Re: [ihc] 12" clutches and I'm sick of it already!

[bearbvd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Greg Hermann)]

At 12:25 PM 4/1/04, Joel M Brodsky wrote:

I suspect that you can cure the entire problem by simply adjusting the
fingers (at their fulcrum) by reaching in via the bottom access cover !!

Generally, the adjustment nuts have a collar at their top which you pinch
(over a pair of flats which exist on the end of the stud) with a pair of
vise grips once finished to keep them from moving, and thus 'self'
adjusting.

Obviously, it's necessary to get all three fingers adjusted the same !! :-)

This is a common operation on big-truck clutches.

Greg

>Binders,
>      It's been about a year and I've been stumped with this 12" clutch
>problem.
>Summary:
>I bought a 12" clutch set, rebuilt from Scout MADness in Lubbock.
>Clutch plate, pressure plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing and alignment
>tool.  Total: about $400
>the first one had a badly heat cracked pressure plate, so I sent it back
>and Mark sent me another one.  Rebuilt clutch plate, freshly machined
>flywheel.
>When I finally got to the project about 8 months ago, I took out my T18
>with 11" clutch
>and the Dana 20 and put in the 12" clutch, the T19W and the Dana 300 and
>thenew
>bearings and a greasable collar, which I found to have a grease port that
>is
>through drilled up to the flange where the bearing mounts (as are the other
>three
>greasable collars I have, so they ARE designed to grease the throwout
>bearing).
>Well, I put the whole mess together and the throwout bearing has to push
>too
>deeply into the pressure plate (here-forward called the 'basket').
>
>What this means is that I can only push the clutch so far before it makes a
>lot of noise.  If I push the
>clutch too far, the actuator fingers actually contact the spinning clutch
>dish (spring covers) and sound
>terrible.  So, I have only a small region where I push the clutch in and I
>can shift, less clutch, no shift,
>and more clutch makes noise.
>
>NOW, I looked last night and the fingers are straight, not curved out in
>the center like the actuator fingers are on
>an 11" clutch assembly.  So, does this mean that the basket is assembled
>with the wrong fingers?
>or does it mean that the 12" clutch isn't the same as the 11" clutch in its
>acutation?
>
>So, can anyone help?  I'm going to have to pull the whole mess out and
>replace the clutch and basket regardless,
>but I'm wondering if there is any hope for the $400 assembly as purchased
>from Scout MADness.
>Has anyone ever heard of this?
>
>It's totally irritating to see a killer 4x4 on 33s with about 6" of lift
>just sitting in my driveway with a screwed up
>clutch.
>
>Thanks for the help.
>
>I have an 11" assembly that I'm planning to get rebuilt and installed.  I
>wanted the more bigger better
>12" but it's not worth the hassles so far.
>
>Thanks Gang,
>
>      JoelB