Afternoon Fellas, so ya'll know from my "at long last" thread I've picked up the truck in my signature. All went very well on our way back across the country but the day after I got her home she started to slip the clutch under heavy boost, say rolling on from 50 in 5th she'd start to slip then catch up and hold.. So, now I'm faced with what some of you have tossed around numerous times, what single mass conversion kit should I get... I figure the truck will be putting down between 300-310 max at the flywheel with the 6p DP I'm getting early next year (anti theft-valet-high idle-40 tow-60 tow-80 econ). Seems to me I don't need anything too radical; I wont be adding any additional power adders. The dealer says he'll ether cover the Labor or the parts so we can definitely work it out. My buddy TJ has a Napa SM kit in his 96 f350 psd regular cab, zf5, 3.55s, 3" dp, 90hp chip, and a utility body; he says the 4 years the clutch has been in he hasn't had an issue. I dunno if this is the way to go; maybe it is, but I'd like to hear some of your experiences with situations similar to mine. I've been looking at two kit specifically, the Valair NMU70263-04 with the V2140 flywheel http://www.valairinc.com/performance/7394-98.html and the Phoenix Friction kit, 07-501CK.3C Stage 3 Ceramic Solid Flywheel Conversion Clutch Kit: Ford 7.3L Diesel F250 F350 F450 Pickup - 13"
tho do I even need to go to this heavy and do I need to spend this much?

 

Get a LUK SMF kit if you're not planning anything other than that chip.

The Valair brass woven organic would be a nice little clutch also. A little more aggressive than stock, but you will get gear rollover noise with it also. I don't view this as a problem as it eventually goes away, but the LUK kit will not have any gear rollover noise at all.

Those are the only two choices I would be looking at for your setup and plans. That Phoenix kit you linked to, you should just forget about that one right now. lol

 

That's a big ROGER, thanks for the info!! I'll take a look again at the LUK setup... So, a LUK 07-154A and is there any advantage to this Kevlar Pilot bushing PB50MK?http://www.clutchcityonline.com/ford_pickup.htm

Uh-oh... I don't even wanna ask but I will, it that a total POS or just overkill??

 

Yes that's the correct part number for the LUK kit on that page. I've never used a kevlar pilot bushing, but as far as I can tell it's a toss up between the stock bearing and the kevlar bushing. Some people have had problems with the stock bearing and some have had problems with the kevlar bushing. IMO, use the pilot bearing that comes with the kit. I've always used stock pilot bearings and they've been fine in everything I've worked on. The only time I've seen problems is when a large fuel leak washes the grease from the bearing and the bearing eats itself. Usually when that happens, the throwout bearing gets the same treatment. That happened on my own truck. Huge fuel leak on the engine caused both bearings to fail and even caused my clutch to slip.

So keep that in mind when it comes to leaks with a 5 speed behind it. All leaks on top of the engine wash down into the bellhousing area. So any oil or fuel leaks need to be taken care of if you want to keep it away from the clutch.

 

I'm hearin that, thanks for the confirmation and the advise about the leaks!
BTW, is there a reputable place to get the whole LUK kit w the flywheel?

 

my LUK has been in for a lot of years! too lazy to go through my records and see when I installed it (05) I think! last week my throw out bearing stated squealing. I think I installed it around 80,000 miles and I now have 233,000 on the truck. the most I tow is 30,000 pounds combined truck trailer and load ( look at my signature)

 

That's a ringing endorsement if I've ever heard one! Is the truck stock or lightly modded?

 

As far as ordering online goes, I've never gotten one online so I don't have any advise there. I've always gotten them locally from a drivetrain shop in town.

Ordinarily my vote always goes to Valair for all clutches, but if your never going to modify it, the LUK is a dang good clutch. I ran one for awhile until I upgraded to stage 1 injectors, then I started slipping the LUK. Definitely nothing wrong with them in an almost stock application.

 

That's good to know, I like the positive reinforcement... Sometimes it can be tough to sift through all the threads and posts on the topic...

 

I have never bought a Phoenix Friction clutch, but the truck I have now had one in it when I bought it. He installed it in Feb. and the disc broke on me in Sept. with just a few thousand miles on it. I run Valair clutches only

 

Very good to know, someone else mentioned stay away from them as well, maybe that was in my other thread but anyhow I guess I wont be headed in that direction.

 

That was me that said that. I have never used them either. I was only going on what I remembered Bill told me about his and you linked to a ceramic clutch which would be too aggressive anyways. lol

 

Ohhh... Well now it's confirmed.. They fall apart and their too aggressive at least for my setup...

 

In your other thread, you were talking about a NAPA clutch set. For what it's worth, I have used the NAPA single mass coversion set up on 5 trucks. 2 IDIs and 3 Strokes, with no problems with any of them. The first one I used was in the 90 crewcab, and it has made in the USA on it, and the last one had made in China on it, and went in the 97. They were branded with Perfection clutch if I remember right. My brother used to own the NAPA store in town, so I got a good deal on them, but if the price was in reason, I wouldn't hesitate to use one again.

 

60 hp tune, 6637 intake and strait pipe exhaust.