Author Topic: Dual disk clutch setup  (Read 1729 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

LiveWire

  • Guest
Dual disk clutch setup
« on: December 15, 2010, 11:56:38 AM »
About a year ago, someone I know who drives a pulling truck had me take a look at his dual disk clutch. This is behind a built 454 in a 1 ton chassis, Dana 70 front, GM 14 bolt rear. I will describe how he launches to understand how hard he is on a clutch. He lets the clutch out a little to creep forward and take the slack out of the chain. With the clutch dragging, he revs the engine to 7K. He slowly lets the clutch out and gives it more throttle balancing to keep the engine at 7k. Depending on the track, the throttle may hit the floor first or the clutch be fully let out first. He may slip the clutch out 150 feet.

The pressure plate is spaced away from the flywheel. It uses two normal friction disks with an intermediate plate that drives off the spacers. He had two different brand plates. One was solid disk. The other had 6 holes in it in an effort to remove dust. The diameter of the holes was about half the friction material width and centered. I thought it was a bad design as half the friction material would not be cleared at all and the holes did not leave anywhere for the dust to go. The friction disks had some slots in them which might pull some of it away. The intermediate plates would get so hot, they would warp into a bowl shape. It would create enough load that often the clutch would not disengage at the end of the track. After half a season, he would rebuild the clutch.

I designed a new plate with 6 bird swing slots. I decreased the ID of the plate to make the slots go off the friction material on the inside. I had to position the slots to clear the drive tabs and pressure plate mounts and also have the slots extend off the friction material on the outside. So now air could continuously flow through the plate cooling it. The entire friction surface was now being cleared with the dust pumped out. He has now run an entire season on this plate. He said this setup worked better on the last pull of the season than the old one on the first. He took it apart for inspection. The plate did not warp and wore about 25% the amount the old plate did. The friction disk, pressure plate and flywheel wore about half of what they did before. Once the pedal is all the way out, this setup grabs right way with the dust cleared. So that reduces wear on the other parts. Reduced heat probably also is a factor.

I think these would be good setups for any typical clutch.  I am now making up a setup for a friend for his street truck, a modified diesel crew cab long bed dually with 6 38s under it.

Offline Wyattboche

  • Hero Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1078
Re: Dual disk clutch setup
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2010, 12:12:15 PM »
How many hp is the 454 putting out? Friend of the family has a 454 on alcohol N/A pushing 1200 hp. They run 4x4 class.  Have any pics of his truck? It's crazy what they do to those trucks

LiveWire

  • Guest
Re: Dual disk clutch setup
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2010, 12:43:37 PM »
Alcohol is not allowed in the class he runs.

 

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal