dodgezilla04

i put the new clutch in today, alone. a 4 1/2 hour job. not including the time to get the flywheel surfaced. I dont recommend doing this by yourself. that tranny is a beast.
i took a few pics and they're in the gallery. i got lots of suggestions and advice on another thread. here are some of my comments relating to the advice. I really appreciated the assists and help.


the crossmember came out easily with a small prybar. i only unbolted the front driveshaft at the tcase and zip tied it to the left framerail. made sure to matchmark ujoint alignment, carrier bearing location, etc, to ensure no vibrations after reassembly. the tcase shifter just unpops from the rubber mounts and put it aside. separated the transfer case and just ended up benchpressing it in and out. the floor console, boots, and shift tower mounts are a PITA. dont forget the 4x4 indicator plug on tcase, vent tube, reverse switch, and slave cylinder. support the rear of the oil pan. i used a rachet strap to hold the trans onto my big floor jack. muscled it in and out. flywheel must weigh 80lbs. used to jack to help align the crossmember. all in all, not a bad job, just better with a hand.

as far as the clutch. yes it is new and will get better and smoother.

it is grabby, doesnt go into 1st, 2nd, or reverse well at all right now. the SBC instructions say to drive city stop and go for 200 miles to break it in. cant wait to break it in and then get on it to see how it holds.

I know it will get much better and hold substantially more that the stocker. Thanks guys for the advice, and thanks to Peter.

pooperscooper

Were there any special tools needed, or that you would recommend getting to make the install go better?

dodgezilla04

nothing special. i used metric and sae combo wrenches and sockets, 1/2" and 3/8" impact guns, 3/8" air ratchet, small prybar, and a flat tip screwdriver, 0-150lb torque wrench. in the truck you'll need 1/4" drive set to remove the console and rubber from the shifter.


one extra thing i forgot about last night. on the downpipe, the bracket that goes to 2 bell housing bolts is a real pain. upon reinstallation, i unbolted the v band clamp from the exhaust brake/factory elbow to allow that bracket to be moved out the way to make life easier to get the tranny back in.

get a friend to help.

dodgezilla04

after 2 days of driving it, it is getting alittle better. the clutch disengages all the way on the floor. as i try to get it into 2nd from a stop, you can feel the truck trying to go foward, the clutch is still slightly engaging, but is getting better. reverse is much better now. up and downshifting is smoother now.

wap

Did you do the hydrolics too?

dodgezilla04

no, peter told me that the hydraulic upgrade wouldnt be necessary with the ofe. the pedal effort seems the same. he did tell me that it was intended to engage/disengage close to the floor, so that wasnt unexpected.

4x4dually

Took my OFE two weeks to completely smooth out. And you are correct, that tranny is a BEAST! Hope you like your OFE. I still don't like the engage/disengauge on the floor, but we have no option but to spend some more money for an adjustable one.

dodgezilla04

thanks bud. i am liking it already. the children forced me turn crank up the quad, hit the smoke switch, and do a few WOT blasts, since they havent been able to for 2 months. The clutch just held and held.