I bought the truck in '91 with 72,000 miles on it. Ten years and almost 178,000 miles later it's time to finally remove what is largely believed to be the stock clutch. I could deal with the chatter, the slipping off-road, and the spongy, low-pedal feel, but when I almost got spanked at the drags by Art Director Alan Huber's stock Bronco ("Hazel Fun-Fest," Nov. '01), I decided it was time to redeem myself.
That's right, when the light turned green, I dumped the clutch only to hear the engine wail at 5,500 rpm while the truck went nowhere. After about a second (an eternity on the track) the Ramcharger started to roll. The result was a 19.38 e.t. Suckfest. We'll take the Dodge down the track again with the new clutch and bring you the results in a future Drivelines blurb.
The Cure
While it's relatively easy to replace a clutch, the lousiest part is removing the transfer case and tranny. Our difficulty was compounded by a custom crossmember, an added Klune-V underdrive gearbox, and 6 inches of lift with 37-inch tires that made reaching some components a chore. Yeah, we know--wah, wah, wah!
However, choosing the right clutch was a no-brainer. We simply picked up the Hays catalog for some one-stop shopping. We ordered an 11-inch Hays performance clutch kit (PN 85-311) that included a matched pressure plate, a throwout bearing, a disc, an alignment tool, and a bolt kit. Since we were sure our flywheel had to be toast after all those miles (we were right), we also ordered a 40-pound Hays flywheel (PN 11-440). The 143-tooth flywheel is actually listed for a 440 big-block, but other than being 10 pounds heavier than the original flywheel, it's a direct replacement for our stock 318 unit. The added weight gives the rotating assembly more inertia and helps prevent stalling off-road.
 We're not going to go over...  We're not going to go over the removal of the drivetrain since every vehicle is different. Basically, chock the wheels and disconnect the battery. Then remove everything except the engine. Don't forget to prop the rear of the engine up somehow because you'll be removing the rear support (tranny) and it will tilt into the firewall if you don't. Here's what was included with the Hays performance clutch kit: new performance disc and pressure plate, throwout bearing, alignment tool, and bolts. |  Our clutch actually had some...  Our clutch actually had some friction material left, but the slipping was caused by oil contamination of the disc from a leaky rear main seal. We had to pull the oil pan (easy in a lifted truck) and replace the factory rope-type seal with a good rubber seal from the local parts store. |  As long as you're in the oil...  As long as you're in the oil pan, it's a good idea to check and/or replace the oil pump. We didn't, but at the very least, you should clean out the oil pickup. Ours was almost totally plugged with leaves, grunge, pieces of valve seals, and a frightening amount of cam bearing material. |