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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - 215 to a GM T-5 Clutch

I am looking for clutch information for putting a 88 GM T-5 V8 tranny to a 1962 buick 215. The stock clutch is about 9 1/2" and will need to fit 26 spline. Also any information on a hydraulic throwout bearing to work with this application.

Thanks for the help

Daniel
Daniel Biddix

10" clutch stock for a Chevy S-10 or Camero works just fine, fits the Buick bell housing. You do not need a heavy duty model, unless you want to build up your leg.

The easiest HTO to use is the McLeod, also sold as Webber, #1400 with spacer. If this is going into a MGB, you can get the airquip hose with fittings & the bearing from D & D.

The McLeod is a "street" unit, not a racing piece, & works very well. It also has a larger contact area & bearing than most (all?) of its competitors.
Jim Stuart

Jim Stuart,
I am running the large McCleod clutch and pressure plate from D&D (10 1/4 I believe) with the McCleod HTOB. I want to reduce the pedal effort and am changing to a Girling 5/8 master cylinder. This will reduce my pedal effort by about 30%. My question is, if I use the Chevy S10 clutch plate, will it have a lighter pedal than the McCleod??? Will it fit the McCleod flywheel that I now have from D&D???
James Johanski

Both the Camero & S-10 are 10.4 (or very close to). The driven disk or clutch plate has no effect on peddle effort, this is determined by the strength of the steel fingers on the pressure plate. High performance pressure plates have stronger fingers on the assumption you are moving a 3000 lb or heavier car with at least a warmed up small block pushing over 300 HP. We are moving a 2300 lb car (or lighter) with an engine in the low 200 hp range. As a result, we can use the wimpiest clutch around. Mine is a Mr Goodwrench kit from NAPA & has a heavier peddle than a stock 4 cyl, but is not unpleasant even in stop & go traffic. I have the stock MC & a McLeod HTOB.

Summit also has a STOCK replacement clutch that should work. Do not by an upgraded set unless you have over 300 HP or do a lot of drag racing. At least that is my opinion, your milage may differ.

You should not have to re-drill the fly wheel for any Chevy replacement clutch pack, but if required, it is not a big deal. Any good automotive machine shop will do it. The McLeod fly wheel is a high quality piece that should work with just about any clutch you want to use. The clutch disk for the range of cars I listed earlier is 26 spline to fit the T-5 tranny.

A year or so ago, someone came up with a 9" clutch for a Merceedes that had 26 splines & would work with the T-5 with the fly wheel re-drilled.
Jim Stuart

Jim Stuart,
Thanks for the response--whoops meant to say clutch pressure plate not clutch plate. Guess from what you have said I can further reduce pedal effort by using an S10 pressure plate.
James Johanski

Jim et al,
Did you guys also fit the pedal limiting device shwon in the directions for the McLeod unit?? I have not don that yet and was wondering if it was neccesarriy in all applications? I have the 302/Ford T5 combo with the McLeod HTO and D&D's hose.. must say that kit works GREAT!
Larry Embrey

Larry-

You must install a limiter of some sort so the bearing does not over extend & "blow" & so the clutch does not go "over center". Both of these events can be thrilling but expensive.

There are clear instructions with the bearing as to how to determine the maximum peddle travel, but of course, no info on how to build the stop. Simplist is a bit of hat channel screwed to the floor with a large bolt nutted on both sides of the hat for adjustability. On the cars with brake boosters, once you remove the cover on the peddle box, you will see that you can replace the top mounting bolt for the M/C with threaded rod. cut a piece of 1/4" plate so you have a hole at one end to slip over the threaded rod, & a slot in the other end to go around the rod in the master cylinder but smaller than the clevis at the end of the rod. 2 nuts make the location adjustable, & with the cover in place, it is out of sight.

