Catastrophic failure- not an IDI, still entertaining

[fsr7]

Been a lot of talk about power upgrades and what not on here lately - here's the reason we all love the workable amount of power the IDI's have and why the big C isn't always the answer...

I spent more money on this clutch than each of the last three IDI's I've bought and used... and less than 10k later, it explodes... but my old ford will get me where I need to be tomorrow

 

[towcat]

ouch.
dumb question....
with the cost of the NV4500...is it really any better than the ZF? I have a collection of ZF5's and no NV's. I have a couple of "C" motors looking to find their way into a truck. I'd think the cost of the adapter is worth the gamble rather than deal with the cost of a NV. At least for me it is.

 

[fsr7]

It really is... I've never doubted any amount of power put through the NV... if its got fluid, it doesn't break. I lost 3rd and 4th gear on one once that ran out of fluid (seal went out, dumped it into the Tcase) while I was towing 10k 100 miles from home... I dropped the trailer and drove it home with the three gears I had left, no prob. That was also a 400 + hp cummins... All the ZF's I've owned lose syncros before 200k and don't always go into reverse the same way, with half the hp I put to the NV's. The NV just works. (as long as your clutch holds up lol)

 

[rjjp]

Hey, this may be a dumb question, but what do the springs in the clutch disk actully do? I have never had anyone that would tell me what they do.

 

[towcat]

Hey, this may be a dumb question, but what do the springs in the clutch disk actully do? I have never had anyone that would tell me what they do.

It's there to cushion the shock from letting the pedal out on the clutch.

 

[jperecko]

NV4500s can be had around here from a reputable shop for a lil over 1500 w/o a core last I checked- newly rebuilt

not too bad

 

[towcat]

It really is... I've never doubted any amount of power put through the NV... if its got fluid, it doesn't break. I lost 3rd and 4th gear on one once that ran out of fluid (seal went out, dumped it into the Tcase) while I was towing 10k 100 miles from home... I dropped the trailer and drove it home with the three gears I had left, no prob. That was also a 400 + hp cummins... All the ZF's I've owned lose syncros before 200k and don't always go into reverse the same way, with half the hp I put to the NV's. The NV just works. (as long as your clutch holds up lol)

My personal experience with the ZF has always been good. I have never wasted the syncros on my own built trans. I've bought trans with bad syncros tho. My ZF's do live a hard life in f450's that gross from 15k to 21k depending on the load and have never been let down by the trans.

 

[towcat]

NV4500s can be had around here from a reputable shop for a lil over 1500 w/o a core last I checked- newly rebuilt

not too bad

that's the catch...I have no core to trade in.

 

[fsr7]

You build me a ZF and I'll put it behind a cummins and be the test dummy

I've been driving the **** out of the Hummer lately, I'm planning on towing to moab with it this year and I want to find the weak points before I'm halfway there... I just didn't expect this to be one of them.

here's a pic of last week's problem... actually tore the upper ball joint out of the A-arm... it was gross

 

[fsr7]

oh yeah... gotta post this one too... since the 6.9 w/400k+ miles is always willing to get the Hummer home...

 

[White Trash]

Dang must have been the weight of the 44" balders that did it 'cause it sure wasn't an overabundance of traction that did that ball joint it.

 

[towcat]

You build me a ZF and I'll put it behind a cummins and be the test dummy

I've been driving the **** out of the Hummer lately, I'm planning on towing to moab with it this year and I want to find the weak points before I'm halfway there... I just didn't expect this to be one of them.

here's a pic of last week's problem... actually tore the upper ball joint out of the A-arm... it was gross

what did you do to keep from spitting out halfshafts on the Hummer?

 

[Agnem]

That clutch disc design LOOKS weak. I can't believe that is sold as some kind of an upgrade. Each one of those "ears" just looks like they are waiting to snap off. A solid disc with stuff riveted to it seems way more reliable to me.

 

[seawalkersee]

On a side note, is it difficult to switch the NV from 4X2 to 4X4?

SWS

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

WOW you're lucky man. In the world of muscle cars and hot rods I've seen two clutches explode one with a scatter shield bell housing one without. After seeing the clutch disk fly out the bottom of the standard bell housing and cut a 3" deep slot into the pavement, I'm putting a scatter shield in my 71 Camaro. Anything over 400hp should have a scatter shield in my personal opinion. Wow you're just lucky man. My dad used to drive race cars back in the late 60's and early 70's he said he knew two guys that lost limbs from clutches exploding and coming up through the floor.