Can't decide which clutch setup to get for a Richmond Super T-10, and a solid lifter small block (355ci, 282S solid cam, trick flow heads, vic Jr. intake 650cfm speed demon vacc. secondary, 1-5/8" headers to 2-1/2" pipes and mufflers) 4.10 posi rear.

Which ones do you suggest?
(i need a 1-1/8-26 spline)
Centerforce dual friction (90% more holding power the OEM)? seems like a decent one, lots of you guys like this one.

Hays street/strip seems like it would last longer, and says it wont chatter.
which pressure plate style? long style? borg and beck? diaphram? i want a quick action, doesnt matter if its stiff or light, i'd like to be able to feel exactly when the clutch is fully released so i'll know exactly when to shift though.

How about ram clutches and plates? they're pretty expensive, but thats OK if they perform well and last a long time.

Metallic race clutch (They claim street/strip) or normal street clutch (they say it wont hold with slicks being used, but then again this is going to be a 99% street car) the street one has a marcel carrier, is this good?
I dont want the sucker to chatter, that would get annoying fast.

Again if i go with Ram, which pressure plate will work best, Long Style (looks cool http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif) borg and beck or diaphram.
do i get adjustable or non adjustable for long stlye?
Who makes a better steel flywheel Ram or Hays?
Ram's flywheel is 33 lbs, while hays is 30 lbs. would ram's flywheel store torque better?
Both are SFI approved.
Are they both stock type? will i need a staggered started with ethier?

These damn things are more confusing then torque converters http://www.camaros.net/forum/biggrin.gif

almost forgot, i have a self aligning throwout beaing, and roller pilot bearing in the plans, do i need a "clutch release" bearing also, or do one of the others take its place.
never set up one of these before, so i dont know what to buy.

Camaro, I like the Centerforce. Lots of people I respect like them too. The next choice would be Hays. The throwout bearing is the same as the release bearing, same part. I do not like the high peadal pressure associated with stiffer pressure plates. The stock clutch linkage will deflect along with the firewall and give you less than clean release, grinding between gears etc is possible. You can gusset up the linkage cross shaft but why?!?!? If you end up with a slippage problem or short disk life, then go with the heavy duty pressure plate setup and weld up the cross shaft but I bet you the Centerforce will be more than adequate especialy considering the rpm potential of your combo. It's the setup I have now.

Hey Camaro, I got a great deal from dude off ebay for a NICE clutch kit for my super T10. If you are interested I will give you his email(i have to find it). The kit comes with:

Fork
Fork ball
pressure plate/disc
new bellhousing boot
t/o bearing
pilot bearing

The kit cost $229 for everything,shipping was cheap but I cant remmeber. Its called a RhinoPac kit, and it has %40 holding over stock. The guys said he has used them in his circle track car for I think he said 10 years without a failure. He also said a he sells them to guys running 600hp big blocks in 4 wheel drive trucks and hes never had a failure reported. Anyway, I chose this kit over the centerforce dual friction. Not because its better(because its not),but because of the value and I didnt have enough at the time. Still a great kit and plenty strong for what you are doing. After all, I trust it behind my 383. I would say its par with the centerforce 2 clutch, its beefy. If you need a bellhousing I have one I was gonna put on ebay but maybe we could work something out. Its for 11" clutch and its been bead blasted and painted. Plus it has a new boot.

alright thanks guys, i'll stick to the dual friction. i dont want to have any weird problems like linkage and firewall deflection.
Nitrous
E-mail me about the bellhousing, i'm interested.
thanks.

Should i go for the heavier flywheel?

Go with the Centreforce, I've run one for the last four years on both the street and for road racing. Doesn't slip, chatter and copes with 400ft/lbs of muscle without any complaint. Plus I can still use my left leg after getting out of the car as it hasn't gone numb from excessive spring pressure!

If you're looking at flywheels you're probably best off sticking with the same make. Make sure its steel though and buy a Lakewood scattershield (stock bellhousings and an iron flywheel = no feet with the grunt you hope to be making)

Good luck

69RR

I too run Centerforce with no complaints. The pedal pressure is like a feather compared to the older technology. Check with Centerforce before purchasing the dual friction. They'll tell you they're harder on flywheels which is why I use the Centerforce II, which has 60% more holding power than stock. I highly endorse the II.

Good luck!

