Clutch / Torque Converter: V8 Pressure Plate Substitute

[clarkwd]

I'm a long ways from a CASO, but I thought I could save a couple bucks by buying a clutch kit for my 1961 289 T10 from my local parts store. My old clutch was slipping. I read about 15 different forum posts on substitute pressure plates and bought a Borg and Beck type kit for a 72 Jeep Wagoneer 304 V8. I thought it seemed stiff with its 12 springs, but put it in anyway. Todays spec for clutch pedal force is between 20 and 35 pounds. As best as I could measure, my new cheap pressure plate released at about 80 pounds pedal force and was above 150 pounds before I got to the floor. A new pressure plate from one of our suppliers is now on order. Every now and then I need to do something really stupid to keep learning. Bill

[bezhawk]

The Jeep CJ is the exact same pressure as the Studebaker. The Wagoneer is a much heavier vehicle so would be stiffer.

[StudeRich]

Who knows what type of clutch setup is in Modern Vehicles that have only 20 to 35 Lb. pedal pressure required ?
A Hydraulic Release Cylinder maybe ? Or better leverage linkage than a '63 Lark ?
But if your " '61" is a Hawk, they DO have excellent leverage.

So in other words, these numbers may Not be about the Pressure Plate at all, but the Vehicle PLUS the Pressure Plate.

[Bo Markham]

A customer of mine brought their 61 Hawk 4 speed in with one of those clutches installed by a local shop. The pressure/force was to much and caused the clutch operating shaft sleeve to break apart, the pin partially sheared, cracked the operating shaft support bracket and the clutch operating bell crank.