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I know this thread is a little old, but it is, by far, the best one I have run across so far. My '01 PSD has also fallen to the fate of the diode and I am about to begin a rebuild. I would like some input on clutch material. First, this truck is not a mudder or a hot rod, it is a 2WD CC which serves mostly as a part-time commuter and haul truck. I usually haul up to 6,000 lbs but will occasionally get up to 10,000. I want to build a DURABLE transmission which shifts well and will last at least as long as the original, which was a little over 200,000. I seem to be stuck on friction material. Would the Borg-Warner brown clutches be plenty good enough for this application? Or, is it worth a few extra bucks for the Alto reds? I have read a bunch about both, but can't seem to find any real world facts as to why one would be chosen over the other.
mueckster and Snowseeker - Thanks to both of you for sharing your knowledge and experience. I have learned a great deal from reading ALL of the above.
I personally just went with the stockers because they do last. I didn't see any reason at least for me to upgrade them if they are good for 200K+. I worry about aftermarket stuff because typically they aren't tested as much as factory used parts and they seem to have more random failures than factory parts. But don't get me wrong, there are A LOT of great aftermarket parts out there.
I just finished another oil change on this truck. 25K on the trans!
It is funny because every week I drive down the same road the mechanical diode let go on. Every time I leave that stop sign and start heading up the hill I wait for that shift where one time bad things happened. After it shifts and continues on I smile.
Snowseeker - Thanks for the welcome and the information. I'm leaning towards the Borg-Warners but haven't completely made up my mind. I agree about the aftermarket parts so I am trying to locate as many new old stock Ford parts as I can. I have found it can be difficult to find out the country of origin for some of the new parts. The Chinese have the ability to produce an excellent product, if the purchaser is willing to pay enough for a better part. Problem is, there is no way for us to know, without trying the part, whether or not it is any good.
I can relate to your story about the part failure. In a different circumstance, several years ago, our roof was leaking. Insurance wouldn't pay for a replacement because the adjuster said "that's a good roof". I patched what I could but dreaded when it rained because it always seemed to develop a new leak. A big hail storm finally did it in and insurance paid to have a new one put on. However, every time it rains, I get a sick feeling in my stomach. Then, I realize I DO have a good roof now and the feeling goes away. I feel like Pavlov's dog...
Yes it is hard to weed out the good from the bad. I found pretty much everything for my trans on ebay. I looked for awhile to find the right borg clutches with the correct writing on them. I was surprised how cheap they were to purchase.
Sent an email to firestone to get the ball rolling. We'll see what they say.
Years ago we went threw a rash of junk goodyear tires. Had something like 11 tires fail out of the 12 that were on our trucks. We will never ever use a goodyear tire again. Now we have two trucks with firestones and this is the second failure within a year. Losing faith in them too.
The firestones I had on my excursion rotted right out. I am running Generals on it now. I mean, if tires are gonna rot and fall apart within a few years may as well get the cheap ones.
02-12-2018, 06:57 AM
