Clutch Issues!!!

[ltbiff]

Hey guys! New to the site here and I already need some help. I've got a 1971 Dodge Charger SE with a 383 4 barrel VIN N with an A-833 4 speed transmission. Both the engine and transmission are original. I've had the car since March and have been steadily making tweaks, repairs, and upgrades so that I can finally enjoy one of my dream cars. My clutch finally went out, so I went to the local OReilly auto parts store and ordered a replacement clutch kit. The clutch that I pulled out was an aftermarket clutch, and it measured 10.5". The clutch that supposedly is supposed to be in there is 10.95". Twice now (two separate kits) when I installed the clutch set, my clutch disc keeps getting hung up on the pressure plate and won't disengage. You can watch the disc "unload" when the clutch pedal is depressed, but it is stuck to the pressure plate. I had a fairly sneaky suspicion that the second kit would do the same thing, because it looked only slightly better on the counter, but the parts guy wouldn't hear it and wouldn't give me my money back yet. Also, my clutch pedal isn't nearly as firm as it used to be, and often sticks the floor...even after adjustment.

Has anyone ever experienced this before? I'm returning this kit and getting my money back. I think the issue is Sach's (the clutch manufacturer) is taking the pressure plate made in Mexico and throwing it in the box with the disc made in Korea without any kind of quality control (there were too many differences between the two kits for there to be any kind of real quality control). I believe the disc is too big for the pressure plate...like they've got the 10.95" disc with a 10.5" pressure plate? I don't know if there is a difference in pressure plates between the two sizes or not...but I do know I can't afford a Hays or McLeod right now. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[RustyRatRod]

First off, welcome to the site. It's a goodun. Lots of knowledgable people here. Second, let me berrate your newbie ***. lol You don't run out to the nearest big box store and put a chinese rinky dink clutch in your numbers matching 383 4 speed SE Charger. I run the office at a transmission shop. We use LUK clutches. You can read about them here:

http://www.lukclutch.com/content.schaeffler_as.us/us/index.jsp

They are very high quality. Although they are a global company, their US plant makes 90% or more of the products sold here. Regardless, it is a very high quality product. I would never put some off brand box store clutch in a car like yours. JMO. Of course, that might NOT be your problem, but using known quality parts cannot hurt a thing.

 

[ltbiff]

Believe me....I love LuK clutch sets and that is the brand I prefer to use in FWD applications, but according to them, they don't make one for my 383. My original plan was to use a store brand clutch until I get a chance to pull my engine for a complete rebuild next winter. I ran a shop here in town for a while, and we used the Sach's kits from the O'Reilly's next door without any issues...so I decided to go with them. I used to work at Advance and didn't like their clutches....same thing for Autozone. I'd really love to put a McLeod or Hays in, but the money just isn't there right now. I'm going to start getting everything I need for a complete drivetrain overhaul over the course of this next year, but I don't want to wait that long to drive it.

 

[69Bee]

The original clutch should have been a three finger Borg & Beck. With this style clutch, all works properly, but when you replace the original with a common diaphram clutch, it needs a little tweaking to work properly.

First, the over-center spring under the dash needs to be removed because it will hold the pedal to the floor. This happened to me more than once. I also added a return spring under the dash to help the pedal come back, but you probably don't need to. I hated the diaphram clutches, but couldn't afford to put the Hays B&B back in at the time.

The clutch is either a 10.5" or an 11" (10.95"?)clutch. As long as you are using the proper flywheel and bellhousing, it shouldn't matter with the proper size clutch.

Here are 3 B&B cluches from Summit:

http://www.summitracing.com/search/...t-Type/Clutch-Kits/Brand/Hays/?keyword=clutch

 

[ltbiff]

I stuck with the Borg & Beck style. This here is the one I'm currently dealing with http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SAC0/K185805/01351.oap?year=1971&make=Dodge&model=Charger&vi=1079254&ck=Search_01351_1079254_1034&pt=01351&ppt=C0015
I may order the 10.5" that the book says goes in the 340 and check it out.

 

[Meep-Meep]

The clutch you are referring to (the 10.95") is called a scalloped clutch. It was a hybrid of using the 10.5" pressure plate with an 11" disc (or I guess 10.95". The scalloped clutch pressure plates have reliefs cut in the formed area by the bolt holes to clear the larger disc and friction surface. You should be able to just get a 10.5" plate and disc and put it in.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Believe me....I love LuK clutch sets and that is the brand I prefer to use in FWD applications, but according to them, they don't make one for my 383. My original plan was to use a store brand clutch until I get a chance to pull my engine for a complete rebuild next winter. I ran a shop here in town for a while, and we used the Sach's kits from the O'Reilly's next door without any issues...so I decided to go with them. I used to work at Advance and didn't like their clutches....same thing for Autozone. I'd really love to put a McLeod or Hays in, but the money just isn't there right now. I'm going to start getting everything I need for a complete drivetrain overhaul over the course of this next year, but I don't want to wait that long to drive it.

Well that's funny, cause there's one in Rodney's 318 4 speed truck. LUK 05-029 fits most everything from 61 to like 93.