I have ordered and received my new Centerforce DF clutch and throw out bearing, have had the flywheel turned and cleaned up the bell housing. I have never replaced a clutch before so I have a few newbie questions. I just do not want to do something wrong and then have to pull it back apart again.

Questions:
1. After reading other posts recommendations I will replace flywheel and pressure plate bolts with ARP bolts. Are the torque recommendations different on ARP vs stock bolts and should you use lock tight?
2. No washers on flywheel bolts Right??
3.What kind of grease and where do you apply it on the throwout bearing?
4.Should you lube pilot bushing ( not a bearing)?
5. The inside of my bell housing was covered in grease. I cleaned it up, any harm in painting it on the inside ?

Thanks for any advise.
Ray

Ray; I'm not an expert.
1. Not sure on torque, same? I used locktight on mine.
2. I think I used washers, with ARP's? Can't remember for sure.
3. My T/O bearing had greese allready on the inside, where it slides on the trans front bearing cover.
4. ClutchMasters told me, NO greese on the pilot bushing.
5. Paint should not hurt anything. just keep it off the mounting surfaces.

Ray,
Did you find the source of all the grease you said was on the inside of your bellhousing and fix it? If not, you should find and fix that before getting too far along or you'll be replacing the clutch again in the near future.

No washers under the flywheel bolts. Use red locktite and torque to spec. (I believe 65 ft lbs). Same with the pressure plate bolts. No washers, use locktite and torque to spec (35-40ft lbs.).

The only grease you want on your TO bering is a little high grade stuff like wheel bearing grease right where the fork grabs your TO bearing. Also grease the ball pivot.

Should not need to lube your pilot bushing. There are roller pilot bearings that are a bit nicer than the bushing, get one of these instead. You just want to tap it into the crank end until it's flush. The nose of the trans input shft should slide right in.

Tim

1) Torque is the same regardless of the bolts used
2) Every Chevy flywheel I've seen was attached using the anti-reverse "star" washers
3) Yes, put a little grease on the inside of the TO bearing and small bit in the center of the disk,..in the grooves.
4) Some soak the brass pilot bearing in 30wt overnight before install. I'd recommend the roller bearing,..it has little needle bearings that reduce friction. Centerforce is recommending its use.
5) You can, but why paint the inside? The bellhousing is aluminum,..won't rust.

A couple of tips:

a) If this is driveway job and you're going to strong-arm the tranny into place, go to Home Depot, purchase two 4 x 1/2" bolts (course thread), cut the heads off, then use these as dowels to help you guide the tranny into place.

b) Make sure the little clip on the fork is inside the groove on the TO bearing. The TO bearing should sort of 'snap' into place.

c) Do you have the disk alignment tool?..the plastic tool that resembles the input shaft of your tranny?

d) Don't install the starter until you've installed the flywheel cover (I forget this one half the time and have intall a starter twice).

Good luck!

I am a little concerned about the grease on inside of bellhousing, Old clutch was slipping but did not look that bad after removal. Will try to discover any source.

So
1.Torque is FW/PP 65/40, use red loctite, and no lock washers.
2. High grade wheel bearing grease on throw out ball joint and fork groove
3. Would like to use pilot bearing but am too chicken (no offense meanchicken :) to remove the old pilot and replace with bearing. The old one looks OK and I'm afraid I will not be able to get the old one out and pound new one in without screwing something up.

Straight-line-69
This is a driveway job, after you mentioned it I recall people talking about using some temp alignment bolts like you suggested, I will definitely get those.
I left the old starter on when I removed everything, will that cause trouble putting everything back on?
I ordered alignment tool from Jeg's with the clutch but the things been on Back order forever.

Thanks
Ray

The ARP bolts will come with torque specs. Per their recommendation, I used ARP moly on the flywheel bolts, torques to spec and they haven't come loose. I would not use locktite but, rather, follow their directions.

Though there is a standard torque spec. for standard fasteners, there can be a big difference between one manufacturers bolt torque and anothers. Chevy used star washers as lock washers back in the 60's because there was no loctite available or stuff like it was more expensive and or more difficult to be used on the assembly line. ARP has two torque specs on some of their flywheel bolts. One using their moly lube and one with motor oil. They are quite different and I have seen them as much as 40 pounds apart. I used ARP FW bolts with the moly lube and torqued the bolts to 63 or 65 lbs. (can't remember) and they are fine (no loctite). I think the torque while using the same bolts with motor oil according to the instructions is 85 lbs. Follow the manufacturers instructions when using other than factory bolts. With ARP If washers are required they are included in the package, if they are not required they will tell you in the instructions. Usually torque specs are based on fastener stretch and the slipperier the lube the lower the torque spec is going to be. A good example of this is when you put grease on wheel nuts and snap the studs off long before the nut is at it's torque spec.