The Ford Barn

flatmotor40 · 05-03-2022, 06:59 AM

Went to Summit cruise night last night and got to smelling clutch during the ride.I guess it is time for a new one.Guess it is best to pull engine and trans to do it instead of rear end and Mitchell OD.Where is best clutch to get.

40ford · 05-03-2022, 07:26 AM

I would suggest Fort Wayne.I have had one in my 40 and it is smooth.My understanding it is cushioned to help eliminate chattering.

Tim Ayers · 05-03-2022, 07:31 AM

Just a note, the word is most of Fort Wayne's stock in now made in China. I know nothing about their recent quality, but just an FYI...

Mac VP would be a good person to call as well.

tubman · 05-03-2022, 07:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

Just a note, the word is must of Fort Wayne's stock in now made in China. I know nothing about their recent quality, but just an FYI...

Mac VP would be a good person to call as well.

That would be me on the H.A.M.B. Here is a link to that thread : https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...lutch.1242719/.

I second Mac VP.

Kube · 05-03-2022, 08:50 AM

Where does VanPelt get his?

Tim Ayers · 05-03-2022, 09:38 AM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Kube

Where does VanPelt get his?

No idea. I went with a Center Force diaphragm pressure plate and their clutch disk.

Kube · 05-03-2022, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

No idea. I went with a Center Force diaphragm pressure plate and their clutch disk.

I know a lot of folks say get VanPelts clutches. That's why I'd asked where they come from. Mac? What say you?

Tim Ayers · 05-03-2022, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kube

I know a lot of folks say get VanPelts clutches. That's why I'd asked where they come from. Mac? What say you?

Well, I trust Mac 100% with anything trans related, so I don't think he'd sell junk.

38bill · 05-03-2022, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

No idea. I went with a Center Force diaphragm pressure plate and their clutch disk.

Can you tell us what CF PP you ended up with?

Tim Ayers · 05-03-2022, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38bill

Can you tell us what CF PP you ended up with?

I will try to find it. I went crazy looking it up on line and finally just called them. They knew instantly the flathead part # and I ordered directly from them.

Let me poked around in my email to see if I can find the invoice.

Edit:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/c...1221/make/ford

Here is the kit from Summit. I did not get the dual friction clutch. The clutch I did use is rated up to 400 hp, so it should be OK. LOL!

Another note. Since the flathead throw out bearing is so large, I removed their sliding weight set up. I know a guy that had these get caught on the throw out bearing. It was a real hassle.

Mac VP · 05-03-2022, 12:28 PM

Ahhh…..the old “where are your clutches made” question. Here’s the same answer I give to one and all. They are manufactured in China. Unfortunately, there are NO current production clutches made in the USA anymore, and it’s been that way for a number of years. The nice guys at Ft Wayne Clutch have been rebuilding original cores, and I assume that they can still do this. Of course, if you don’t have a good core, you would have trouble getting that done.

I get asked frequently if our clutch discs have the internal wafer spring between the front and back sides of the clutch…..the answer to that is YES. I do think that these are very well made and we’ve been selling them for years.

The pressure plates are also made offshore from the same land. I think they are okay but we do get one here and there that were not adjusted correctly, resulting in clutch chudder. Having said that, I also can state that MANY clutch issues were NOT the fault of the new clutch. We were informed recently of a clutch problem that a customer had with his freshly rebuilt clutch, and still experienced the dreaded chuddering problem. He had had a local machine shop do a regrind of his flywheel. When he couldn’t figure out what was going on he spoke with another shop and decided to let them check his refreshed flywheel…..the regrind was way off. They resurfaced it properly and his problem was solved. It’s funny how often the new clutch is blamed for a problem that was actually caused by another issue.

I would love to sell made in the USA clutches but those manufacturers have all closed up shop, or simply buy and resell an imported clutch. At least we have this one source and I can feel comfortable with the quality I have seen over the years.

ssffnomad · 05-03-2022, 12:43 PM

Mac, thanks for posting your response.

Bored&Stroked · 05-03-2022, 01:07 PM

Hey Tim: Not trying to raise an issue, but something to think about. The clutch setup you showed is a diaphragm clutch. I've had a few different vendors try to sell me theirs (as they bolt up to our flywheels, so what could go wrong!) LOL.

I then ask to speak with their application engineers about the diameter of our flathead throw-out bearings (they are much larger than most engines utilize).

I ask them will their diaphragm fingers correctly engage with our large flat-faced throw-out bearings - and have they checked to see if when the clutch is depressed, does the TO bearing OD (face) hit the fingers where it is not supposed too (not on the tips, but further up).

Most times they never thought about it and had to "go check". Then, after actually cycling their clutch plates with a flathead throw-out bearing, they told me that it is not a correct contact pattern - and they don't recommend using that style of pressure plate - from their product line.