I am sure there are some other ideas out there that may work as well or better.
Jim Stuart

To Jim and Larry,
Did either of you two have to install a means of keeping the HTOB from rotating? I've seen some rather vague pictures of such a bracket somewhere on the web, but there wasn't any reference to anything like that in my McLeod instructions. My bearing slipped over the shaft in place of the stock front tranny cover or collar or whatever they call it; I've heard there's two kinds, one doesn't need it. Joe
Joe Ullman

Thanks for the info Jim, but will a S-10 or Camaro Clutch (disk and Pressure plate) fit a stock buick fly wheel without modification. The original clutch disk measures about 9 1/2". I need on that also will fit a 26 spline tranny. Will the stock camaro set up work. I am getting my fly wheel from the engine shop, and when I get time, I will take it with me to a couple autopart stores and see if they can match something up for me. Thanks for all the help from everyone.

Daniel
DJB Biddix

Also, Daniel, once you have a prssure plate selected, and know the exact size of disc that you want, an auto friction place that specializes in clutches can build you a disc of any size with a 26 spline center. Joe
Joe Ullman

I installed a stock 9 5/8" clutch disc and Pressure Plate from 1983 Camaro V-6. Three opposing holes lined up with existing holes on the stock buick flywheel and it was a simple matter to use the pressure plate as a template to drill and tap the remaining holes. I used a Howe stock type (not racing) HTOB P/N 910-25610 (Speedway Motors, $150) on my T-5. I used a prefab braided -4 hose from Speedway (P/N 910-31892 $15) that connected directly to the HTOB and to the existing Hydraulic line with an AN-4 fitting. The HTOB was much cheaper than the McLeod unit and very easy to install. So far, it works well, but time will tell.

Gordon
Gordon Elkins

Gordon, Thank you for your response, but isn't the stock 9 5/8 clutch disk for a 1983 Camaro V6 a 14 tooth spline?. This would be for a V6 T-5. The info on the HTOB is greatly appreciated. I will more than likely order one right away, along with the hose. Thanks.

Daniel
DJB Biddix

Daniel . . . the clutch I used is for a V6. However, if you can't find a clutch to suit your installation, you may be able to use the V6 pressure plate with a 26 spline disc. I tried to stay with something I can replace easily.
Gordon
Gordon Elkins

To use the stock Buick fly wheel with a 10" clutch requires some machining to remove the raised portion of the fly wheel surface. As I am not a machinist, I can't tell you exactly what is involved, but I had my fly wheel modified, re-drilled, & the fly wheel clutch assembly balanced for $100.00, so it cannot be too difficult.

Any time you are using a used fly wheel with a different(new) clutch assembly, you should have the fly wheel resurfaced, & while not a requirement, I think having the assembly balanced is a very good idea. This will normally cost $50-75.00 in the Washington, DC area, so the extra to modify the flywheel was in effect, a bit more resurfacing than normal.
Jim Stuart

Joe,

The HTOB can't really go anywhere since there is a hydraulic line attatched to it. I put a rubber fuel line around the stainless flex line then tied it off to the bell housing.

As for a clutch pedal limiter, I didn't need one. Full pedal doesn't come close to "overcentering" the pressure plate fingers. I needed a spacer behind the HTOB and got lucky & put just the right number of big ol' washers behind it. :)

There is a good bit of difference in weight between an S10 pressure plate and one for a V-8 Camaro (10.5"). After going to the trouble to put my flywheel (McCleod/Weber) on a diet, I wasn't about to hang that heavy clutch on it. The local clutch & brake shop rebuilt me a 9 1/8 S10 pressure plate and cut down a 9 3/8 Mecedes 26 spline clutch disk to fit (thanks to Curtis Jacobson for the Mercedes clutch idea). He also enlarged the pressure plate bolt holes slighty to match existing holes in the flywheel. Total cost=$73.24 (including alignment tool, bolts & tax). Pedal pressure is only slightly more than stock

I've since discovered that a 94-98 S10 w/ 2.2L 4-banger uses a 9 1/8" clutch
with 26 splines. If it doesn't hold, order one from Centerforce.

Looking at the Centerforce's online catalog shows that the V-6 Camaro uses a 9 11/16" clutch with 26 splines.

http://www.centerforce.com/
Carl

This thread was discussed between 25/09/2002 and 02/10/2002

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