can you resurface a pressure plate?

[WSSix]

Just curious as to whether you can resurface the pressure plate the same way you can the flywheel?

I'm gathering parts to rebuild the T56 and this thought crossed my mind since LT1 parts are getting scare in general and the LT1 clutch setup was an odd ball. I'm buying a new replacement clutch kit for the car so this time around it's not an issue. Who knows what the future holds considering only one company makes the pressure plate though.

Thanks

[TheJDMan]

Typically, no. In order to resurface the PP you would need to disassemble it and that would be dangerious without special assembly fixtures. That said, some of the clutch manufacturers offer pressure plate rebuilding services for their higher end racing clutches.

[SlowProgress]

Yes you can. Years ago I rebuilt a Borg and Beck style clutch with much stiffer springs to make it live longer behind my big block (brute force approach). The local NAPA guy was able to resurface it. You may have trouble finding a shop that will have the right fixtures to do it. It really is not that hard and he even balanced it for me once it was assembled. In order to put it back together you preferably need a solid setup disk ground to the right thickness, the same machinist blanchard ground it. The setup disk allows you to set the finger heights accurately with a drop gauge. I followed an old article I found in Hot Rod magazine and everything worked out well, spun that thing to 7800 RPM. I still have that pressure plate in my attic somewhere. Hope that helps!

Scott

EDIT: Not sure if your clutch is a diaphragm style. In that case the method above only applies in general. Not sure how you would take it apart and reset the diaphragm finger height. Once you grind the casting you need to compensate somehow. That is easy with Borg and Beck or Long style because you can put spacers under the springs and reset the finger heights with the fulcrum adjustment. Hope that make sense.

[WSSix]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the responses