clutch recommendation?

[Lawrence Parisotto]

I'm just about to finish rebuilding my late 64 (June 29,1964) 327 365 hp motor and bolt up my rebuilt Muncie. Flywheel has been resurfaced and balanced. Any recommendations for a good clutch for the 64 special high performance application? Is the 64 a 10" or 10.5" clutch? The car will be a street car, but I'd like to have some 'fun' with the 365 hp. There seems to be quite a variety from LuK, Sachs and Delco stock replacements up to CentreForce higher performance applications.

Thanks in advance,
Lawrence

[Mark #28455]

Centerforce??????

Lets get real here (no insult intended, there seems to be a cadre of tech site participants hawking the centerforce products). I have used stock replacement clutches on my 500+ HP big block engines for over 20 years (including the 10.5" L88 clutch) with NO problems whatsoever and no slippage! In addition, the pedal effort is very reasonable, including the L88 clutch - my wife can drive them without difficulty! I feel that unless you need some "bragging rights" that you'll get from a Centerforce clutch, you would be served perfectly well with a stock replacement type clutch. As for brand, I have used Luk, Borg Warner, Ram, and other stock replacement types with equal results.

Good luck,
Mark

[Duke W.]

Re: Centerforce??????

Most of the OE replacement brand clutch kits are probably made by Luk, and that's the case with many parts. Regardless of the brand name on the box, often the parts inside are identical and were made at the same plant.

In some cases all the brand names may be owned by the same parent company. In other cases one parent company buys the parts from another big player and markets them under their own brand name - often through a different channel.

Thirty years ago there were literally dozens of independent replacement brands, many of which were/are well known, and many sold specific types of replacement parts. Perfect Circle (now owened by Dana) started out just making piston rings. Most have now been gobbled up by a handful of big players in auto parts including Federal Mogul and Dana Corp. In some cases different parent companies have rights to the same brand, but for different product lines.

Luk is an independent player in both the OE and replacement clutch market, but they own several replacement brand names and I think it includes Borg-Warner, at least for Clutches. Borg Warner no longer exists as an independent coporate entity - all the physical assets were sold off to various other companies along with the rights to the brand name.

Standard Motor Products now owns the Echlin, Borg Warner, and Neihoff ignition parts brands along with their own Standard and Blue Streak brands, and they are a major supplier to Delco, which is now just a marketing outfit.

So a "Borg Warner" clutch is made by Luk, and a "Borg Warner" ignition part is made by Standard.

It's truly getting to the point where "parts is parts".

Duke

[Lawrence Parisotto]

Re: Centerforce??????

Hi,

Thanks - this has answered my question. Don't need bragging rights; just wanted to be sure that a stock clutch replacement wouldn't result in any slippage, or heavier pedal pressure. I couldn't seem to get this information from the clutch suppliers directly. A friend had recommended CentreForce, but their clutches seem quite expensive, so I'd be happy to go with a LuK or Sachs clutch that are very reasonably advertised on eBay or parts companies web sites.

Thanks,
Lawrence

[Joe C.]

Re: clutch recommendation?

Centerforce's flyweight system, is just a gimmick. Ya don't need it. The phenomenon that you might experience with a high revving engine like your L76, using either an old style Borg-and-Beck design, or the diaphragm type used after 1962, is known as overcentering. This can be eliminated by, exceedingly quick clutch articulation (practice!!), very careful clutch adjustment which maximizes free play and/or installing a block under the clutch pedal. Any gimmick, like the CenterForce "flyweights" only serves to exacerbate any potential overcentering problem. Any stock type clutch has MORE than ample clamping force to handle torque loads without slipping (including big block torque monsters).

Competition type pressure plates provide more clamping force, but do not address the overcentering issue. Multiple disc clutches are the only solution, but are not practical for street use.

Joe