My 68 ss has a 466HP stroked 396. I got about 3500 miles out of my last good Hays clutch. It started shifting poorly and so I pulled the trans. The new clutch and plate were smoked. I put in one of those fancy paddles on one side and clutch material on the other. I had the 4speed gone through and all was well but one bearing. Back in it all went. Now 300 miles later it seems to be “grabby” and “jerky” from a dead stop. I shifts ok but does grind on the down shifts from time to time if I am banging on it (like a bad sync). It also seems to have a small front seal leak now as well. Now I should say I am not gentle on this thing but I don’t OVERLY abuse it either. So is the Bell housing out of alignment? Did the leak smoke the new clutch? Is it not releasing all the way and burning these things up? I am getting tired of pulling this thing. Thoughts?

If your downshifting all the time you are killing your clutches that way. Ditch the junk paddle clutches and use the Centerforce Clutch. If its getting grabby its also time to look into the way you drive it out of the gates. Also if your one of those guys that drives around with your foot on the clutch pedal stop that too. Anything else I can help with? I drove my 600 plus HP GS around with a muncie and a cennterforce for over 5000 passes on the track and 25000 miles on the street with no failures.

Centerforce recommends 450-500 miles of stop and go driving before applying full power. It doesn't sound like you are giving your clutch nearly enough time to break in. It's also possible that it's getting oil on it from that front seal leak. Either scenario will kill a clutch in short order.

Tom

Have your flywheel and pressure plate sandblasted before installing.

If your downshifting all the time you are killing your clutches that way. Ditch the junk paddle clutches and use the Centerforce Clutch. If its getting grabby its also time to look into the way you drive it out of the gates. Also if your one of those guys that drives around with your foot on the clutch pedal stop that too. Anything else I can help with? I drove my 600 plus HP GS around with a muncie and a cennterforce for over 5000 passes on the track and 25000 miles on the street with no failures.

Here's another Fairy Tale:

The Three Little Pigs

Once upon a time there were three little pigs and the time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes.

Before they left, their mother told them " Whatever you do , do it the best that you can because that's the way to get along in the world.

The first little pig built his house out of straw because it was the easiest thing to do.

The second little pig built his house out of sticks. This was a little bit stronger than a straw house.

The third little pig built his house out of bricks.

One night the big bad wolf, who dearly loved to eat fat little piggies, came along and saw the first little pig in his house of straw. He said "Let me in, Let me in, little pig or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!"

"Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin", said the little pig.

But of course the wolf did blow the house in and ate the first little pig.

The wolf then came to the house of sticks.

"Let me in ,Let me in little pig or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in" "Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin", said the little pig. But the wolf blew that house in too, and ate the second little pig.

The wolf then came to the house of bricks.

" Let me in , let me in" cried the wolf

"Or I'll huff and I'll puff till I blow your house in"

"Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin" said the pigs.

Well, the wolf huffed and puffed but he could not blow down that brick house.

But the wolf was a sly old wolf and he climbed up on the roof to look for a way into the brick house.

The little pig saw the wolf climb up on the roof and lit a roaring fire in the fireplace and placed on it a large kettle of water.

When the wolf finally found the hole in the chimney he crawled down and KERSPLASH right into that kettle of water and that was the end of his troubles with the big bad wolf.

The next day the little pig invited his mother over . She said "You see it is just as I told you. The way to get along in the world is to do things as well as you can." Fortunately for that little pig, he learned that lesson. And he just lived happily ever after!

thats funny MM... I have a stick shift in about every car I own and with those simple rules even my kids dont ruin clutches....Anyone that ran against me over the years knew I knew what Im talking about with a stick car.

One other idea...do you have the right bellhousing? A large hole bellhousing will allow the transmission to 'walk' causing all kind of problems.

Mike,perhaps I misunderstood your post. It read as if you had 5000 passes, and 25,000 miles on a single clutch,in a 600hp A-body. Would that be correct?
Mike

Mike,perhaps I misunderstood your post. It read as if you had 5000 passes, and 25,000 miles on a single clutch,in a 600hp A-body. Would that be correct?
Mike

yes thats correct. Back when I was running the street I used to have one of the first center force clutches out on the market. I had the flywheel turned and did as they told me to do before installation. I then ran the car from the summer of 1986 to the fall of 1991 it ran low 12's at the time or on good days high 11's all over 116-120 mph, not too bad for a 3900 lb nearly daily driven car. I had a dozen muncies behind the single clutch however........... One race I found that the muncie trans was no longer the weapon of choice. The case on the trans was twisted so bad the trans wouldnt shift, unless I let completely off the loud pedal. That nova guy I was racinng was pissed too. He thought I was messn with him. He wanted to fight me over it. I decided then to fix it so I went to a TH400 and the car went into the low 11s almost immediatley same MPH. I now have an 800 hp engine in the car with the same 400 I built for thhe first engine (different converter tho) I run 10 teens @ 135 now.

