Any Ford Clutch Guys?

S

Slick Willie

Full Throttle Assault
I've got 38,000 miles on my SBC 3600# DD with 6 ceramic buttons per side. It won't hold my new tune (Spartan 310). It held the 250 tune just fine no matter what I threw at it, but when I jumped to the 310, it barely slipped on a third gear fast start, and now it slips pretty bad at WOT in any gear.

SBC doesn't make a triple disc, or higher than a 3850#. So, my next clutch will be 3850# no matter what, but I have to chose between 6 ceramic buttons per side or 12 feramic buttons per side. I know the 12 will do better in the long run, it'll hold more power, but will it shift quick? Anyone have experience with a SBC 3850# 12 feramic button clutch? I need some feedback.
 
Different truck but same trans! I have run a 6 button ceramic DD unsprung, a 10 button ceramic DD sprung and now running a 8 button DDD unsprung with weighted fingers, really noticed no difference in shifting between any of them?
 
I am sure you know this, but you can destroy any clutch if you abuse it, no matter the rating of it.
 
05_LLY said:
Different truck but same trans! I have run a 6 button ceramic DD unsprung, a 10 button ceramic DD sprung and now running a 8 button DDD unsprung with weighted fingers, really noticed no difference in shifting between any of them?
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Didn't notice any difference, huh? That's good news. Thanks man. I read somewhere about the weight gain would take longer to slow the discs down to grab another gear. That's why they say the bigger/heavier clutches are made for pulling, not racing. However, I take experience any day over what I hear.

Yeah, I know you can wear out any clutch depending on how you drive it. Same goes for most drivetrain parts, power steering gear boxes (LOL), etc.

As much as I romp on mine, I need the strongest clutch I can get, just wanted to make sure I could shift fast still.
 
Update, got a new truck, shipped the used SB DD to SB to have it rebuilt into something stronger, they claim a 3850# with levers won't slip much at all, once it engages, it bites. I call BS. What do y'all think? I think a 3850# DD with 12 Feramic buttons per side will hold any mods I do to my 6.4 with fuel only. They don't think it'll slip at all, but I think it will. I need to be able to have the option of starting on a drag strip in 3rd.
 
Why not go to a sinterd iron DD? It will handle a 3rd gear launch much better than a button disk.
 
Not worried about the levers not holding, just worried about them telling me it won't slip any. Sintered Iron instead of buttons...not going to pull near as much as drag racing...
 
i hope the 6.4 hydros are better then 7.3s
when i had 3850 and 4200 in mine it woudlnt release all the way, due to weak hydros and would burn the clutch a little
 
In my '08, the 3600# DD worked great with the stock hydro's with the Spartan 250 tune (500 + RWHP), but when I upgraded to the 310 tune, it would slip like a mofo. After that, it slowly went downhill, until I finally took it out and now it's being rebuilt. I'm going to get the biggest clutch SB makes for a Ford to resolve that, and possible future upgrades on top of the 310 tune (560 + RWHP)
 
Sintered Iron it is, talked to Brian at SB and it'll be rebuilt into a 3600# diaphram with Dual Sintered Iron discs. He said there are Dodge guys running over 1000 HP at the wheels with this set up and loving it.
 
Well it's going to be heavy, and probably ill-shifting...

Maybe not.


Also, I wouldn't get too excited thinking that 12 buttons develops more holding force than 6 per side...

Probably just the opposite.


One more thing...

The power isn't why you're slipping the clutch. The torque is. You could detune the truck down low where it's making the torque and it would hold just fine up top where the torque is falling anyway.

Sometimes you can just roll on the power after the torque peak and as long as the shift doesn't suck you back down to it you're good to go.

I ran a 325 dollar single disc between 500 and 550hp for a good long while without any trouble at all. I also purposefully limited the engine torque at 1000lb-ft as well...

That clutch held 1100lb-ft on the test stand and held the same in the truck before it would chatter. I backed the engine torque down to 1000 and sailed....

Fwiw, it was a 3 paddle, 6 button per side single with stock plate load...
 
With the diaphram pressure plate it will still shift faster than the lever style.

Def need to detune low end power, not sure on the fords but with the smarty on the dodge if you run TQ MAN over level 1 your just asking for failure.
 
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