Transmission picked out, bellhousing picked out, going with hydraulic clutch.
Which clutch to buy?
Size?
Brand?
Style?
Guess I need a flywheel also....
Chevy late '80's 350 4-bolt with a cam, heads, intake and carb, approx. 390-400 HP...
Not racing, occasional hole-shot to wake up the goose-bumps...
Thanks in advance!
McLeod dual friction; diaphragm style p-plate if possible.
Or get an organic Luk Rep-Set (Pronounced Luke apparently) from your local auto parts store. They make a very good clutch and its more than adequate for what you will do; just without the spendy name on the box. My guess is that most street clutches are a repainted and reboxed OEM clutch like a Luk.
Zoom is an OLD name that disappeared it seems for awhile and popped back up; this makes me nervous when new companies bank on nostalgia to sell a product. Thats my personal opinion and no one elses.
My Dad has a Zoom lightweight flywheel from about 1968 or so....it was finely crafted back then.
Ive only used McLeod, Hays and Centerforce. I had a litany of probs with the C'Force and the Hays was an OEM replacement I think in a ford ranger. It worked fine. So if it was me I'd pick McLeod.
Flywheel is going to depend on your bellhousing to a great degree. I wouldn't use an OEM flywheel. I'd prefer something steel and perhaps SFI
I'd want to know more about your car before choosing a clutch, pressure plate, and flywheel. Brand wouldn't change, as all the name brands build similar sizes, and pressures, but without knowing your rear gear, transmission, and weight of the car, it's hard for me to guess what would be best.
Most people don't need a 11" flywheel and pressure plate, but it wont hurt. Some combinations require a 11" with higher pressure plate rating to get it to hook up and not burn up a clutch.
As indicated previously, I am not racing it. Just for fun maybe a burnout here and there. 350 motor with cam, dart heads, air gap, and 750 CFM's. tranny will be Muncie M20, rearend is Ford 9 inch with 373 gears.
If you have a late 80s block it might be a 1 piece seal block. The way to go with that would be the lite weight flywheel made by GM. Your engine will rev quicker and the flywheel is already balanced for either a 305 or 350 1 piece seal engine. They use a 10.5 inch clutch. If you have a bellhousing for the big flywheel, you can still use the smaller flywheel, the difference will be the starter. Most of the mini starters are made for either size fllywheel, they just use different mounting holes on the block.
So let me see if I got this right....
Buy a 10 1/2 inch clutch?
Buy a stock GM flywheel for 1 piece seal block?
I dont have a bellhousing yet, but was considering the Mcleod 8633...
The starter I have now which fits in the current 700R4 will not fit the above items?
First you need to find out if your block is a 1 piece seal. You can look the block number up to find out. They make a big flywheel and small flywheel for both the 1 piece seal and 2 piece seal engines. They also make a small flexplate for automatic transmissions. If you already have the small flexplate than you can use the same starter you have now on the small flywheel. You can throw a lot of aftermarket parts on there but do you really need them? Steel scatershields, big flywheels and clutchs will just add weight to your car.
Why would I worry about adding weight, when I'm not racing this car?
I guess when I get this 700R4 off, it should tell me which flexplate and starter I have?
Do I need to pull the oil pan to see if I have 1 or 2 piece seal?
I'm pretty sure I have the 1 piece from another thread I started, and found it to be a truck block....
It's your money, you can spend it as you wish. It does not mater if you are racing the car. A lite weight flywheel will help your engine rev quicker. A 2piece seal engine is balanced different than a 1 piece seal engine. You can't interchange the flywheels between a 1 piece and 2 piece seal engine, it will throw the balance off. All those parts can be found easy without going aftermarket. GM had to put a warranty on the parts when the car was new. What kind of warranty do those aftermarket parts carry?
I am not understanding....but i DO appreciate everyone's input.
I am just looking for advice on what size, brand clutch and flywheel to buy that would be appropriate and fit my car? I dont care if they are aftermarket or GM parts, just need to know what is correct and fit?
Thanks again.....
A 1 piece seal engine and a 2 piece seal engine will have different block numbers. Once you have the block number you can look up the info without tearing it all down to find out what you have.
If it were mine, I would use GM parts since they made a zillion of them. As far as clutches a lot of the parts are just reboxed. I have bought new clutch disc off Ebay for as cheap as $10 and it was a Luk. I have had a lot of different brands and when you compare most of them they are the same.
You don't have to worry about weight, so you really don't need to spend the extra for a lightweight flywheel. I'd get a regular steel flywheel, and get a 10.5" also. I'm pretty sure you can use the same starter, but you can easily count the teeth on your flexplate and compare to the 10.5" flywheel to be certain. Most 10.5" flywheels will be 168 tooth, but you can buy them for 153 tooth, so be sure it's a 168 to match your present starter.
