Clutch Recommendation

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Ace

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340s making too much power, or maybe traction is too good. Clutch is starting to slip on launch. Maybe clutch is worn out, dunno. It engages less than halfway up, so I think it is OK, just need a stronger clutch. What would you guys recommend for a 340 to have plenty of headroom for a higher power rebuild say, up to maybe around 400hp some day? Money "is" an object, but I want something good, best value so to speak.

Tks...
 
i know afew guys running a centerforce.. they love it... easy on the leg and grabs awesome...
 
Yep, Centerforce. Trying to find out if South Bend has anything for this application. Those seem to be the biggest names I hear about in clutches.

Hopefully clutch won't be the weak link in my setup much longer. Any tips on installation? Never did a clutch before, 1st 4-sp I've owned...
 
Bolt the bell housing to the motor after the clutch is in of course, then muscle the tranny up into place. helps to have extra hands for this but I can do it alone if I have to. Get the borg and beck style also.
 
I'm in the process rite now of replacing my clutch. Too many second gear burnouts I guess!
But this is what I'm putting back in! I swapped the guts out of my cast Iron case into an aluminum overdrive case. The only bad thing is the front bearing retainer is bigger and requires machining on the bell housing and retainer to get it all to fit. That is why it is not on the tranny yet.

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I have found that if you rev the hell out of your smallblock (I speed shift at 8000rpm when at the track) centerforce is not a good choice. I have a Ram clutch.
 
What seems to be the problem with the Centerforce, and which Ram did you get? Looks like maybe the Powergrip is what I'm looking for. They are pricey...
 
I have the Centerforce now. It has worked well for about 2 years. Now the PP is doing weird stuff. Working good then popping and, I dont know just not quite right.
 
What I have found, and it may be just me, but with a centerforce, peddle effort increases with RPM, When shifting at 8K effort was so high I could not consistently shift correctly. Non centrifugal clutches have the same effort at every RPM. I can't remember which Ram I have.
 
my buddy uses mcleod. he likes it. it has aluminum/kevlar mix in the clutch material.

1968f, if your shifting at 8000rpm, look into a dual friction(twin disc) setup.
 
I'm really tempted to go with the Centerforce because I think the design probably gives the best holding strength and pedal pressure doesn't bother me too much (I drive a diesel truck). It's kinda funny how I drive the truck for a few days then get in the car and almost slam my foot through the floor 1st few times I hit the clutch! I'm leaning that way and will probably go with the Centerforce, run with it for a season or two and see if it suits me.

Thanks for all the inputs guys!
 
Ace said:
I'm really tempted to go with the Centerforce because I think the design probably gives the best holding strength and pedal pressure doesn't bother me too much (I drive a diesel truck). It's kinda funny how I drive the truck for a few days then get in the car and almost slam my foot through the floor 1st few times I hit the clutch! I'm leaning that way and will probably go with the Centerforce, run with it for a season or two and see if it suits me.

Thanks for all the inputs guys!
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What I should have said is that I could not push in the clutch at 8000 with a centerforce. like I said it may just be me, the car was great on the street at normal rpms.
 
hi, the mcleod B&B/long pressure plate is the way to go. it can be set at lower base pressures and you can add C/W to fingers for lockup.
by lowering base pressure, you take a lot of the shock out of drive train, plus saves on parts.I have ran this style for a lot of years. ran base pressure from 2200 # down to 1400#, all with a series 300 disc/rag style. it will grip hard enough, yet is not so stiff ,so you can't shift it at RPM. the ratio of the long fingers is a lot better over the B&B style. for the guy shifting at 8000 RPM, you should look into the Mcleod softloc style clutch. it's a long style pressure plate, with very low base(200#) and is adjustable. you can add C/W also. it release's very cleanly at RPM. it uses a sintered iron disc. I have one in my 340 duster now. If you call Mcleod, ask for George, he is the guy with the knowledge on clutch setups. he is very helpful. i have seen to many hard hitting clutchs break rearends when they hit and tires don't spin!!
 
