Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Catastrophic Failure of South Bend Con-OFE 12" - ouch

[Sean Flanagan]

Driving home from work the other day at steady highway speed and BANG - Crunch - uh-oh. No more connection between the engine and transmission. My South Bend Con-OFE just went South (pun intended). :{



Be ware, if you have the 12inch version of this clutch it can suddenly fail without provication. I spoke to the guys and South Bend and my 80,000 miles and nearly 2 years on this clutch was well beyond the warrnty. They did mention that they have had numerous similar failures and they no longer offer or recommend this 12" OFE clutch. Apparently the center isn't big enough for high torque and the center section of the clutch disc breaks apart.



It's not like I'm doing hole shots or burn-outs or tractor pulls. I just use my extra power occasionally to pull my trailer and for the occasional wa-hoo rush of acceleration. I'm really pretty easy on this truck and most of the miles are highway so there should be very little clutch wear and tear. But my truck has been dynoed at 1050 ft-lbs so I'm sure that doesn't help.



The only warning signs I had was every now and then the thing was very difficult to get into gear when starting from a stop light. Other than that, no warnings. Just a sudden failure and a humiliating trip home via tow truck.



After this failure, somehow the guys at South Bend convinced me to stay with their brand and that I shoud upgrade to the 13inch version with the flywheel conversion. They said they havn't had similar failures with the 13" version. It's bigger and much beefier.



To my amazement, Automotive Transmission Specialists (ATS) here in Denver had the Modified Flywheel and 13" Clutch kit in stock! With my wallet is $1100 thinner I went home and spent the whole friggin weekend on my back cussing and swearing.



This is no small task. If you are planning on doing a clutch in this pig, be ware, it is a major job and these parts are really heavy.



While I had the beast apart it was time to fix all the nagging oil leaks. I replaced the Oil Pan gasket(major task), Rear Main, Rear Main housing gasket, Transmission front and rear seals, and transfer case front and rear seals. Oh yeah, don't forget about that notorious 5th gear nut! I bought the update kit for $35 and replaced it as well. Whew!



I don't ever want to have to take this pig apart again.



If you have one of these, beware! I'ts a time bomb!



Sorry for the long post... but I had to tell my story to someone.

:{

 

[greyghost]

Got a 13" on the bench

Must just missed ya at ATS, bought mine last week. Friday at lunch. So how do you like this one 13-1. 25 CON OFE that is. I'm going to start my install on Wednesday. How hard was the 5th gear nut replacement and where can you get that kit from?



Sorry for the questions



TIA



Garrett

 

[C. Harlan]

I had the same problem, and just sent peter a PM, rather than burn his products in the forums. He PM'd me back, and I got a 13" CON FE, and he drilled my flywheel for next to nothing! Now, I can do 3rd gear launches, as well as pull my trailers as needed. It has nothing to do with the clutches, as if you go to the SBC page, it has a disclaimer for using that 12" OFE disk for high HP applications, warning that it will void the warranty. Yes, the job is a pain in the @ss, and I did it all by myself. That's right, BY MYSELF! all 140 lbs, 5 foot 7 of me! I am happy now, and did not spend nearly 1100!! you should have called Peter and asked if there was any deals going on!



-Chris-

 

[tpruitt]

Mine is hard to get in gear at a stop light but no other time. once i start moving it all goes away. sometime it take up to 20 sec just to work it into 1st or 2nd. hope this is not the same thing. i do have the 13''. i have talk to Peter a couple of times and i have done all but pull it out. when i get time here in the next month i am going to pull it out. i might have broken one of the springs in the clutch i dont know.



Trey

 

[tpruitt]

If I ever get them money i am going to get the SB DD clutch in the comp version. that is the one i wanted from the beginning but i did not have the money and i was in serious need of the clutch. Some let me know when they go one sale

 

[CFAR]

tpruitt,

Have you tried putting it into 4th, then putting it in 2nd or 1st?