Your car probably wont weigh over 2500 lbs max, so I'd go the 10.5" Hays. I'd also go with a regular organic/carbon or iron/organic clutch material. The iron/organic is a bit better, but a bit more money also. For your setup, I'd go diaphram type pressure plate and not 3 finger, as they are a bit smoother, and less grabby.
Ram makes a good unit also, and is a little cheaper priced than a Hays. I think your Muncie will take a 26 spline clutch disc, so make sure you get the correct spline count. Be certain to tell the seller it's for a SBC from 1980, so you get the right pressure plate.
X2^ I have been on the phone with McLeod engineers and have found them to be knowledgable and helpful. Their products have proved bulletproof for me. http://www.mcleodracing.com/info/?id=3044
it the engine is stock and the valvecovers are the center bolt type
it's a 1 piece rear seal..
depending who you talk to, they changed in 86-87
in a light car, with traction issues
a 10.5" will be fine, if you do clutch dumps, I'd get a scatter sheild over a bellhousing..
under the car with the inspection cover off the trans(if it's even there) you'll be able to see if the engine is 1 piece rear main seal.. with a flashlight.. you see alum bewteen flexplate and engine it's 1 piece
If it were me; and you feel this apprehensive, Id call up Pace Performance directly. They're a GM dealership I believe as well as selling Hi Perf parts. They sell complete kits. It may not be the cheapest way around the barn, but it'll all work together, assuming you give them the right tooth count/ starter and 1 or 2 piece R.M.S Dont use the online helper thing...its useless, CALL them. Boom. done. If you have an issue, they'll answer the phone, and they have a return policy. Problem solved. Get it runnin!
OK guys,,,,here's what I got...removed 700R4 today, attached are pics of crankshaft and flexplate....this should help you all determining what to buy for a clutch and flywheel.....I believe it is 1 piece seal so that should help!
Well now I'm even more confused...(this is easily done)....I was fairly sure I had a 1-piece seal motor from the info I absorbed from another thread giving the block number I found. Now (see attached pics), after reading more on-line info (GMparts-direct), if I have a 3.58" bolt circle for the crank flange, then it is a 2-piece seal motor, which is pre-1986? So I measured the flex plate after removing, measured the 6 bolt mounting holes, and sure enough it is 3 1/2". So does this mean I have a 2 piece seal, pre '86 motor? and need a flywheel without counter weights?
Do I match the diameter of the flex-plate to the new flywheel and same amount of teeth-correct? (153)
The Ram clutch kits seem to be very reasonably priced. Everybody carries them, but I haven't used one yet. I think I'd give it a shot also, if I was going to a stick.
Yes, you match the same number of teeth on your flexplate to the new flywheel. Should be about 25 teeth between holes on a 6 hole flexplate for a 153 tooth.
I didn't read the whole thread, but I will tell you that the engine in post #28 does not have a one piece seal block/crank. It's a two piece RMS.
ssmonty
Thanks SS....this means internally balanced crank right?
So correct flywheel should be for 2-piece main seal engine, not have counter weights on it, and have the larger 3 1/2" mounting bolt circle?
Are these flywheels (153 tooth), all the same diameter?
I believe the flexplate I removed was about 12 3/4" in diameter....so the new flywheel should be the same?
1.Thanks SS....this means internally balanced crank right?
2.So correct flywheel should be for 2-piece main seal engine, not have counter weights on it, and have the larger 3 1/2" mounting bolt circle?
3.Are these flywheels (153 tooth), all the same diameter?
4.I believe the flexplate I removed was about 12 3/4" in diameter....so the new flywheel should be the same?
1. Just by looking at the crank flange, as long as its not a 400 crank, YES.
2. YES. The 400 crank would have a weight on the flywheel, as well as any one piece RMS crank.
3. As far as I know yes. You can use the same starter in the same bolt holes on the block.
4. As far as I know yes. You can use the same starter in the same bolt holes on the block.
only the sb400 had a weight attached to flex plate /flywheel also had a larger harmonic balancer look on back side of balancer If it has metal removed approx 1 " wide 5 " long it is a 400 external balance requiring matched flywheel ,if not you can use pre 85 2flywheel with larger bolt circle offered in 2 tooth count with maching starter ,if i remember correct 168 has staggered mounting holes 153 are straight across some have 2 long bolt some 1 long 1short,. I know before someone replies 454 also had added weights external balance
You have a 2 piece seal engine. The crank flange on a 1 piece seal engine is round. The small flywheel for a 2 piece seal engine is easy to find, they are the most common. SBC used a big flywheel until the early sixties and then the small flywheel became more common. Trucks used the bigger flywheel and most of the cars used the smaller flywheel.
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