clutch recommendations

[vegas39]

Can someone recommend a good clutch kit for my 89? I see ebay has some clutch with conversion kit, solid flywheel? $550 bucks from Phoenix friction products, they any good?
I also hear South bend clutch is a good company but dont know what their pricing will be yet.

I will be driving the truck to Vista Ca to have my cousin in law to do the job but I need to be armed with all the parts needed for the job, before I get down there.

I really didnt want to spend the money to do this, as I've been contemplating doing a slushbox conversion but I've been told it should be done asap.

 

[jaluhn83]

I like the Luk single mass flywheel conversion setup. Not sure what the Phoenix clutch is. South Bend also seem well reputed though I've never worked with one. The Luk has been good to me - smooth and easy, good feel, and strong.

 

[S-west]

The southbend kit is $582 on summit racing. It will also replace the dual mass flywheel with a single mass

 

[vegas39]

Thanks guys. I called Napa and they have the LUK setup for 540 something bucks.
He claims dual mass will hold up better but I told him most of the people I know of, have converted and that's what I'd rather do.
Will there be anything special to do to this kit? Seems like I occasionally read where someone converts over and has to drill something out? Or are these conversion kits ready to go?
Thanks!

 

[towcat]

Thanks guys. I called Napa and they have the LUK setup for 540 something bucks.
He claims dual mass will hold up better but I told him most of the people I know of, have converted and that's what I'd rather do.
Will there be anything special to do to this kit? Seems like I occasionally read where someone converts over and has to drill something out? Or are these conversion kits ready to go?
Thanks!

if your dual mass isn't blown up, I'll buy it from you.

 

[vegas39]

if your dual mass isn't blown up, I'll buy it from you.

I'll bring it when we do the trans swap, you can have it. I'm trying to find a way to buy a new gear vendors, then we can get the ball rolling with everything.
If you need the unit sooner, let me know and I'll get it shipped out.

 

[towcat]

I'll bring it when we do the trans swap, you can have it. I'm trying to find a way to buy a new gear vendors, then we can get the ball rolling with everything.
If you need the unit sooner, let me know and I'll get it shipped out.

i can wait. I have a few left from the ford dealer. i'm still a fan of the DMF.
if you can before we do a trans swap on the truck, I would like to see you truck for the weekend. I'd like to rebuild the pedal and bushing assy just to see if that will help lessen the effort and irritation of working the 5spd.

 

[reklund]

Did you hear the racket my SMF makes? I'd go back to a DMF in a heartbeat if I could.

 

[Bashby]

I cheaped out and got the SMF kit from Autozone. The pilot bearing fit loosely in the flywheel, the hole was too big. I had a new Beck Arnley flywheel that I ended up using with the AZ PP and disc. It chatters bad if you try to let it out slow. I plan on getting a LUK kit from rockauto next time.

 

[vegas39]

Did you hear the racket my SMF makes? I'd go back to a DMF in a heartbeat if I could.

I did a bunch of reading and seems that going SMF can eventually screw up a transmission. True?

 

[jaluhn83]

My experience has been good with the Luk and it's not noisy at all. Pretty much minimal rollover noise with either the S42 I had or the S47 now. I did have a truck with a ZF5 and a T-19 flywheel and that one was awfully noisy.

Where did you see that a SMF can mess up the trans? I can't think of any reason it would provided you use the proper setup. I could see problems if you locked up the DMF to make an effective SM and then used the stock clutch or if you used a true SMF and the wrong clutch disc. There has to be a spring somewhere in the clutch system to cushion engagement and decouple vibration. The original DMF uses a solid clutch disc and the dual mass flywheel itself has the springs. The SMF conversions use a clutch disc with integrated springs. If you put a solid (OE style) clutch disc on a SMF it wouldn't have a spring at all and might cause problems.