Clutch Help

[Micaiahfied]

i installed a mu13-1.25 con OFE in my truck yestersday. the installed went along with an NV4500 that was swapped from another 1st gen. the fitment was using Advanved Adapter bellhousing. the getrag install went fine on the other truck and everything works perfectly. on my truck (91) the clutch will not fully release. it feels very close but when the truck is running it's very hard to get into gear. the only thing on the install that we were not positive about is which way to face the friction material, there is a one metal and one organic side with the OFE. the friction plate has one side that is close to flush and one side that sticks out a little, we looked on both of the other clutches and those were both facing the pressure plate so that is how we installed it. the metal facing the flywheel and the organic facing the pressure plate. we checked the pushrod travel on both trucks and they are the same. please i need advice, it was a very long day and having my truck not work at the end of it is very discouraging! thank you for your help

[JimmieD]

This may not be much help, but:

Clutch hub usually faces transmission. Clutch plates should always be matched to pressure plate, and pressure plate matched to release bearing. You didn't mention pressure plate or type of release bearing in your post. If they're not spec'd out to the thickness of clutch plate, or matched components there's going to be problems.

An aftermarket bellhousing may not be a perfect match for the clutch release lever, clutch plate/pressure plate or release bearing. A minor difference in ball pivot height or slight difference in depth measurements of bellhousing can throw the whole thing out of whack. Even the thickness of bellhousing material where clutch slave mounts can cause a failure to properly release. Must be the correct rlease fork for bellhousing, pressure plate and release bearing.

Unfortunately it's often necessary to measure every single component to make sure it's all playing the same tune. This can be very difficult with miscellaneous pieces from different mfgrs.

I installed a '90 Cummins 4BT from a Chevy stepvan into a '67 Dodge D-100, with a 2000 Dodge/Cummins adapter plate, 2000 Dodge/Cummins bellhousing, 2000 CTD flywheel, '96-'97 Dodge CTD NV4500, with a 2000 CTD Sachs clutch/pressure plate & release bearing and used the stock '67 Dodge hydraulic slave cylinder and master. Did this by drilling side of transmission case and mounting slave there with a slave pushrod home-made from a Grade 8 bolt. Couldn't throw it together, every measurement was critical.....

[Bob Beauchaine]

I had the same problem when I installed my NV4500HD along with a new Con-O with a new flywheel from South Bend Clutch. Since I still had all the parts from my old G360 I pulled it apart again just to measure and make sure everything was the same - it was. Oh BTW this was after I called Peter at SBC and he said hydraulics - Peter was right. After I installed new clutch hydraulics it was much better but still not completely right. Fast forward about 2 years I started having trouble getting it into reverse and first while running. I elected to install another set of clutch hydraulics - total solution. Now it goes into gear just as easily when running as when it is not running. Both systems were from Dodge - the first was just a little weaker than the second.

Hope this helps

Bob

[MMiller]

Sorry for the double post but I got a server error message - didn't look like it went through the first time.

Bob

Yep, I've had that happen several times here. You have the option to delete your posts, and I delete 'em when I have them.

I guess I'll see what happens to my truck. The getrag is out again, and a new Con O is on the way.

Michael

[BobS]

Was the input bearing retainer trimmed to the new required length for for use with the AA bellhousing? Also, were the input shaft clutch splines the newer longer length that they require? I can dig out the measurements from the sheet that came with my AA kit if you need them. My thoughts are the new clutch hub is thicker by perhaps an 1/8" and the disk is bottoming out on either the splines or retainer.

[Micaiahfied]

bobB the dealer wants $350 for the hydrualics, after the money i just spent i would have a hard time coming up with that right now. the advice i got from SB was to drive it to see if break in helped the problem then if that didn't work replace the hydrualics. i would drive it around but when i got in this morning the parking brake to the passenger tire stuck geeze! do you know of anyone what makes a perf. kit for the 1st gens?

BobS i have the instructions that the guy used when installing the AA. i did not ask him but he bought the tranny, bellhousing, and t-case shift from them. i was guessing that they did it before it was sent since they knew the application and it was from them, but i am not positive of that. i did not measure but since the tranny was already working porperly in another vehicle for 20K before i got ahold of it i assumed the it was done correctly.

[Micaiahfied]

well it doesn't seem to be getting any better, does anyone offer a perf upgrade hydraulics for this truck? i'm going to try bleeding this system just to make sure but will probably need to throw a new set at it.

[BobS]

rockauto.com is where I bought my last slave cylinder. They list Wagner & AC Delco brands. Prices range from $74 Wagner; 105 & 148 AC for the master cylinder & $54 Wagner or $66 AC on the slave.

A couple of other passing thoughts. Could air have entered the hydraulic line while it was twisted out of the way to install the bellhousing? Fluid level still ok? Anything interfering with the pedal travel under the dash or on the carpet? Good luck.

[Micaiahfied]

bobs, thanks for the continued thoughts. i am going to go ahead and bleed it. no reason air should have gotten in but maybe. also nothing in the way, no carpet, just a rhino lined floor.