If it's just the thicker plates that are the problem, you can leave one fibre and one steel plate out of the stack. In my 35 years of running my M20's and even with 600cc engines, I've always run with two plates removed. No slip and no drag.
However if you want to try the clutch as it is, either buy a new piece of 1/4" silver steel and harden and temper the ends or simply saw the pushrod in half, H&T the cut ends and introduce a 1/4" steel ball or roller into the gap. Ron
Arghh!....Removing one steel and one fiber plate only works to create a beneficial increase in space in the basket if standard thickness plates are used....If the thicker fiber plates are used the free movement in the basket has already been reduced to vitually nothing...That's why the pushrod seems short...It isn't, it's just that the pressure plate is now more 'outboard' due to the increased height of the clutch plate stack...Getting the clutch to operate with the thicker plates in is even more difficult than the standard set up and a longer pushrod won't help at all....
Removing one overly thick fiber plate and one steel plate returns the clutch to more or less standard clearances...There will be no increased clearance to aid operation which is the desirable feature that this 'dodge' normally provides....I don't know how many times I've made this point...What is best is to have standard plates and then remove one steel and one fiber plate....Ian
