NV4500 solid flywheel clutch choises and opinions

[bk95td]

I know as good as nothing about manual trannys.:agreed: My current project truck[thread in "Project Central"] has a nv4500 and the clutch must be replaced before the new engine goes in. There are cracks around the bolt holes in the pressure plate. This truck has been converted to a solid standard type flywheel[I do know that much].I will be wanting a matched kit with pressure plate ,disc, throw out bearing and pilot bearing. It will also need a new hydraulic line from the master to the slave cylinder.
So , my questions are : What brand clutch would you recommend? What brand would you stay away from? ,Where would you recommend buying from or staying away from? What is a good brand of hydraulic line and how the hell is it attached to the master and slave cyl? Do I need to open up the tranny to check it out or do any type of PM[truck has 308,000 miles]? Also which is better, pilot bearing or pilot bushing?

 

[88gmctruck]

Well, I can only tell you what I have experienced.

I'm running a Jegs flywheel in my 88 with a Hays Supertruck clutch. The combo works well and I really like the feel of the clutch. When I installed the clutch, my dad suggested using the pilot bushing instead of the bearing. The reason behind this he said was the bearing can hold a very limited amount of grease, and eventually it can (and probably will) fail and ultimately chew the end of the input shaft up. A bushing being a softer material has less chance to do so.

Since you have a NV4500 it would be super easy to pull the top cover off and inspect inside of it. Not much to them really, just make sure everything is tight and there are no broken chunks floating around. Just be sure to fill it with proper NV4500 specific fluid. The GM stuff (castrol syntorq) is what i'd recommend. I have Amsoil MTG (it's equivalent) in my 88 and while it works well, it's much noisier than the GM stuff in my 99.

 

[bk95td]

I looked at NAPA and at summit racing.
The Napa clutch kit is $231 that is for pressure plate, pilot bearing,throw out bearing,alignment tool and disc. It comes with a 12 month or 12,000 mile warranty.
Summit Racing only had a centerforce dual friction clutch for almost $400. No mention of a warranty.
At this point I am leaning twards the NAPA clutch.

 

[btfarm]

Check South Bend for price comparison as well. If they make your application that is. I know several people speak favorably about them as replacements. I think you get what you pay for in clutches and they're never fun to change.
As to the pilot, I too would stick with the bushing because I have seen the pilot tip get torn up and overheated on an input shaft when we used a bearing instead of a bushing on a circle track car several years ago.

 

[bk95td]

Since they are a huge pia to put in is why I'm really leaning twards the NAPA clutch. If something does go wrong they are only a few miles away and I have had great warranty service from them.[unlike a certain shoddy mail order/internet co that doesn't know how to ship heavy items] I'll be quizzing NAPA as to who makes their clutches.
A pilot bushing does sound like the way to go. A soft bushing won't eat a shaft like hardened rollers can.

 

[btfarm]

I think I'd be leaning toward the NAPA option too Barry. Being local if something goes wrong is always a plus and it keeps them interested in making sure you get what you need so you'll keep coming back.

 

[bfourman]

Keep us updated on how it turns out, my 96 with solid flywheel is going to need a clutch job soon also. The PO supposedly put a new clutch in ~4k miles before I bought it, but apparently they didn't machine the flywheel because it's VERY jerky when hot. I've had about enough of it and the 3-4 synchro is about gone anyway, so it'll be time to pull it soon.

x2 on the Castrol Syntorq, it'll run you a 100 dollar bill to fill it but it would be worth it. I have Cen-pe-co 75w90 full synthetic in mine and it is noisy and shifts harder than my buddy's with the proper fluid.

 

[bk95td]

The PO of my truck had just spent $1200 on a "new" clutch at a transmission shop. The surfaces were refinished but the hot spots were starting to show and the disc looks very thin to me. I think he got took to the cleaners, big time. The cracks near the bolt holes were probbly there when they redid the clutch. I wasn't expecting to have to replace it , but I can't make myself put it back in knowing what I saw.
Wow!! nothing cheap about the correct fluid.