Clutch Help

[69 C10 LWB]

I just drug a 65 C30 home a few weeks ago and Ive been working on getting the original engine free. Unfortunately Im not getting a warm fuzzy feeling about it. I put a fair amount of torque on it with no luck. There are a bunch of good suggestions on another thread but the more I think about it the less I want to mess with it. I pulled an engine from a truck that has been in the family since 73, when it was new. There is too much history in that truck to just let the engine sit so it will be going in the new truck.

On to the question. Ive been searching online but cant find a good answer. I want to get a clutch kit on order before I pull the 6 next weekend. What is the biggest clutch that will fit in a factory 4spd bellhousing? It looks like 11" is stock and you could get a 12" with a V8. Can anyone confirm this for me?

My 350 has a 12" clutch now and Ill stick with that if it will fit. I need a new clutch because when I put the 4spd in my other truck I used the stock clutch when I first assembled it, just to make sure everything was good, but it chattered really bad so before the engine goes in this truck it NEEDS a new clutch.

[Blue666(2)]

Your clutch diameter is dependent on your flywheel diameter. A 168 tooth flywheel will take a larger diameter clutch than a 153 tooth flywheel. Which do you have in the truck now?

Also, if your switch flywheels, you will have to change out starters (or the starter nose) to correctly engage the flywheel. Some starters have a dual pattern.

This might help. https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/s...hp?tid/171683/

[andyh1956]

If he's using the cast iron clutch housing w/ the three ear starter nose isn't he pretty much stuck with the flywheel that's in there?

[Captainfab]

You will need to use the same size flywheel that is behind the I6, which should the a 168 tooth. A 11" clutch should be just fine. I would have the flywheel surfaced too.

[69 C10 LWB]

Thanks captainfab. The 350 has a 168 tooth flywheel on it but I haven’t got the engine out of the 65 yet to confirm which flywheel it has. I was hoping someone could tell me all trucks used the 168 tooth flywheel so II could just send mine out to get surfaced. I don’t really want to wait until I get the engine out to confirm which one I have. The truck is at work right now and my goal is to show up Saturday morning with most of the parts I need to swap engines and have a running truck by lunch time. Once I get it running I will be able to move it around under its own power and get it back to the house to start working on it.

[Captainfab]

All I have seen in a '63-'66 truck is a 168 tooth, but then again I have not messes with many I6 trucks, they have been mostly V8's. If your truck does happen to have a 153 tooth flywheel, all you would need to do is change the starter. Since it is a C30, I would bet money on it being a 168 tooth.

[69 C10 LWB]

I just picked up my clutch kit for my truck today. According to the local parts store (not O’Reilly or autozone but local company we use at work) the factory clutch for a C30 with a 283 is 12”. I hope to get the engine in this weekend so I will know if it fits in the bellhousing.