SBC clutch installer needed

[metal tech]

I'm looking for a place to install a SBC clutch that is close (no 4hr drives) to central SC (Sumter). I'd prefer recommendations from places you have personally done business with, to weed out the hearsay factor. Since I'll have to use vacation time to do this, I'd rather not drive several hours. Thanks Guys.



Al

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I have the same problem here in northern California - nearest recommended shop seems to be Ken Imler in Sacramento, and he always seems to prefer you drop the truck off so he can work around it over a couple of days (for what SHOULD be only several hours work... ). But That means me and someone else has to drive an 80 mile round trip, leave my truck in a not-so-attractive industrial area with my several thousand dollars worth of electronic stuff inside, then go BACK with someone that same 80 mile round trip to get the truck when it's finished...



Sometimes the "best" shop is just not practical for us ordinary folks - I'd FAR rather schedule it so it's all done at once, then drive it back home the same day - hope YOU can do better in your area...



There IS a local shop that specializes in the LUK clutches - and LUK has some new stuff hitting the streets that looks promising, so might hafta settle for that if a decent SBC install alternative doesn't present itself...

 

[Forrest Nearing]

being able to work on it over a couple days often ensures that the job gets done right... often times there are little things that come up that are unforseen, and not feeling rushed to get something completed that day often helps to make sure you get everything done perfect.



heck, just getting the flywheel properly machined can take a good few hours, and it's the last thing to come off and the first thing to go back on... and you want to be sure the flywheel is machined properly. most clutch shops don't have the proper machine, so the flywheel has to be dropped off... and often the sign of a good machine shop is having to WAIT for the work to be done! LOL!



figure you drop the truck off at 8-9AM, they're gonna want to let it cool down a little... figure it'll be torn down by lunch hopefully... flywheel gets dropped off and if it's put on a rush, they might have it back in a couple hours (assuming the machinist didn't slack off for lunch like mine all do!) figure the flywheel is back at the shop by 2-3PM... putting the truck back together can easily put you very close to closing time... and that's assuming that NOTHING goes wrong (which as we know usually isn't the case)



and they have multiple other vehicles they're working on at any given time... and they're not going to run to and from the machine shop multiple times a day... generally once or twice a day...



just because you find a shop who'll tell you, "sure, we can have it in and out in a day" DOES NOT MEAN that they'll actually DO IT!!! I don't doubt that they'll try...



I can probably guarantee you that anyone who's straight forward enough to admit that they'd prefer to have it for a couple days could probably actually pull it off in a day, and if you made your desires known and offered to pay extra to have your "priority level" raised, it could probably happen.



now, if you've got someone like SBC or someone else who specializes in this stuff, they'll generally have good machined flywheels on hand or the machines to cut the flywheels, and you instantly save a few hours... definately enough to make the difference between a 1 day and 2 day job.



Forrest

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

YUP, I'll agree to all the above - and If I only lived a few miles away, probably go for it - but under the existing circumstance might hafta adapt my preference a bit. As I understand it, the SBC's use the LUK hardware, and only modify the friction material - so if LUK *has* developed a competitive friction material, might not be that bad - the local shop is strictly a transmission/clutch shop, and is 4 miles from me - might not be all that bad a compromise, all things considered...



Certainly, SBC is my hands-down first choice...

 

[Forrest Nearing]

roger that... unless you're independantly wealthy, logistics are always a concern.



good luck with whatever you go with



Forrest

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

MEANWHILE, Al, to your problem, have you tried contacting SBC directly to see if they have worked satisfctorilly with any of the installers in your immediate area?

 

[amillstream]

Call Peter, he'll tell you where you can get it done fairly close. I think he has reputable installers most places on the east coast.

Might think of doing it yourself. My brother and me had mine in and out in one evening and one morning and two hours of the morning was getting the flywheel to the shop and machined. Of course my brother is a diesel mechanic too, that always helps. But with proper instructions I could have done it without him. He done his in one day by himself. I would have been two days without him.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Did you have to raise the truck to do the clutch - if so, by how much? I've done clutch jobs in the past, but not with a transmission as big and heavy as this 6-speed...

 

[sewman]

Gary,

I've put a couple clutches in my truck & never had to jack it up,this way my floor jack can reach the transmission too.

Bob

 

[Forrest Nearing]

I did my clutch on a 2wd without lifting the truck... a 4wd would be easier with the added ground clearance. the x-fer case would be kindof a PITA, but my buddy said his wasn't bad at all. I would recomend buying a transmission jack.



I had mine apart in about an hour or two... putting it back together took a little longer, but not much.



I did it by myself and had never done that kind of work on one of these trucks before.



Forrest

 

[GiesJ]

Doesn't look like they have a recommended installer in SC 'according to their website' but maybe someone else will chime in - http://www.southbendclutch.com/distributors.html

good luck, I love my 13" OFE.

Jason

 

[amillstream]

Gary,

We could have done the clutch without lifting it but we had 4 perfectly good jackstands put the truck up a few extra inches. It made things easier to get to and in and out from under the truck. We used a transmission jack for the transmission and left the tranfer case intact but used the floor jack under the transfer case to steady things up. The install went good and wasn't hard at all just time consuming.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"The install went good and wasn't hard at all just time consuming. "



Wonder if you or Forrest had your flywheel resurfaced, or just cleaned it up and went with it the way it was? I realize SBC specifies it to be resurfaced - but my stock clutch is operating absolutely normally if I don't turn the power too high - and I have never let it slip to excess, usually catch it immediately and back out of the throttle. I'd have no problem having it resurfaced if a visual inspection showed the need, or the stock clutch got grabby or erratic - but hate to mess with it simply because someone over the horizon claims I should "just to be safe" - much the same as turning brake drums and rotors "just because", when they are clearly in good shape and don't really need it...

 

[amillstream]

Gary,

Yes, definately yes. Have your flywheel resurfaced. Any good transmission shop should have a flywheel grinder or whatever they're called. Make sure they grind it and not turn it. Call SB to double check what to look for. I had mine done at a Tractor trailer service shop. I doubt you could look at a flywheel and tell if it actually needed resurfaced but it only cost me about 30-40 bucks (can't remember exactly but very small cost compared to the price of the clutch). Just call around and ask how they resurface flywheels. I think most have the flywheel grinders but have heard of some turning them. If you do it yourself, it goes alot faster if you have someone to help that can at least do minor things like take all that darn plastic loose from the shifter, and help steady that big chunk of steel and gears when you get it loose. Just be carefull, that thing is heavy heavy heavy! I'd hate to have a body part between that thing and the shop floor if it got loose from the transmission jack.

 

[Turbo Thom]

Al:

A 4 hour ride it's not but most everybody aroung here goes to Jeff at Garmons Diesel, In McDonough, Ga. He has Luk Pro Gold and SBC's. A lot of folks from Fla and SC come over here for there work.



Just a thought.



. . Preston. .