I have an 8.75 in there that is very well beefed up: Braced and tubed with a Powertrax locker turning Yukon axles. Not sure if it would be possible to break that with anything I would be willing and could afford to do to the 340 (not much).
 
Ace said:
I have an 8.75 in there that is very well beefed up: Braced and tubed with a Powertrax locker turning Yukon axles. Not sure if it would be possible to break that with anything I would be willing and could afford to do to the 340 (not much).
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I killed several 8.75, running an 11.78 now I have a Dana 60.
 
I run a centerforce dual friction... it's easy on the leg and grabs good so far. I only have 500 miles on the new build so I'm not ready for the 8k speed shift!
 
Okay, I now am sure the CF PP is going shithouse on me. It works great until the engine gets well warmed up, then, the pedal pops and is just hard to push in. So, I am looking at a new set up too. It wont be a Centerforce.
This sucks! Mopar nats next month.
 
After alot of looking around and talking to various folks I finally decided to go with a South Bend HD StageIII. It is a fully dampened dual-friction design that supposedly has a low pedal effort with 60% greater holding strength than stock. The price is right as well, at $350 for a complete kit including cover, disc, T/O, pilot and alignment tool.
 
You wont get any better than a South Bend Clutch! Peter(owner) and I have been friends for a number of years.. I own a small hotrod diesel shop on the side and this is the only clutch that I offer.. Customer service is second to none.
There is a SBC just waiting to go into my son's 68 Dart 383....when it goes together...

Rick
 
I know you probably don't want to hear this! and don't holler at me to loud I am OLD! But I have a 67 chevelle SS and the big block is making 518 HP at the rear wheels.I have a Richmond 6 speed with a Centerforce Gold clutch system and it works GREAT! I know it is not a MOPAR but I am working on two 1969 340 Dart Swingers and one is being converted back to the original 4 speed setup and it will get a Centerforce Gold setup also.The Chevelle has about 5000 miles in 8 years after a complete frame off resto and the centerforce still does its job well.The car will even chirp the rear tires in 4th gear. I drive the car pretty hard sometimes and love to play with others when they are wanting to play!I am a firm believer in the Centerforce Gold setup all the way! I just can't believe it is still holding up after all these years! :thumbup:

Bobby Dodson
 
I guess the sorry taste that I have for Center Force comes from what I was told by their tech staff and the experience that I have in my business. Centerforce tech line told me NOT to pull a trailer until after the 500 mile break in period. If I did pull a trailer and slipped the clutch the clutch would never seat and would continue to slip and my warranty would be voided. On the other hand I talked to Peter at South Bend..and he said to put the clutch in and go tow the trailer. He also said the best break in was in stop and go traffic. For the higher rpm holding maybe but you try holding the power/torque of a modified Cummins diesel in the lower rpm range....it wont do it. If it does it wont last long. Yes I know I am trying to compare apples to oranges...but from my past history with them I have NO use for them...

Rick
P.S. This is where I have my South Bend Clutch.. Twin turbo'd slightly modified Cummins...

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Well in that torque monster with twin turbos maybe the Centerforce was not your best chioce.Sounds like those southbend clutches are designed for that type of application.A friend of mine had trouble smoking clutches in his dodge truck and I am not sure what he finally went with but it cost him around $500.00 for whatever it was he put in it.But it seems to have solved his problems.And he only has one turbo !

Bobby Dodson
 
Give "specclutch" a try. they seem to have many levels of clutch performance and are rated in torque capacity. I think I finally found one for
my 66 Dart. toolmanmike
 
What I've figured out from my research so far is that clutches (not unlike anything else in this respect) are not all created equal. Obvious, but still... It just depends. What you are trying to do with it determines what are the best compromises. I decided everyday driving and torque capacity were my top priorities, so I went with South Bend. If the car was intended to be more of a full-on track beast, then the Centerforce would probably make more sense. Others fall in somewhere along the same lines.

What you DON"T want (which I discovered as soon as I got the bell housing off) is some made in Korea cr@p! Once again I was amazed at how the PO had skimped on this car. I could go on and on about all the stuff I found wrong with it as I went through the restoration process. The Korean clutch is just the latest. Oh well...
 
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