SBC Con OFE Slipping

[scottmcd]

60K on my SBC and it is slipping. It starts slipping around 1700RPM in 3rd. If I ease through the gears, all is fine, but if I need to add even light pedal to it, she will slip right away. Does not slip at all if my Edge is on "0", but will slip on "1", worse on "3"!!! Very gentle 60k on the clutch, 50/50 mix of city & hiway driving, towed about 15-20 times, with small single axle trailer, never over 3500lbs, always flat ground.



Any ideas, got 160k out of stocker, while still taking it to the track every once in awhile.



Any help would be greatly appreciated!!



Scott

 

[MMeier]

IMO, that OFE may be a bit week for your rig with the mods you have. Might have to step it up some !

 

[scottmcd]

Really don't want to have a double disk clutch. Is there a stronger single out there?



TIA... Scott

 

[seafish]

Really don't want to have a double disk clutch. Is there a stronger single out there?



TIA... Scott

The next and ONLY stronger single disc clutch that I have heard of is the SBC Con-FE, with feramic lining on BOTH sides of the disc. While I have NOT driven one, people say that it tends to be VERY grabby on take off.



I am curious, why NOT consider the new SBC DD... ??



It allegedly has nice street manners and has been redesigned to reduce noise at low rpm, though if you lug it, it will likely still clatter some... BUT the neutral chatter has mostlt been eliminated.



It also likely will shift a little slower then a single disc, but that is a price you might choose to pay in order to get a clutch that is more driveable then the Con-FE but will still hold ALOT of power!!



To help decide which clutch is right for your truck, it would be best to give SBC a call and tell them the HP/TQ of your truck, what you use it for, and how you like to drive. . they will help you pick the right one !!



I am curious if you added more power mods AFTER you chose the Con-OFE ?

 

[MMeier]

Pretty much what seafish said. I ran an FE for a while but it got so grabby , especially trying to back up a trailer, even my little 20' enclosed, let alone my 40' GN, that I eventually went with a DD3250 in my dually. Now I just have to shift it like a big truck, won't win any speed shifting contests with this one, so if you race the truck, you may want to reconsider that one also . General consensus around here ,there is no one clutch that will do everything you want it to . Call Peter at South Bend and see what he has to say.

 

[scottmcd]

I have not added anything to the truck since getting the SBC. Have rather babied it since then.

I would think that it could hold the #1 setting on my EDGE JUICE.

I will look at the others on their site.

 

[Motorhead]

Maybe a dumb question... . Did you try to adjust the clutch? The SB clutch isn't an auto adjust like the stockers were.

 

[scottmcd]

Not a dumb question at all. I was also wondering if it could be the flywheel going bad. Can not remember if it was replaced or not at install. TIA... Scott

 

[smitty3500]

I am running the same clutch as you in my truck listed in my sig. I pull my 44' Gooseneck trailer often and on a Cat scale I see total of 24,780. No problems here so far and keeping my fingers crossed that I do not experience any.

 

[Motorhead]

Scott, Get under the dash and SHORTEN the clutch master push rod by loosening the lock nut and turn the rod in TOWARD the pedal.

Before any adjustment, is the clutch NOW engaging near the top of the pedal?

 

[Rascal]

I sold my 97 with the Banks goodies and a 5 speed with the stock clutch back in the summer. That truck was fun to drive. I recently bought a 03 with the 6 speed and notest that the shifts are very slow no more speed shifting. Does that mean that is not a stock clutch, aftermarket, or just the way the 6 speeds are. Im kind of missing my old 5 speed. Thanks everybody...

 

[Prairie Dog]

Rascal, The 6 speed is a bit slow to shift and when the Ujoints and carrier bearing get worn it gets even worse. You wouldn't believe how much nicer my truck shifts with the new 1 pc driveshaft! No matter how hard I would try, I would always get kind of a ka-plunk when shifting, especially between 2-3 and 3-4 but thats gone now.

 

[AEdelheit]

I would call SBC, the only real power mod I see in your sig is the edge juice w/hot, ya its somthing but 60k sounds premature for a good clutch to go out if the truck has been driven right. If its an adjustment issue then even better but I have a hard time believing the clutch is shot. OR did someone else ever drive your truck when you werent with them? All it takes is one time of playing around and getting the clutch really hot for it to lose a good amount of holding power, Valet parking in Chicago proved that one with my stock one, whooops!

As for the DD, I have the 3250 and the billet flywheel with brass inserts, I like the way it drives but hate the noise, the new ones are supposed to be much quiter and that is the only way I would buy another one.

 

[scottmcd]

right now the clutch engages after the clutch almost completely released. I have not adjusted anything.

 

[Motorhead]

Loosen it up! Having a clutch too tight can also hasten the pressure plate failure. The diaphram can break.

 

[scottmcd]

so i do that by turn the nut away from the pedal under the dash?

 

[Motorhead]

Scott, The clutch pedal pushes a push rod that in turn pushes the piston in the clutch master cylinder. You want to SHORTEN the push rod. Loosen the lock nut at the yoke at the pedal end of the push rod. You then want to turn the push rod, IN, TOWARD THE YOKE AT THE PEDAL. I would turn it in at least one to two turns to start.
Then start the truck and see where the clutch engages from the floor. It should start engaging at about 1/3rd the way from the floor.

 

[scottmcd]

I will give it ashot this weekend, when it warms up and the snow melts away... Thanks, Scott