Ritech Flex Plate Clamp - The New & Complete answer to TBF
10-15-2014, 09:38 PM
#1
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Ritech Flex Plate Clamp - The New & Complete answer to TBF
928sRus is please to announce that we will be taking orders for the new Flex Plate Clamp designed and made by Ritech Systems in the UK.
Richard Armstrong, the driving force behind Ritech Systems, is also an ardent 928 owner and prominent member of the 928 community in the UK & Europe.
Richard has been working for nearly two years designing and developing a new clamp to end the misery of TBF that is both cost effective and can be fitted without removing the torque tube and gearbox.
The Ritech Systems clamp locates behind the splined section of the driveshaft and around the existing clamp to provide positive location of the clamp on the shaft, so that the shaft simply cannot pull out of the clamp.
Any distance between the inside of the new clamp and the existing clamp is taken up by locking screws (not shown). The clamp is in two halves and extremely easy to fit.
Prices will be circa $250 - still looking at shipping costs
First 10 will land soon in the State of TX.
http://www.ritech-systems.com/928_flexplate_clamp.html
Richard Armstrong, the driving force behind Ritech Systems, is also an ardent 928 owner and prominent member of the 928 community in the UK & Europe.
Richard has been working for nearly two years designing and developing a new clamp to end the misery of TBF that is both cost effective and can be fitted without removing the torque tube and gearbox.
The Ritech Systems clamp locates behind the splined section of the driveshaft and around the existing clamp to provide positive location of the clamp on the shaft, so that the shaft simply cannot pull out of the clamp.
Any distance between the inside of the new clamp and the existing clamp is taken up by locking screws (not shown). The clamp is in two halves and extremely easy to fit.
Prices will be circa $250 - still looking at shipping costs
First 10 will land soon in the State of TX.
http://www.ritech-systems.com/928_flexplate_clamp.html
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Does it have the "Do It Yourself" manual transmission, or the superior "Fully Equipped by Porsche" Automatic Transmission?
George Layton March 2014
928 Owners are ".....a secret sect of quietly assured Porsche pragmatists who in near anonymity appreciate the prodigious, easy going prowess of the 928."
Does it have the "Do It Yourself" manual transmission, or the superior "Fully Equipped by Porsche" Automatic Transmission?
George Layton March 2014928 Owners are ".....a secret sect of quietly assured Porsche pragmatists who in near anonymity appreciate the prodigious, easy going prowess of the 928."
10-15-2014, 09:48 PM
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Richard has been working for nearly two years designing and developing a new clamp to end the misery of TBF that is both cost effective and can be fitted without removing the torque tube and gearbox.
10-15-2014, 10:07 PM
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That is very clever, nice work.
10-15-2014, 10:39 PM
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In the picture showing half the clamp placed onto the drive shaft and OE clamp, it seems there is a very specific cutout to allow for the OE clamp and the rear of the drive shaft as it sticks out of the rear of the OE clamp. The cutout seems to limit the rearward travel of the drive shaft by the interference of the spline bump at the rear of the spline.
We have noticed that the amount of splines showing at the rear of the OE clamp varies when setting the float of the flywheel/crank off the engine's thrust bearing.
How would this new clamp allow for this variance of spline length at the rear of the OE clamp?
We have noticed that the amount of splines showing at the rear of the OE clamp varies when setting the float of the flywheel/crank off the engine's thrust bearing.
How would this new clamp allow for this variance of spline length at the rear of the OE clamp?
10-16-2014, 08:46 AM
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What do you attribute that to? Permanently bowed flex plate or rear coupler not lined up exactly could be reasons .. wouldn't it be better to rectify those issues before fitting any front clamp?
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10-16-2014, 10:35 AM
#8
Badly installed rear clamp, at least in my case; shaft moved until the cut-out rubbed against the clamp bolt.
Last edited by oaros; 10-16-2014 at 10:36 AM. Reason: spelin no good
10-16-2014, 10:35 AM
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Any distance between the inside of the new clamp and the existing clamp is taken up by locking screws (not shown).
10-16-2014, 01:22 PM
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These "Rogerboxes" are too complicated.... I'm going back to the much simpler double disc clutch 
10-16-2014, 02:03 PM
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Looks like another viable alternative, for clamping.
If anyone has been following my theory, on Hacker's thread about his new car....I believe any clamp is a "patch" and the age/deterioration of the driveshaft is the real issue.
I've never seen a low mileage vehicle (below 40,000 miles) have any flexplate preload. Yet, by the time they have 80,000 miles on them, the flexplate is buried into the flywheel. If this doesn't get caught, there's a good change that the engine will be trash by 100,000 miles.
The "progressiveness" of the problem points to a deterioration of the actual shafts, in my thinking.
We are testing to see if this theory has merit.
If anyone has been following my theory, on Hacker's thread about his new car....I believe any clamp is a "patch" and the age/deterioration of the driveshaft is the real issue.
I've never seen a low mileage vehicle (below 40,000 miles) have any flexplate preload. Yet, by the time they have 80,000 miles on them, the flexplate is buried into the flywheel. If this doesn't get caught, there's a good change that the engine will be trash by 100,000 miles.
The "progressiveness" of the problem points to a deterioration of the actual shafts, in my thinking.
We are testing to see if this theory has merit.
10-16-2014, 02:18 PM
#13
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...
I've never seen a low mileage vehicle (below 40,000 miles) have any flexplate preload. Yet, by the time they have 80,000 miles on them, the flexplate is buried into the flywheel. If this doesn't get caught, there's a good change that the engine will be trash by 100,000 miles.
The "progressiveness" of the problem points to a deterioration of the actual shafts, in my thinking.
We are testing to see if this theory has merit.
I've never seen a low mileage vehicle (below 40,000 miles) have any flexplate preload. Yet, by the time they have 80,000 miles on them, the flexplate is buried into the flywheel. If this doesn't get caught, there's a good change that the engine will be trash by 100,000 miles.
The "progressiveness" of the problem points to a deterioration of the actual shafts, in my thinking.
We are testing to see if this theory has merit.
10-16-2014, 02:18 PM
#14
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I agree Greg and look forward to your findings. Clamping on its own is not the complete answer.
The nice difference with the Ritech clamp is that it goes beyond just clamping and physically stops the movement - sort of like the original circlip did.
Fixing the root cause maybe the Holy Grail!
The nice difference with the Ritech clamp is that it goes beyond just clamping and physically stops the movement - sort of like the original circlip did.
Fixing the root cause maybe the Holy Grail!