back in with 6, but didn't reinstall the tranny yet. Perhaps the extra three holes are for higher output engines that need more rigidity.

The ball bearings from the blown pilot bushing got caught in the clutch grooves, and destroyed the flywheel and the pressure plate. Amazingly, it was still driving more or less OK. I'm looking forward to having it back to spec.

 

My PY on the ramps
Missing bearings
Check out the damage to the friction surfaces

 

Beautiful car. It's a shame it was mistreated. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the other 3 holes for pusher bolts? To help remove the clutch?

 

Thanks. I'm not sure why one would want to run a bolt through to push on the engine block. Maybe somebody else can chime in.