1968 SS 396 Clutch

[curtis0916]

I am restoring a 1968 SS 396 with Muncie 4-speed transmission.  I was given a Dynapak NU1909 clutch set and was told it would work for the car.  I did some research and it appears to me that this clutch will NOT fit my car.  Would anyone be able to confirm my findings?

I checked at Autozone and found a Valeo Clutch set p/n 52802210 that looks like it would fit my car, and it says it is an OE replacement.  If anyone has any input concerning this clutch I would appreciate it.  Or if anyone can recommend a clutch (that will not break the bank) that would be great.

This is not an area I am very familiar with, so I truly appreciate any help I can get.

[bertfam]

The Dynapak NU1909 is a 12" clutch, so you're right, it won't fit. You need a 10 spline 11" clutch and there are several manufacturers that will work. I've never heard of Valeo, so I can't say if it's any good or not. I highly recommend LUK clutches, but that's just my opinion.

Ed

[curtis0916]

Thanks, Ed. I looked into the LUK clutches, and they are actually a little less expensive than Valeo.

I have a flywheel with casting number 3789733, do you know if it would work for me?

[bertfam]

Well, "maybe". That flywheel was used for 11" AND 12" clutches, so it depends on how it's drilled. If it's drilled for the 11" clutch, it'll work. If it's drilled for the 11" OR the 12" clutch, it'll work. If it's ONLY drilled for the 12" clutch, then no, it won't work with the stock 11" clutch, but it WILL work with your 12" clutch. (That is, IF you can get everything to fit inside the bell housing!!)

Ed

[curtis0916]

This is a picture of the 3789733 flywheel, can you tell by looking if it is drilled for an 11" clutch?

[curtis0916]

I found this 11" pressure plate and disc, I assume I will need a new disc, but is the pressure plate worth using or should I just buy new?  I'm trying to make the car as original as possible, but I'm also taking a few liberties when it comes to function and safety.  I put this on the flywheel and it does appear the holes match, so it appears the flywheel is drilled for an 11" clutch.

[bertfam]

Hard to tell by the pictures, but that pressure plate appears to be well worn and I wouldn't use it. Especially if there are a lot of heat cracks. It's cheaper in the long run to just buy a new one.

Ed

[Stingr69]

That flywheel is for the 11" clutch.  You may be able to resurface it and run it if not heat cracked too bad.

If the disk has enough material on it, and it is not warped, and the springs are still tight, you could TRY to use it.

The pressure plate can get heat damage and it will be difficult to diagnose visually.  If the heat checks are not too bad, you can bench assemble the clutch to the flywheel and see if the diaphragm fingers are all still aligned with everything torqued down.

All that but ....it still comes down to whether or not it will do its job.  If you adjust it properly AND it still will not release, you will need to pull the whole thing apart again to replace it.  If the pressure plate springs are heated to where they will not clamp hard enough anymore, you will need to pull it apart again and replace the assembly.

Replace the throw out bearing for sure and examine the pilot bushing to see if you can reuse it.

OR....just replace it now.

I have removed and replaced my clutch 3 times in one day to fix a damaged pressure plate that "looked" good.