My last two clutches I had custom made from RAM clutches . . . not cheap, but I get what I want.

38bill · 05-03-2022, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Ayers

I will try to find it. I went crazy looking it up on line and finally just called them. They knew instantly the flathead part # and I ordered directly from them.

Let me poked around in my email to see if I can find the invoice.

Edit:
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/c...1221/make/ford

Here is the kit from Summit. I did not get the dual friction clutch. The clutch I did use is rated up to 400 hp, so it should be OK. LOL!

Another note. Since the flathead throw out bearing is so large, I removed their sliding weight set up. I know a guy that had these get caught on the throw out bearing. It was a real hassle.

I'm using a sim PP in my truck. I'm assuming that you will have to drill different mounting holes in the flywheel.

Tim Ayers · 05-03-2022, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 38bill

I'm using a sim PP in my truck. I'm assuming that you will have to drill different mounting holes in the flywheel.

I did not. I used a Weber aluminum flywheel and all the holes lined up.

05-03-2022, 06:59 AM	#1
flatmotor40 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Georgia Posts: 611	clutch Went to Summit cruise night last night and got to smelling clutch during the ride.I guess it is time for a new one.Guess it is best to pull engine and trans to do it instead of rear end and Mitchell OD.Where is best clutch to get.

05-03-2022, 07:26 AM	#2
40ford Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cherryville,N.C. Posts: 535	Re: clutch I would suggest Fort Wayne.I have had one in my 40 and it is smooth.My understanding it is cushioned to help eliminate chattering.

05-03-2022, 07:31 AM	#3
Tim Ayers Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 6,181	Re: clutch Just a note, the word is most of Fort Wayne's stock in now made in China. I know nothing about their recent quality, but just an FYI... Mac VP would be a good person to call as well. Last edited by Tim Ayers; 05-03-2022 at 09:36 AM.

05-03-2022, 08:50 AM	#5
Kube Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 9,008	Re: clutch Where does VanPelt get his? __________________ "I can explain it for you. However, I can't understand it for you".

05-03-2022, 12:28 PM	#11
Mac VP Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 1,361	Re: clutch Ahhh…..the old “where are your clutches made” question. Here’s the same answer I give to one and all. They are manufactured in China. Unfortunately, there are NO current production clutches made in the USA anymore, and it’s been that way for a number of years. The nice guys at Ft Wayne Clutch have been rebuilding original cores, and I assume that they can still do this. Of course, if you don’t have a good core, you would have trouble getting that done. I get asked frequently if our clutch discs have the internal wafer spring between the front and back sides of the clutch…..the answer to that is YES. I do think that these are very well made and we’ve been selling them for years. The pressure plates are also made offshore from the same land. I think they are okay but we do get one here and there that were not adjusted correctly, resulting in clutch chudder. Having said that, I also can state that MANY clutch issues were NOT the fault of the new clutch. We were informed recently of a clutch problem that a customer had with his freshly rebuilt clutch, and still experienced the dreaded chuddering problem. He had had a local machine shop do a regrind of his flywheel. When he couldn’t figure out what was going on he spoke with another shop and decided to let them check his refreshed flywheel…..the regrind was way off. They resurfaced it properly and his problem was solved. It’s funny how often the new clutch is blamed for a problem that was actually caused by another issue. I would love to sell made in the USA clutches but those manufacturers have all closed up shop, or simply buy and resell an imported clutch. At least we have this one source and I can feel comfortable with the quality I have seen over the years. __________________ VANPELT SALES LLC Cincinnati, Ohio Office: 513-724-9486 www.vanpeltsales.com www.classictransmission.com

05-03-2022, 12:43 PM	#12
ssffnomad Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2021 Location: Upstate N.Y. Posts: 443	Re: clutch Mac, thanks for posting your response.

05-03-2022, 01:07 PM	#13
Bored&Stroked Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 5,070	Re: clutch Hey Tim: Not trying to raise an issue, but something to think about. The clutch setup you showed is a diaphragm clutch. I've had a few different vendors try to sell me theirs (as they bolt up to our flywheels, so what could go wrong!) LOL. I then ask to speak with their application engineers about the diameter of our flathead throw-out bearings (they are much larger than most engines utilize). I ask them will their diaphragm fingers correctly engage with our large flat-faced throw-out bearings - and have they checked to see if when the clutch is depressed, does the TO bearing OD (face) hit the fingers where it is not supposed too (not on the tips, but further up). Most times they never thought about it and had to "go check". Then, after actually cycling their clutch plates with a flathead throw-out bearing, they told me that it is not a correct contact pattern - and they don't recommend using that style of pressure plate - from their product line. My last two clutches I had custom made from RAM clutches . . . not cheap, but I get what I want.