I've run Centerforce and Hays units many times with no problems. I currently am running a Hays 11" diaphram clutch with a stock flywheel and Lakewood bellhousing in my car. It handles 450+ HP with no problems, the pedal pressure is easy, and it works great. No need to get too carried away for an average hot street car.

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Scott
'69 400SB, Richmond 5-speed
www.geocities.com/sdenning1 (http://www.geocities.com/sdenning1)

I put a centerforce in my car and after I got it back together I went to go drive the car and when I pushed the clutch pedal I thought I didn't hook it up correctly. The pedal pressure is very light and it holds up very good. Centerforce gets my vote.

i'm gonna run a billet flywheel and sfi approved pressure plate, would the stock bellhousing be not enough. i like my feet http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif
seems like the guys way back when used em with no problems, or maybe we just dont hear from the ones that did.

centerforce gold is second to none.

never heard of that one. i'll check it out thanks.

A scattershield will be more than enough with your stock bellhousing.

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79' Z28 4-spd- built 355, TRW 10:1 forged flat tops, WP SportsmanII heads, Crane Energizer 230/230 duration .480"/.480" lift, Edelbrock Victor Jr., Holley 750cfm, Dynomax headers, dual 3" flowmasters :) 3.73 Posi 10-bolt

I don't know what the true risk is for a flywheel or clutch to grenade. I've never personally blown one up.

I do know if it goes your stock bellhousing will not begin to contain it. I once traded a guy for a '66 Nova with the tranny in the trunk. The bellhousing was busted and a piece of the clutch disc was sticking through the floor near the gas pedal. The car was street raced pretty hard but I never learned the particulars of the clutch failure. I replaced the bellhousing with an old cast iron two piece scattershield and a new clutch.

Maybe modern clutches and flywheels are better made and the possibility of them grenading is very remote. On the other hand, all the racing organizations still require scattershields, I like my feet on the end of my legs, and the Lakewood bellhousing was only a couple of hundred. I guess it's your call.

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Scott
'69 400SB, Richmond 5-speed
www.geocities.com/sdenning1 (http://www.geocities.com/sdenning1)

[This message has been edited by RockyMtnRacer (edited 03-04-2002).]

i'd consider myself pretty dumb for going for all this fancy trick spectacular stuff and cutting it short on something that'll save my feet! i'll go for the lakewood.
Only reason i wanted a stocker was so i dont have to deal with the bellhousing alignment BS, but i guess its not too much for me to handle!
anyways i have a friend whose heavy into racing (mopar and chevy guy) i think he actually witnessed a guy loose his leg from a crappy flywheel, so i try to cut short on the important stuff.

I think they renamed the " Centerforce Gold" series "Centerforce I". On their website, the Centerforce I pressure plate is painted gold.

oh, isnt the dual friction better?

Depends on how you define better. The Centerforce II and dual friction set-ups are within $6.00 of each other in price at Summit. However, if the disc wears out on your Centerforce II, you only have to buy a new $83 disc. When the disc wears out on the dual friction set-up, you get to spend $265 for a new disc AND pressure plate. They don't sell dual friction discs seperately.

On their website, Centerforce says the II set-up has 60% more holding power than stock, while the dual friction set-up has 90% more holding power than stock. Do you need the extra 30%? I don't know. I have a 500 hp supercharged smallblock and the II works fine.

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Pearl blue & white 69 Camaro with supercharged 350, Tremec TKO, and 3.73 12-bolt

See my website updated 4/16/01 at:

www.geocities.com/gheatly (http://www.geocities.com/gheatly)

thanks, maybe i'll get those, if i break the disk, i dont want to be down $265, and if its working for your 505hp motor it should work fine for mine that'll put out near 420hp.
I'm gonna check into Hays too, they look like quality peices.

Just completing n engine swap on my 69, I went with Centerforce Dual. Pedal effort seems fine. I would recommend highly going with a Lakewood Scattershield. If you do this, you'll have to locate it relative to the centerline of the crankshaft upon installation. Might be tough to do under the car, but was no sweat with the engine out of the car. You'll need a dial indicator, magnetic stand, a welder (if you use the dowel kit) and a bit of patience. Lakewood sells a dowel locating kit that is very handy if you ever want to pull the scattershield off of the car and put it back on, it will maintain the alignment. Don't over look the alignment, you'll kill the pilot bearing and you'll have issues shifting.

Mark

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69 SS, Stroker 489, Tremec TKO, Tight Road Suspension