In a synchronized transmission, dirty alignment lugs on the intermediate plate can cause which problem?

• A. Clutch plate binds and fails to move away from the flywheel.
• B. Clutch plate slips more.
• C. Synchronizer to fail.
• D. Input shaft to overheat.

Answer: (A)

Dirty alignment lugs on the intermediate plate disrupt the precise centering and smooth disengagement of the clutch. The lugs are there to locate the clutch plate so it lines up with the flywheel and can slide away from it cleanly when you release the pedal. When those lugs are dirty, the clutch plate can bind against the flywheel and pressure plate, preventing it from moving away as it should. The result is clutch drag—the plate stays in contact with the flywheel even with the pedal released. This explains why the problem described is the clutch plate binding and failing to move away from the flywheel. Other issues like increased slipping, synchronizer failure, or input-shaft overheating are caused by different faults and aren’t direct consequences of dirty alignment lugs.