 

[csevers]

huh must be some kind of trend, the hard shifting at a stop light mine did that as well 8 months of wrestling with it, till I got sick and tire of it and went bigger and better. Good Luck geting it resolved Tpruitt



Craig

 

[Sean Flanagan]

Greyghost: I bought mine about 3:00pm on the same Friday. The guys at ATS were probably wondering why they sold 2 in the same day. So far it works good but I only have about 200-300 miles on it. It shutters a bit on occasion, just like my old 12" OFE did, but other than that, it feels like stock. I havn't tested it at full power yet, only had it on level 4 so far. Holds fine. Oh, I got the 5th gear nut kit from Christopher's Dodge world. I actually did not use the special tool. I rigged a special tool bought at pep boys for pulling axle lock nuts. I bent the tool trying to get the nut off and completely destroyed it trying to get to the recommended 280ft-lbs of torque. If I had it to do over again, it would be worth spending the 20 or 30 bucks to get the special nut tool from tool king or whoever.





Charlan: I called the guys at SBC and they were nice and all but basically told me too bad. I was as nice as pie to them. I was disappointed because I had hoped the $850 I spent 2 years ago would be the last clutch I ever had to put in this pig. The SBC guys quoted me a $1100 price, and told me ATS was a rep in my area and probably had one in stock, which they did at the same price. I really didn't expect them to warranty a clutch that is 80k miles old. I sure hope this $1100 clutch is the last one I have to install. It's hard to get exicted about it because of the one that failed and how many hours I spent lying on my back.



I did not want to flame South Bend but if people have this clutch, they need to be aware. Informing other TDR members of these sorts of problems is one of the purposes of the TDR. is it not?



Yeah I did it myself as well. All 180lbs 5'10" of me. I took my time, did a bunch of extra stuff, all on my back with a floor jack and basic tools. It took me about 20 hours of labor. All my "Friends" had more important things to do, like mow the friggin lawn, or watch football, which sure put a dent in my enthusiasm.





Tpruitt: I can't say the hard to get in gear thing was a direct result of impending failure, but it sure is a coincidence. All I know is that it was hard to get in gear and getting progressively worse until it failed. I would have to go to 4th then back to 1st or second. Reverse was a real pain. It is better now with the new clutch but not as good as It was when new.



When I pulled it all apart, the scary thing was, there was no visible signs of failure. No broken anything except a few small bits of plastic!? and metal laying in the bell housing. I acutally had to slide the clutch disc onto the transmission input shaft splines and try to turn it. That's when it was apparent that the splined part was now seperate from the rest of it. The failure was internal between the two sheet metal plates that contain the springs.

 

[tpruitt]

The only way that it seems like it will work is if i go to reverse and then to another gear. I cant say that I remember trying 4th but I know when i am at a stop light at idle and I go to shift it into a gear and it does not go i have to try all before i get it to go in one. sometimes it bad enough where i just have to start in 3rd to get it moving a little and then his 2nd. From what it feels like in the stick it seems like something is blocking it from going into gear. i don't know if there could be something in the tower or if its the pilot bearing or what. any ideas?



Trey

 

[csevers]

I bet it (the clutch) is not totally releasing and the trans is still moving enough to make it hard to get into gear. Start truck push in clutch and slowly push the 4x lever into 4 low and see if it grinds if so the clutch is not releasing completely. Does it do it more so when hotter, than the first shift of the day?



Craig

 

[tpruitt]

yes it does it more when its hot. i just went out and tried it when the clutch is down there is no grinding. when the clutch is released there is just the slightest bit which i think would be expected.

 

[Sean Flanagan]

Yup, the problem was more pronounced with mine when it good and hot...

 

[C. Harlan]

All my "Friends" had more important things to do, like mow the friggin lawn, or watch football, which sure put a dent in my enthusiasm.

Don't you just love finding out who the fair weather friends are in these type cases? my closest friend left, because his GF was griping at him. I told him he was a big boy, and he could wipe his own @ss, and that he could grow some nuts to tell her he was helping a friend in dire need of help. he opted to go run to her like a little lost puppy dog, and I have not talked to him since. Kind of sux, but oh well. That's how the cookie crumbles.



-Chris-