I have no idea what bell I have. Remember this is my second clutch. I had a Hays street strip before this one. Thanks for the driving "tips” ---I try do drag my dead fake wooden leg off the peddle from time to time….could that be it??? Wow! I will look into the bell and see if it’s correct for the car. I have to pull it to fix the seal anyhow...so send those kids over for my driving lesson and we should be all good and up to speed. I plan to also check the alignment this time on the bell. I may change the clutch again to something else. Thanks for the help

yes thats correct I then ran the car from the summer of 1986 to the fall of 1991 .

Mike, Hope you dont mind, but something does not add up. 5000 runs in 5 years is 1000 runs per year ??? You would have to run both days, every weekend of the year and make 3 time runs and go 7 rounds ??

I ran my 67 Camaro almost every day that MIR was open from 1980 to 1994 or so and still only have a little over 3000 passes in my log book.

Mike, Hope you dont mind, but something does not add up. 5000 runs in 5 years is 1000 runs per year ??? You would have to run both days, every weekend of the year and make 3 time runs and go 7 rounds ??

I ran my 67 Camaro almost every day that MIR was open from 1980 to 1994 or so and still only have a little over 3000 passes in my log book.

I was trying not to admit to all of the street racing I did back then........... Part of the action in this car came from me driving to work almost everyday. I had a pair of brothers that had a chevelle BB car with a stick. They would literally lay in wait for me every morning on their way to high school. I would let them take off so I could run past them and embarass them all time. Sometimes they would have to race a couple times so they could try different things. Theywanted to beat me soooooo bad.........They would work on the chevelle and want more the next day. I was surprized they kept coming back for more. When I drove to work on the M&H street tires I had the best time messing with them. I would go out to the streets on fri & sat (since I lived 3 blocks from the main drag) and get into multiple races each night. OK so I cant confirm the 5000 but rest assured I was blasting that car from sun up to sun down every day of the week. The only time I had engine problems is when I broke the rocker arm shafts......alot. Hey and back when gas was .50 $ a gallon I was out all the time

And since we are on that subject I filmed all most every race one or 2 summers and my computer buddy and I are right now going thru all of them so we can put them to didgital from vhs. I hope to be posting them out on youtube soon. These are all from the late 80s and very early 90s I will post a link

is it possible that you have the clutch adjusted wrong, and the throwout bearing is always pushing on the clutch a little bit? this would cause it to slip and burn up.
how much free play do you have at the pedal before the slack is taken up? i think the pedal is supposed to move about an inch before the slack is taken up.

is it possible that you have the clutch adjusted wrong, and the throwout bearing is always pushing on the clutch a little bit? this would cause it to slip and burn up.
how much free play do you have at the pedal before the slack is taken up? i think the pedal is supposed to move about an inch before the slack is taken up.

I have over an inch of play in it. I have had others take a look to see if they would adj it another way and all say its good. Thanks for the help

I have over an inch of play in it. I have had others take a look to see if they would adj it another way and all say its good. Thanks for the help


Are you properly "heel and toeing" your downshifts? Those old transmissions don't like you letting the synchros do all of the work.


Log your runs?? I never did that. I left no evidence of my mischef. lol

Now I don't even run. Getting old is a bitch!

My 68 ss has a 466HP stroked 396. I got about 3500 miles out of my last good Hays clutch. It started shifting poorly and so I pulled the trans. The new clutch and plate were smoked. I put in one of those fancy paddles on one side and clutch material on the other. I had the 4speed gone through and all was well but one bearing. Back in it all went. Now 300 miles later it seems to be “grabby” and “jerky” from a dead stop. I shifts ok but does grind on the down shifts from time to time if I am banging on it (like a bad sync). It also seems to have a small front seal leak now as well. Now I should say I am not gentle on this thing but I don’t OVERLY abuse it either. So is the Bell housing out of alignment? Did the leak smoke the new clutch? Is it not releasing all the way and burning these things up? I am getting tired of pulling this thing. Thoughts?

My experience on this. A BRAND NEW 1970 Z-28 was killing clutches left and right. THis was not a race car. Street driven..run thru the gears hard now and then. It had 4.11 rear gears.

THREE clutches went out to lunch (including the factory clutch) in less than 15K miles. Two new units were installed by the dealer. Finally the dealer walked away......"YOU Mr Owner are killing this car and the clutches, we at GM are no longer going to throw parts at the car".

In went a Hayes or some sort of hot rod goodie clutch after GM bowed out The owner picked up the tab after the dealer said "No Mas". Tom smoked the Hayes in about 5K miles. FINALLY while the car was on the lift while loading in a replacement for the dead corpse of the Hayes somebody actually LOOKED at the pilot bearing. It was shaped like an EGG. New bearing went in with a new GM clutch and the problem was solved.