Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) SBC OFE is in!

[JGheen]

Well guys, got the SBC 13" OFE in this weekend. Overall, the job was pretty easy. I guess the hardest part was getting the transmission back in and lining up the shaft with the throw-out and clutch splines. Had to jack up the front of the engine enough to get it at the right angle to slide the thing in, but it eventually went in.

Thing I am paranoid about is the rear main, as I didn't have an alignment tool to for the housing, but after centering it with the seal, all the teflon seal surfaces were visibly touching the crank and the crank was cleaned up real good and dry with plenty of brake cleaner, so I am crossing my fingers!



As for the clutch itself, the pedal feels a bit more squishy and like it has more play in it, but it seems to engage at about the exact same point as the old clutch. I guess that pedal feeling should go away as the clutch breaks in, as I remember from my other new clutch replacements that the pedal felt similar. Just need to get it broke in so I can start hammering the go-pedal again and see how good she holds. I don't have near the power it is rated for, but all I need now is some 370s and a B1 and I'll be much closer to the rated power for the clutch. Plenty of room to play with though and not having to worry about the thing slipping anymore is a good thing. Oo.



Joe

 

[TPCDrafting]

Put plenty of stop and go traffic miles on and it'll hold nice after that. Member R. ebel runs around with that same clutch and his '97 is well over 500 hp. The clutch pedal on mine got softer with the OFE, but it sure holds nice.

 

[JGheen]

Well, don't know if I'll ever get to 500 HP anytime soon, but over 400 is in the works now that I have a clutch that can hold it. Oo.

I will have plenty of day to day in-town, stop and go driving for the break-in period, but what causes the difference in the pedal feeling? Do the pressure plates from SBC have softer springs in them than most typical clutches?

 

[JGheen]

Man, this clutch is awesome! Just went out for my lunch break and got a few good aggressive accelerations in from some stop lights and it seemed to really put me in my seat more than before. I guess that Centerforce was slipping more than I thought, cuz this one seems to really hold more and accelerate faster.



One thing I can't figure out is why it kind of hops a little from a dead stop. I start out in 2nd gear and when it feels like it is almost completely engaged, it hops pretty good through the drivetrain. Is this a break-in effect and it will go away with time and miles or is it something else?

It is going into gear a lot easier as well, cuz before I had to really lean on the stick sometimes to get it into reverse or 1st gear. Now it just slips right in.

 

[Rman]

Chatter is normal with an aggressive clutch, especially when it warms up. I have a SBC CON FE and it performs well. When backing large trailers it can get a bit chattery. When the feramic pads heat up they expand and tend to be a bit grabbier. My trick is to back it a bit faster then I usually do, takes some practice. Other than that this clutch rocks.

 

[RustyJC]

It chatters more until it gets broken in, although it never really goes away completely. Where you'll really notice it is trying to maneuver a trailer. Where the stock clutch could be slipped at idle, the OFE will tend to chatter. One way around it is to bring the RPM up to 1000 or so, then slip it. The chatter will disappear, and the OFE doesn't mind it.



Rusty

 

[JGheen]

Thanks guys! Yeah, chatter was the word I was looking for to describe it. I don't tow any trailers, maybe a friends boat once in a great while but as for this trucks life, all it see's is mostly off-road trails and such other than the daily driving. I guess I can get used to this chatter, hopefully it will loosen up a bit after a few hundred miles like you mentioned, Rusty.

But your right Rman, this clutch rocks alright!