Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Clutch is "toast"

[THancock]

31000 miles on the truck, and have pulled my 25' 4500lb travel trailer 5 times for a total of some 4000 miles. As you can see in my sig. the only thing I have on it is an EZ and it is set on position #2 to ease the power hit to the clutch. I'm the worlds easiest guy on a clutch. Don't slip 'em and sit at stop lights in neutral, never drop the clutch while starting out or down shifting. Yet, only pulling this light load the thing starts slipping. It's hard to believe, and a shame DC won't engineer things to be more rugged. We as consumers expect and deserve more for $35000. I haven't checked, but don't think they'll do any kind of warranty on such a thing. Believe all I'll hear is tires, belts, and clutches aren't covered. Guess it's time to give Peter a call. Ya know, to bad DC doesn't call him, and use parts that are out there, that will actually stand up to the normal uses trucks are expected to be subjected to.

 

[JLinder]

Your situation is totally opposite mine. I had an EZ hooked from new until 35,000 mi. I regularly towed more than I should, and just generally drove the crap out of my truck. When I upgraded to the comp and DDII's, the stock clutch wouldn't hold so I put in a SBC. The stock clutch that had 35k mi of hard driving looked like new. I was really surprised, but then even Peter himself has said there is light and day difference between clutch disc's that go in these trucks. It's all a lack of QC when the disc is manufactured. I guess that is why some last and some don't.

 

[fj40charles]

There is alot of differences in the strength of the 13" eth clutch. Some people can run mild injectors and a mild fueling box without any issues and others like yourself have problem with just an EZ.



I think the clutches in our trucks could be better, but at the same time you did add an aftermarket performance part. I'd just call Peter at SBC and be done with it.



Repeat after me: I'm my own warranty station.



Charles

 

[RustyJC]

Apparently, as others have said, there is indeed a lot of variation in the ETH/DEE clutches. We have 11,000 miles on our truck, probably 90%+ pulling a 13,500 lb 36' 5ver - we're running 21,180 GCW versus 21,500 GCWR. The original clutch is working great, no slipping at all. I wonder how much effect the 4. 10 gears have - theoretically, they should make life easier on the clutch.



Go figger, I guess!



Rusty

 

[rspinks]

I could slip mine at will with just the EZ unloaded, just find a slight grade in 5th gear, roll into it @ 1500 and watch as the tach rotate but not the speedo. I never slipped my clutch bad, maybe a handful of times where it rose 300-400rpm's before I had time to back out of it. When we pulled the clutch the flywheel was perfect but my stock disc surface was smooth as glass, no wonder it didn't grab. Do the stock disc's come like this or did my disc get this way by slipping it a bit? I know one guy that pulled his stock disc and roughened it up with an angle grinder, it will (almost) hold his Comp on 5x5 and 275's!

 

[fj40charles]

The pressure plate gets glazed from the heat. Once it start to slip, it willl just get worse and worse.

 

[wtrenholm]

I'm just hitting 30000 and the clutch is going away. No monster power, just an EZ.



I noticed about a month ago that about 1500-1700 RPM when I had a trailer on (about 12,500# combo) the tach would flare when I would roll some power on so I'd have to back out. Now it'll slip empty, and Tues I had a dead 98 Chev pickup with a puked 4L60E (big surprise) on the trailer and I had to be careful in all gears or the clutch would slip.

Time to save up for a SBC.



Bummer dude.

Wayne

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

"just" an EZ is approximately a 20% increase in power at the flywheel. In the gasser world that is a major increase in power and would cost a good chunk of change. Just because it's easy to install something doesn't mean that it's not a significant increase. I think that expecting D/C to put a clutch into a vehicle that will handle significantly more power than they made it with is asking a bit much - JMHO. If it was slipping on a completely stock truck that would be another thing. In my case I lucked out and got a clutch that was able to hold my first power increase (an original TST Powermax) but I considered it that - just luck. I was prepared to replace the clutch if necessary. We have to remember that we are completely spoiled by the fact that it is pitifully easy to increase the power on our trucks. Every once in a while I have to pinch myself to make sure that I'm experiencing reality when I drive my truck!

 

[Wheaties]

Steve, you make a very good point. 20% is quite a bit to boost the power and not expect to make other mods.



Still it's interesting that some can do it and others cannot. I sold my EZ to a friend of mine. My clutch held fine in my 2500 with 3. 55. But my friend got slippage in a 3500 with a 4. 10. Go figure. Both HO's



Matt

 

[partingd]

My clutch went out at 21k miles. Completely stock HO 6 speed. Current clutch is at 41k. According to DC a clutch is a wear item like brake pads. The time I think I stress the clutch the most is backing up my 5th wheel.



