Dodge Ramcharger Clutch Upgrade - Dodge Brand Pages

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 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.
We're not going to go over the removal of the drivetrain since every vehicle is different.
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.
Our clutch actually had some friction material left, but the slipping was caused by oil co
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.
As long as you're in the oil pan, it's a good idea to check and/or replace the oil pump. W

To prevent destroying the disc, you should always resurface or replace your flywheel when changing the clutch. Ours was hashed, so we took the opportunity to step up to a heavier Hays flywheel for better off-road performance. You should make sure the face depth of the new unit is close to the stocker before bolting it in. Ours was bang-on.
To prevent destroying the disc, you should always resurface or replace your flywheel when
We checked our pilot bushing for roughness. It felt good, so we left it. Replacing it would be cheap insurance, but we like to live dangerously. We reused the flywheel bolts with a dab of Loctite and torqued them to 55 lb-ft. Use a prybar or long screwdriver strategically placed to keep the crank from spinning as you tighten the bolts.
We checked our pilot bushing for roughness. It felt good, so we left it. Replacing it woul
Douse the flywheel, clutch disc, and pressure plate with brake cleaner. It's crucial to the life of the new clutch that there be absolutely no dirt or grease on these components. Using the alignment tool to center the disc, install the supplied pressure plate bolts, and torque them down.
Douse the flywheel, clutch disc, and pressure plate with brake cleaner. It's crucial to th

Borg and Beck-type (three-finger) pressure plates come shipped with these metal blocks. Don't remove them until the pressure plate is torqued down or it could bend and get destroyed. Conversely, don't forget to remove them after it's torqued or they'll come loose and destroy more than the pressure plate.
Borg and Beck-type (three-finger) pressure plates come shipped with these metal blocks. Do
We had a bit of trouble getting the factory aluminum bellhousing over the new Hays flywheel because the starter teeth were in a slightly different location. After we ground the bellhousing a bit, we discovered that we're boneheads and were just angling it on wrong. Some applications may require bellhousing spacers or aftermarket scattershields for proper fit. Ours didn't.
We had a bit of trouble getting the factory aluminum bellhousing over the new Hays flywhee
With the bellhousing bolted on, use a dab of heavy grease to lube the contact points of the clutch fork. The Hays throwout bearing is a sealed unit and shouldn't be lubricated.
With the bellhousing bolted on, use a dab of heavy grease to lube the contact points of th

Lube the clutch fork ball stud with some heavy grease, then slide it through the bellhousing. It should snap onto the ball stud securely. Try not to let the grease on the end of the clutch fork get on the pressure plate fingers.
Lube the clutch fork ball stud with some heavy grease, then slide it through the bellhousi
Slip the throwout bearing onto the end of the clutch fork and attach the pedal linkage to the clutch fork. Don't adjust the clutch pedal play until the transmission is installed.
Slip the throwout bearing onto the end of the clutch fork and attach the pedal linkage to
After cleaning our NP435 and cast-iron adapter, it was unceremoniously heaved back in and the clutch pedal free play was set. Our application called for a 0.050-inch air gap between the disc and flywheel with the pedal depressed, and a distance of 0.250 inch between the throwout bearing and the pressure plate fingers with the pedal at rest.
After cleaning our NP435 and cast-iron adapter, it was unceremoniously heaved back in and