Attention: TDR Forum Junkies So far so good! I am REALLY liking this clutch. I have put about 150 miles on it since I put it in and have already made the small adjustments in driving style necessary to make driving around town smooth as stock. I have to start in first to avoid a small shudder. I have 3. 55's and 33 1/2" tires. I suspect if you had 4. 10's you could start in second fine. It also helps to give very light throttle as you let the clutch out when shifting from gear to gear. The pedal pressure is only slightly higher than stock and I actually prefer the firmer feel. The whole driveline feels alot tighter and more reponsive.
Here are a couple of tips on the installation.
1) To center the pressure plate, torque four of the cap screws to 15 or 20 INCH- lbs. This ensures that the backside of the pressure plate is parallel with the flywheel. Thus your readings along the outer edge will remain consistent after you draw it tight. Otherwise, the top has a tendency to tip out, and then your readings change from what you thought was perfectly centered to off center as you tighten things up. Use a large screwdriver or prybar to lever off the inside off the block plate against the outside of the pressure plate cover with the cap screws snugged as above - I found I had tremendous control using this method, while checking measurements with a dial indicator mounted on a stud threaded into one of the bellhousing bolt holes. DavidVT was rotating the engine with a ratchet on one of the crank dampener bolts. Adjustments as small as . 001 were easy.
Make sure you have some means to spread the frame rails to get the crossmember back in. We got it out okay, but getting it back was a nogo. A hi-lift jack works pretty good with a block of wood against one rail. And a little grease on the rail to help it go in.
Make sure you put the release fork back in correctly. It is possible to put in backwards. It is going the right way when the stamped part number is toward the bottom of the transmission and is right side up (ie you can read it). Also there is a stamped "I" on one end - that end goes over the pivot ball.
Those are my observations so far, I will continue to update the performance of the clutch as my engine BOMBing progresses.
[This message has been edited by Arcticat (edited 02-25-2001). ]
Here are a couple of tips on the installation.
1) To center the pressure plate, torque four of the cap screws to 15 or 20 INCH- lbs. This ensures that the backside of the pressure plate is parallel with the flywheel. Thus your readings along the outer edge will remain consistent after you draw it tight. Otherwise, the top has a tendency to tip out, and then your readings change from what you thought was perfectly centered to off center as you tighten things up. Use a large screwdriver or prybar to lever off the inside off the block plate against the outside of the pressure plate cover with the cap screws snugged as above - I found I had tremendous control using this method, while checking measurements with a dial indicator mounted on a stud threaded into one of the bellhousing bolt holes. DavidVT was rotating the engine with a ratchet on one of the crank dampener bolts. Adjustments as small as . 001 were easy.
Make sure you have some means to spread the frame rails to get the crossmember back in. We got it out okay, but getting it back was a nogo. A hi-lift jack works pretty good with a block of wood against one rail. And a little grease on the rail to help it go in.
Make sure you put the release fork back in correctly. It is possible to put in backwards. It is going the right way when the stamped part number is toward the bottom of the transmission and is right side up (ie you can read it). Also there is a stamped "I" on one end - that end goes over the pivot ball.
Those are my observations so far, I will continue to update the performance of the clutch as my engine BOMBing progresses.
[This message has been edited by Arcticat (edited 02-25-2001). ]