A new clutch from the factory including installation is about $1100 to $1200. A SBC clutch will be more expensive by about $300.



There is an article in the current TDR about how driving habits can wear a clutch out sooner. Not sure I agree with all of the points, like down shifting for instance.



In my view the clutch is the weakest link in the HO diesel. Perhaps when the new auto trans comes out in January I will trade up to a 2003 HO with this automatic, since DC is not upgrading the stock clutch.

 

[John Berger]

Originally posted by fj40charles

Repeat after me: I'm my own warranty station.



Charles

While true, when it's a clutch, you're pretty much your own warranty station after a year or 12000 miles, regardless of what you've done or not done to your truck. Go with SBC. Sucks that you didn't get more mileage out of the stock clutch. I got 66K out of mine, but after the first long pull I made, it started to chatter, and that was 25000 miles before any BOMBS. Go figure.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

ALL the above is why I'm VERY reluctant to install any additional power mods to my truck - I've towed our 7,000 lb. fiver about 4000 of the 6000+ miles on our truck, no clutch problems yet... And once towed my bud's 14000+ fiver up some pretty good grades as well - all on 5x5 on my Comp... BUT, there's probably a new clutch in MY future as well at some point - THEN a set of injectors might find their way into the Cummins as well...

 

[CFAR]

before the III's mine wouldn't slip even hauling up hills, I always down shift.



Slipped the clutch about 2 weeks ago with the III's, thats why the comp is still sitting in the back seat. Seems to be getting worse, so I will be SBC-ing mine soon enough.



con-ofe? or con-fe?



I will probably go with the con-fe, I'll talk to pete before I make my final decision.





Woody

 

[wtrenholm]

My clutch doesn't seem to slip above 2200 RPM. It's the worst in the area of 1500-1700 RPM. If you compare the dyno curves, (which is taken at WOT only) the thing makes about 250 or so more ft lbs in that RPM range, basically doubles the numbers from stock.



I'm not griping that the clutch slips on account of my own "engineering", I was just hoping to have one of the better clamping clutches. But once the new clutch is in I can move on to more power and not worry about the clutch anyway.



With all the computer aided engineering technology the manufacturers can make lots of items that are "just " the right specs for the application and don't have a lot of margin to work with.



IMO,

Wayne

 

[JJW_ND]

Two observations.....

First is with my 96 5sp. I got 150K out of the factory original. Was at 250hp or more for the last 100K. This clutch wore very clean, had one broken spring, but was total worn. Never slipped even pulling loads over 30K gross. I have a Centerforce in since that time (not sure SBC or others existed at the time). It holds fine even at 360 to the wheels. Dont pull as much any more. I am very easy on and off the throttle especially loaded.



Second is with the work 2001 6sp I drive. This truck had a bad 3 gear grind that I got the dealer to fix. Removed transmission at about 30K. This truck is pulled very hard almost 50% of the time, but totally STOCK. It also has a EBrake that is aggessively used (slide tires once in a while). Spoke with Peter at SBC to get factory thickness of the new clutch and replacement range for worn clutch. At 30K it was at or exceeded the worn clutch thickness. I had no faith in the transmission job (expected transmission to fail in the next 5K) so we elected to keep worn clutch in. It now has 54K on it and still does not slip and shifts fine.



jjw

ND

 

[Turbo Trucker]

Your clutch is toast, huh? All my clutches have been marshmallows.

 

[THancock]

Boy TT, I guess I don't feel so bad after hear'n about your 5th clutch. That's got to be some sort of record doesn't it?:--)

 

[JyRO]

Y2K clutch?

Are the Y2K clutches better? I heard that the ETC (at least previous to 2001) clutches have a harder push, and that D/C softened the push for 2001 (or 2001. 5?). At least that's what I've heard. Does the harder push clutches have better life?



Anyway, I'm running 275's & an EZ with boost elbow. I've towed my 9,500 lb. 5'er for probably about 12,000 miles. No slippage with my clutch yet. I've been very easy on the clutch, especially when towing.



- JyRO

 

[Weidner]

Clutch gone...

My clutch has been slipping under heavy load for a few months. Now the wife comes home with the truck... "why does the truck not want to go, but makes a lot of noise?" I asked when did this happen? she said "when I tried to pass someone" I asked what did you do? she said " I put the box up to a higher level, down shifted into 5th, and floored it. . "



The south Bend should be here today or Tuesday.

 

[THancock]

Shoulda never shown her how to mess with the box! Now you've pulled her over to the dark side too, and finished off your clutch.