Ok, since 3rd gear is now slipping for some weird reason (), how big of a job is it to put in a new clutch and flywheel into my truck in the sig? am i looking at just splitting the trans from motor and slipping the parts in and out or does one have to pull the trans altogether? also does anything have to b done to the t-case e.i. splitting or pulling? have does some clutch jobs but only on older chevs and could do the job just partially splitting the trans and motor. just trying to c how big of a job this beast is.

 

The weight is the only hard part. If you have a good trans jack, not bad. You dont have to seperate t/case, but it reduces the weight your working with. If you are upgrading, I highly recommend Southbend. Great company to work with.

 

great. have decided to use southbend just looking for the right clutch. probably end up getting a 12.25 single plate. 375/800. its about all my budget can handle. and i also heard that getting a way higher rated clutch is not good.....u should b operating very close to the max rating of the clutch.

 

Patience and Strength

 

got both

 

Buying a clutch that is almost maxed out is short sighted. If you're into upgrading for power, its a poor practice. Single disc clutches like the FE get grabby. The lower rated dual discs (when I say lower rated, I'm talking the 3250/3600 for 650-750hp) are extremely streetable and smooth. They cost more, but you get what you pay for in that regard.

As for tips, leave the t-case on if you have a good jack, use the input shaft as the alignment tool for the clutch disc(s) instead of that cheap plastic piece that comes with every clutch. Useless!

 

ic. so there are two clutches out there right now....the South Bend Dual Disk 3250 Ductile 12 CB Non SFI and the Southbend Dual Disc 3600 Ductile 650-750HP. they are the same price so which one would b the better buy? cant really see much difference in the description. also i believe dual discs require an upgraded input shaft? or was it the output shaft? my memory is slipping.....
last one...is it worth going to the 13" clutch?

 

I'd call Southbend. They were exceptionally helpful with mine and they stand behind their product. They will help you make the right choice.

 

I had a good experience with Southbend in general. My plans changed just after it was installed though The 009 I purchased is not near enough clutch and I have regretted it since it was installed. Go at least one step above where you think you want to be horse power wise.

 

I put a clutch in my 1997 the beginning of August. I have worked on lots of cars over the years but I didn't know what to expect with my truck. I bought a South Bend single disc organic clutch from Xtreme Diesel Power on their father's day sale.

This is what I learned:

The shifter had a spring clip at the the shifter tower housing with a weird spring clip. You push it down and turn it counter clockwise to release it. It comes out much easier than it goes in. I found this out by searching this web site.

Don't mess with the transfer case shifter linkage adjustment. The rod goes through a plastic bushing at the shifter. Using a channel lock squeeze it out. Use the channel lock to squeeze it back in.

I put a floor jack under the harmonic balancer to tip the front of the engine up or the back of the engine down. THis bought my some room to work.

I beat the cross-member back with a hammer to remove it. I used a bottle jack and a 4x4 to spread the frame rails to put it back in. You won't get it back in without spreading the frame rails.

Dodge used spring clips to hold the throwout bearing to the fork. Mentally prepare for frustration when it falls off a dozen times when attempting to stab the trans in.

I used a motorcycle jack to support the transmission. I shimmed the front of the transmission to get the right angle when lining up the transmission. It would have been much easier with a transmission jack.

This clutch was relatively straightforward to replace. Search this site for more info.

I hope this helped.

Bob

 

wow sounds like a rough time. ill b sure to book a whole day to get the job done. i have access to a heated shop and a floor jack and tranny jack....hope that all helps. thanx for all the tips.

 

I worked on it 8 hours one day and 4 the next. I spent 4+ hours cleaning grease, oil and dirt off the transfer case, 4x4 shifter mechanism, bell housing and transmission. I wasn't in a hurry and took my time.

 

Some great advice on the clutch choices.

I would recommend a good cleaning/steam cleaning.......it just makes things easier. Then get a good tranny jack; it makes things MUCH easier. I bought the harbor freight one; it's a snap-on knock off for 1/10th the price, maybe you can rent one. It's nice to be able to move the beast 1/8" in any direction with a few turn ***** when you are lining things up. Fab up something to support the back of the engine when you drop the bellhousing off. I also found a few tools on ebay: one to pull the shifter off and a couple of spline sockets for tearing into the tranny and holding/torquing parts.

The cross member is a pain, they must drop it down from above on the assembly line. It was a "jack the frame apart" for me as well.

Are you going with a ball pilot bearing or sticking with needle.

While you have the stuff apart you may want to throw in a new rear crank seal, don't cost much while taking 20 minutes when you have it apart.

How's the 5th gear nut? I welded one of mine on which is not the preferred method but it's gone almost 100k; when it goes I'm looking at a new mainshaft. The other one I did the double nut thing and tacked them together. No problems with either.

I spent an hour the night before cleaning it with a steam cleaner hit it the next afternoon. It was a 2-4-6 job: 2 guys-4 hours-6 pack each. We were in no hurry either.

 

2.5 lbs hammer is all you need to install the crossmembers. The 94-97 ones are even easier, as they are a fair bit flimsier than the 98+ crossmembers, which are designed for the 6 spds.

 

thanx for all the great advice guys. will tear into it and c how it goes. not really diving into the tranny to take care of the 5th gear issue quite yet. i dont tow so hopefully it lasts a while and when it does go i will do a tranny rebuild and shaft upgrade.