OK, got my 4" exhaust built, turbine outlet to the stack (only one for now, passenger side). The 275's are in, and the powermax adjustable is allways on '9'. Took the race trailer for a ride today (8,800#) and had some fun. This truck yanks that trailer around like a toy, but at will, I can slip the clutch in 4th 5th or 6th with too much go pedal.

So, time for a real clutch. Now please hear me out, dont just tell me to call peter, or Rod or John Doe or whomever, I am curious to hear from owners who have similar mods about their clutch. I need a clutch to hold perhaps some future mods, figure 400HP , 800 Ft*Lbs at the flywheel. BUT I dont want a cattering, grabby clutch that my wife will hate. The truck is a 2001, I dont want it chattering and bucking like a 79 F-250 with a worn pilot bushing.

I will occasionaly drag race the truck, hook a few times a year, tow about 9,000# max, and have some fun on the street.

Whadddya think??? Con OFE ?? Any other suggestions???

Zino

 

Yep....OFE

 

Yuo what Don said

Read my sig.

I like it and it's really streetable.

Not grabby and NO chatter !


: Eddie : 8)

 

OFE or even an FE.
from Southbend.
I have the FE and its great...no chatter and not real bad for moving the trailer either.
Call Rod...my partner....at Wildcat.

or whomever.

FE might be good if you get the itch for more then 400 HP.
Then its done.

 

go with a DD pulling clutch just for the heck of it. ;D

 

Yes I have heard alot about South Bend Clutches, and I figure for my application, the OFE is the one. But a G-note is alot of money for a clutch. Has anyone tried other brands? I have heard something about LUK Pro Gold, Centerforce (although I have to seriously question the effectiveness of centrifugal assist on an engine that spends most of its time at 2,000 RPM and has a torque peak at 1,800 RPM) and McLeod. So come on!!! Jump in with what youve got!!!!!

Zino

 

[quote author=Zino link=board=7;threadid=18292;start=0#msg171604 date=1060713497]
LUK Pro Gold, Centerforce[/quote]

Great choices if you like to buy things two or three times, and put up with products that are "adaptated" from Gasoline motors.

I know you said and I quote.."dont just tell me to call peter"

Now, having read that, Peter's clutch were never tested on Gasoline motors, they didn't even start that way. They saw a need in the Clutch Market years ago, and the only truck/motor that had the kind of power to tear up a clutch, was Cummins.

There were clutches out there that could hold the power, and some of those companies are still out there, but Peter didn't want a clutch that would only "Hold the Power". There are not many people who only use a clutch to put power down, most of us still have to shift gears, hold the clutch in at a stoplight, back a trailer, get stuck in mud, and drag race

Peter's clutches do that. Now, don't go out and buy a 600HP FE clutch for your 400HP rig thinking it will last a long time, You could actually tear it up faster, and the driveability will be bad. You need to get a clutch matched to your truck, and driving style. For some people a Con O will do just fine at 400RWHP, for others, an OFE won't work at 500RWHP.

On my 450RWHP rig, an OFE is just cutting the cake,, Why? I slip it alot, not that the clutch is slipping, but I run the truck hard, and 25% of the time, the clutch doesn't begin to get released until 2,000RPM.

If you want to get into sled pulling, that's a complete different ball game. Peter's clutchs work great for Mild slipping, and awesome for towing, but when you really need to get the RPM up, and slip the heck out of the clutch, the lining that needs to be used to make the truck drivable, is the same lining that is not going to hold when your clutch starts getting 800*F++. Peter has the Dual disk clutch for sled pullers, but, I don't have a Dual Disk, so I can't say anything about it, other than I've seen it in action, and it's a great clutch.

If you really do plan on sled pulling, you might need to look into a Dual Disk, as Peter doesn't have any pom-poms for sled pulling with his single disk's.

My $.02
Merrick Cummings Jr

 

Merrick, dont get me wrong, I am personally leaning toward the SBC. I just put that "dont just tell me to call..." because I have noticed alot on this and other forums, alot of friends of several companies who are allways pushing their products for them. You see tons of replies like ' Just call "so and so" and he will set you up' I just meant I wanted to hear real life stories not a sales pitch. Your info is great. Thanks.. Still thinking OFE for now....... If your OFE is barely making it with 450 RWHP, then you probably have about 500 flywheel HP right??? Thats pretty decent. About the pulling clutches verses the street clucthes, I assume the difference is the amout of metalic vs organic material, right??? The metalic holds up better under high heat but is grabby, the organic is smoother but will burn at high heat.... Is this correct???

Zino

 

I understand about the "Just call so-and-so",, frustrating.

Do you know how brake fade works?
It's about the same with a clutch, it's not exactly that it burns, but looses it friction coefficient. Nice thing about Peter's clutches,, you can burn/smoke 'em, let 'em cool and they still hold (not that Peter recomends that..).

If you really want to get screwy with HP #'s, I dyno'd at 456.9RWHP in O.D., so right there is only .73 of power output (O.D. ratio), and then you could take ~15% for drivetrain loss,, so, theoreticly, I could have dyno'd as high as 648.8 Flywheel HP, but that's only fiddling with the #'s, I'd have to pull the motor and get it on an engine dyno to find out for sure.

I'm pretty sure all of Peter's Clutchs are rated for Rear Wheel Horse Power, and he does have a little bit of safety margin built in. So If you plan on 450RWHP, and you get a 450HP clutch, it won't slip once it gets a few years older, and a little bit worn.

Merrick Cummings Jr

BTW, my 1/4 mile times say I'm in the 470-490RWHP. (Depends on the day, track condition, and the alignment of the planets.. :P )

 

I love the con "O" I have on my 5spd ..........pedal pressure was way lighter than stock and engagement is silky smooth and after the break in I have yet to make it slip even on a 3rd gear launch
of course I'm only making about 350hp (edge comp & 275's)


I wouldn't hesitate to buy another southbend clutch .......................

 

DON'T GET THE CENTERFORCE : Id don't hold the 800ftlbs it says it does trust me on that one.
DM01

 

Zino, you mentioned a couple of the clutches I've run in the past couple of years. First the Centerforce, it lasted about a month before I could slip it in 3rd, 4th and 5th gears (this was before the injector install). I also ran the McLeod dual-disk. This was about the smoothest clutch I've driven. Second gear starts with large loads were smooth, it was capable of 3rd gear launches at will. I loved it but it didn't love sled-pulling, so I pulled it before I burned it totally up. The only downside to the McLeod was the initial price. BTW, I'm thinking about selling my McLeod, I don't have any use for it anymore. It might need new disks, (I got them pretty hot once, had a little slipping in 5th with the kill box on), but the disks are relatively cheap compared to a new hi-po single disk setup. Have a good one, andy

 

Now thats good info!!! Thanks guys. I really thought the centerforce was a marketing ploy too. Hummm, I REALLY are leaning to the OFE now......

Had some fun today on the highway embarassing some teenager in a Honda Civic that was lowered, had probably 1" of sidewall tires, a riducouls wing, a tachometer thats bigger than the one in my 10.30 second drag car, and a muffler with a 5" tail cone.....I downshifted to fifth, hit 3,200 banged 6th, slipped it a bit and took it to 2,800 RPM..... Clicked it off and he was about 200 yards behind me..... Slowed down and let him pass, the look on his face..... PRICELESS!!!!!!!


Zino

 

Hey Zino,

Why dont you just call Rod @ Wildcat?

Don~

 

Very funny, Don..... ;D