Clutch Help?

[79Betty]

I'm doing a 465/205 swap in my k10 and am wondering how do i know if i need a lever or diaphram style clutch? Goin by my gf's brother (manager of parts store) there is no real difference but i should stay with what i had... Problem here in lies how do i know which i need? Thanks
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[burnin oil]

Either style will work. The throwout bearing is different to account for the difference in preasure plate hieght. All comes down to preference. I prefer diaphram style clutches. They are easier to bend the fingers on but that is my preference. On the flip side I pulled a Borg style out of my 72 that was installed by a previous owner. Looked brand new, still had the rebuild stickers in place with minimal wear to the clutch disc, and had a cracked preasure plate.

[79Betty]

I want the lever just to feel more like a real 1 ton puller. People say i'm odd for wanting it but idc. I just wanted to see if there was a difference before i get one and have to drop the tranny and everything, again. I'm getting the "kit" which has disc, plate, pilot and throw out bearing ald alignment tool so i hope this helps... I just read somewhere someone use one style disk with the other fork and it destroyed the fork. I just want to use the right parts :/
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[burnin oil]

I have 2 diesel powered Cummins trucks with after market clutch assemblies. One is a single disc and the other is a dual disc. Both have diaphram style pressure plates. The single disc handled well over 1000 ftlbs of torque for years and the dual disc has towed 34k gross for literally half the miles on the odometer at the 425 HP range which should put it in the 8-900 ftlb range.

[Shyguy]

When I put a clutch in a vehicle I always buy a clutch kit, that way I know everything matches.

[79Betty]

Shyguy i agree but is there a lever style clutch fork and a diaphram style clutch fork or are they one in the same?
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[GASoline71]

When I put a new clutch in my 1979 GMC K25 with a 465/205 combo. I replced the stock lever style with a diapram style. Came from Centerforce with the throwout bearing and eveything. It all fit with the stock clutch fork.

Gary

[79Betty]

Thanks. Mine is the power torque brand (complete clutch kit for 75 bucks) and i'm goin lever... We'll see what happens!
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[geezer#99]

Save your 75 bucks and add a couple hundred more and put a good clutch in. You buy one that cheap and you'll be getting more exercise changing it out again and again.

[GASoline71]

I agree with Geez 100% on that. At the least... get a Zoom clutch. They are a little cheaper than a Centerforce or a Ram... but they hold up good.

You get what you pay for in clutches... I have been using Centerforce clutches for over 20 years. And like most cats on here that have been doing the same... we use them for a reason. They are simply awesome clutches.

Gary

[79Betty]

It's not that it's cheap (origionally they're 140) but brother in law is a manager of o'reilly's so i get discounted parts.
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[Gumby]

someone better post pics and more info for the lost, who had no idea they had a choice in styles. I can hear them scratching their heads now with the RCA dog look.......

[79Betty]

Trith be told all i know is a lever style has 3 levers to push the disk in... And it's harder to push in... Diaphram i know nothing of...
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[geezer#99]

Your choice of clutch style depends on your intended use. The 3 finger borg&beck style is harder to push in but has massive holding power due to the lever ratio and heavier springs.
A diphragm is available in a flat and raised finger style. Much easier to push in.
What kind of driving are you going to do?
A 3 finger isn't suited to stop and go city driving but great for off-road where you rarely shift.
And are you going to be the only driver?

[79Betty]

Thank you geezer for that insight. Yes i'm the only driver. It will be used heavily off road and to pull my horse trailer on the highway very little stop n go city driving honestly. Except to get gas or something. Nobody in my family knows how even though i've tried countless times trying to teach my gf and parents...
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[burnin oil]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Your choice of clutch style depends on your intended use. The 3 finger borg&beck style is harder to push in but has massive holding power due to the lever ratio and heavier springs.
A diphragm is available in a flat and raised finger style. Much easier to push in.
What kind of driving are you going to do?
A 3 finger isn't suited to stop and go city driving but great for off-road where you rarely shift.
And are you going to be the only driver?

Very true but they can adjust clamp load on either clutch. Honestly with an increased clamp load either will hold up to street power. The only time I ever slipped a clutch in a SBC was one that was misadjusted to start with and took alot of frame twisting off road. A few turns of the nut and never again. My new motor should be around 450HP and 600 ftlb torque and an Advance auto upgrade clutch is holding it just fine. Biggest thing is to avoid ceramic clutches in a truck. They are typically in or out, ie no slip.

[79Betty]

Definetly don't want ceramic then...
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[powerdriver 1958]

lever ....


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.
.
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Diaphragm

[crazy longhorn]

If you really, want 1 to "hang", Centerforce DF It will take ALL the CRAP, that the teen boys can put down! No swet.....you will pay, but after , you understand...you payed 1 time, not 2 or 3 times I am 55yrs young.....but the 6500 rpm "hole shot", & pound the gears is still with me....after 12,000 miles of that, the old clutch is still hangin on? Sometimes , you get what you paid for Lite peddle on that center-force df....a little "pricey", but long after you forget the price, you will still remember how well it works Longhorn

[79Betty]

Well i got my clutch and some more questions... I got a new flex plate that is tapered. My old flywheel is not tapered but all the bolt holes line up... Can i just use my old flywheel? Also how important is lock-tite on the bolts? I didn't last time and no problems but don't want any problems. Also i kinda need the torque specs... I know those are important lol
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[79Betty]

Makin sure i got this right. I tried finding instructions but cab't :/ my luck. Install new flexplate, torque to 75 lbs. install pilot bearing in crank. Put disk onto alignment tool and align. Then put on lever clutch and bolt to flex plate. Put TOB on tranny shaft and bolt it all together. Make sure it functions properly and continue to transfer case swap?
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[geezer#99]

A little backwards. Not much!!
Slide the clutch disk into the pressure plate and bolt the plate to the flywheel finger tight. THen slide the pilot tool thru the disc into the pilot bushing and then tighten the plate bolts. Make sure the alignment tool slides out and back in smoothly. Put the throw out bearing onto the fork. Slide the tranny into place right thru the throw out bearing and the disc. Make sure the tranny is in first gear in case you need to rotate the input shaft if it won't slide in easily.
Make sure the disk is in the right way. Should say flywheel side on it.
Some people cut the heads off 2 bolts that fit into the top holes on the bell for alignment pins. Cut a slot in them so you can use a flat screwdriver to remove them.
Also before you do anything test fit the disk on the tranny. Make sure it slides off and on nicely. Work cleanly. Don't touch the surface of the disc or the flywheel with greasy hands.

[79Betty]

Thanks geezer! I wanted to make sure just in case i screwed it up. I'll tackle this tomorrow and post pic's and questions.
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[GASoline71]

So how does a flex plate equate in all this? You mentioned flex plate a couple times... A flex plate is for an auto tranny. You mean flywheel?

Gary

[79Betty]

That's my fault. I get the two confused. Fly =Manual. Flex = Auto... Lesson learned!
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