Pulling my hair out over this clutch! Help!

[questmann]

I just rebuilt a 360, .40 over, edlebrock intank, 670 truck avenger carb, summit RV cam and everything else stock. We estimate it at 350+lbs of trq. It's mated to a fresh ax-15 and I know other guys that have run a stock 4.0L clutch with no problems, but my slips real easy.

I originally had 3.07 gears and 35's after the swap and could bearly drive the damn thing because it slipped so easy. So we grab a set of a 4.10 axles and swapped them in and it's much better but in 4th or 5th gear and accelration more than gentle causes slipping and medium hard acceleration in any of the first three gears will make it slip.

I looked at the centerforce dual friction which is rated at about 300lbs of trq but I don't feel real confident that it will be enough and after a dozen times pulling the trans out I'm getting pretty frustrated.

So what are my options for a clutch? Please, any advice would be great, I'm getting desperate.

[mika01]

Wow I'm surprised, I have a 360 also (+- 275HP/325 TQ) used a hydraulic clutch set-up (80-81 4cyl slave + master) with the 4.0 clutch disc & pressure plate and can do burnouts, donuts and so forth. Maybe the problem is in the linkage? Maybe the pilot bearing is just close enough to not let the pressure plate engage completely? One thing I did notice I had to use the 4.0 pressure plate. The CJ style 3 finger pressure plate would not work for me.

[questmann]

what trans are you using? what year clutch set did you use? Thanks.

[mika01]

Hes got an AX-15 (1990-200?)

[questmann]

I have an ax-15 doesn't matter the year but it's 87-94.5 (when they switched to external slave)

My question was to you mika01 what year did you buy a clutch for? all the years have slightly different clutch and internal slave numbers but I'n not sure of the differences.

[mika01]

I have an ax-15 doesn't matter the year but it's 87-94.5 (when they switched to external slave)
My question was to you mika01 what year did you buy a clutch for? all the years have slightly different clutch and internal slave numbers but I'n not sure of the differences.

I'm in a slightly different situation since I have a Jeep T-18 from a 79, so I was able to use an external slave bolted to the outside of the bell housing. I really don't know what year the pressure plate was for since I got for free. It is the 30 something tooth variety though. Also bought a new clutch disc while I was at it. I think if you have a mismatched master and slave cylinder, say a CJ master with a YJ slave, it can give you problems. Sorry not sure if this helps

[runnamuck]

major differences are in the stack height. check your petal freeplay, if not enough and you hold your foot over the petal little bumps will cause the slave to press against the pressure plate. moreover, the master may not be travelling all the way back to "rest" postion. or your pressure plate/ disc are wore out.

by the way dual friction sounds cool but it really grabby. imho, good for the street not good on the trail. if you wheel it, the centerforce one is fine, til the tranny explodes. but that a different topic.