Ram Clutch 1550/910/402 Install & Observations
07-13-2002, 09:53 PM
#1
TECH Apprentice
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Williamsburg, VA
Posts: 392
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ram Clutch 1550/910/402 Install & Observations I'm happy to report that today's install of the Ram billet 1550 flywheel, 910 sintered iron disc and 402 pressure plate went well and is working fine. The 1550 flywheel is a nice piece. It features dual bolt holes, 6 threaded for the stock LS1 pressure plate and 6 for the small block style bolts that index the plate on the solid shoulders. The flywheel has an aggressive surface, matching the machining of the pressure plate. The iron pucks are bonded to the disc--no rivets. The pucks themselves are fairly thick, so I would expect to see this set up last for at least a couple of years. The springs are encased in some kind of polyurethane-like material.
Install went without a hitch. I opted to upgrade to the new model slave and wrapped the hydraulic line with header wrap to keep the fluid temp down. I will underscore what others have said over and over, i.e., that an adjustable master cylinder is an absolute requirement for most aftermarket clutches. In this case, I had to lengthen the rod 3 full turns to get the engagement right. Out of the box, without any change to the rod, I could not put it in gear.
On the road, the pedal pressure is about 60% more than stock. Pressure builds in an sharp linear fashion. You will get a good left leg workout from this clutch. The sintered iron disc is fairly civilized. It will chatter a bit, but nothing tooth jarring. It doesn't like to be slipped, prefering to grab and go. Its solid and feels like it will last for some time.
The SPEC III Kevlar, provided good service for a little over a year. On the motor, it functioned as advertised, but slipped under the stress of a 100 shot. The Kevlar pucks were shiny and showed dark, heat spotted areas over most of the surface area. The flywheel had a few larger heat spots, but the suface still bore the fine-cut concentric circular machining marks. If not for the heat spots, it would look brand new. The pressure plate had a more aggressive machined finish to start with, but it was worn smooth. The pucks on the pressure plate side were almost worn down to the rivets, while the flywheel side showed no wear at all.
Install went without a hitch. I opted to upgrade to the new model slave and wrapped the hydraulic line with header wrap to keep the fluid temp down. I will underscore what others have said over and over, i.e., that an adjustable master cylinder is an absolute requirement for most aftermarket clutches. In this case, I had to lengthen the rod 3 full turns to get the engagement right. Out of the box, without any change to the rod, I could not put it in gear.
On the road, the pedal pressure is about 60% more than stock. Pressure builds in an sharp linear fashion. You will get a good left leg workout from this clutch. The sintered iron disc is fairly civilized. It will chatter a bit, but nothing tooth jarring. It doesn't like to be slipped, prefering to grab and go. Its solid and feels like it will last for some time.
The SPEC III Kevlar, provided good service for a little over a year. On the motor, it functioned as advertised, but slipped under the stress of a 100 shot. The Kevlar pucks were shiny and showed dark, heat spotted areas over most of the surface area. The flywheel had a few larger heat spots, but the suface still bore the fine-cut concentric circular machining marks. If not for the heat spots, it would look brand new. The pressure plate had a more aggressive machined finish to start with, but it was worn smooth. The pucks on the pressure plate side were almost worn down to the rivets, while the flywheel side showed no wear at all.
