Hey guys, I just finished up my clutch install. I used the following parts (bought from Thunder Racing, except the pilot bearing, although they may have had it, I didn't think to ask):

Ram Powergrip clutch kit (part #98931)
Ram billet steel flywheel (part #1550)
GM pilot bearing (part #14061685)
ARP flywheel bolts (part #330-2802)
Prothane trans mount (part #1604)

I decided to leave the stock master and slave cylinder alone, and didn't do the drill mod.

I did the install by myself in my garage utilizing:

2 Rhino ramps
2 floor jacks
4 jack stands
Several pieces of 2" X 12"
Harbor Freight scissor type trans jack

I'm getting pretty good at getting my car off the ground (safety first!). The install took about 10 hours at my leisurly pace and counting potty breaks (I was drinkin' alot of coffee and had eaten mexican food the night before). I bled twice, smacked my skull once, smashed one finger, and ended up with a Demerol craving back ache, standard fare for my typical day in the garage. No wrench throwing fits of rage transpired.

Everything went pretty smooth overall. Trouble spots were the top, passenger side trans bolt, and stabbing the trans. I used the Autozone slide hammer w/ pilot bearing attachment (slightly modified). A couple of tools I considered to be indispensable were a 13mm flex socket to get the top bellhousing bolts, and a selection of wobble and long, regular extensions for the trans bolts. Don't forget to refill the trans fluid if you drained it, I almost did. Don't forget to replace the pilot bearing before you bolt up the new clutch and pressure plate, I did.

The car was down for a week while the throttle body was somewhere in Georgia being ported by Cammin Beast (The TB looks great and he turned it around in 3 days as promised. I timed it so he would get it on Friday and send it back out on Monday. No shipping down time. I'm so smart. I got the TB back and bolted it up yesterday.

My impressions so far:

Noticeable pedal pressure increase, I suppose I'll get used to it
Pretty smooth, no chatter
Able to slip it, it's not an immediate engagement
Engagement point approximately same as stock, maybe slightly lower
Trans now sounds like a Muncie in a '69 Camaro. I guess that would be the poly trans mount.

I haven't got on it yet or done any hard shifts. I'm not sure if I need to let it break in or not. I'm going to call a Ram tech today and ask.

Overall, I'm pleased. I'll update after I've had a chance to drive it hard, and/or if anything falls off, breaks, or otherwise fails to impress me.

 

nice, i too forgot the pilot bearing i also stripped my poly trans mount and it bangs on bumps give it a good 400mile break in and let her rip

 

Sounds good so far! Please keep us updated on how you like it. I will be buying a clutch soon and was looking at this one since it seems to be the best offer I have found so far.

 

how is it...i have yet to find a post were someone liikes there ram.. please let us know

 

I really like mine so far. RAM PowerGrip (not HD), Fidanza Aluminum Flywheel, McLeod Adj. Master Cylinder and a "288" slave. Bleeding was a pain as usual, pedal is higher than the brake, and engagement is kind of close to the floor but is getting a little higher as it breaks in. Only 243 miles on it so far. Take off with the Al flywheel and stock 3.42 gears is not nearly as hard as some have said it to be. Not much different than stock honestly. Only minor (Very Minor) clutch chatter when starting on a hill.
I have noticed that on deceleration when I let the pedal out on the next lower gear the nose dips much more and the car slows much quicker .
I am pleased.

 

I have the HD, I love it. Way better feel than the Spec 3 that was in my car when I got it. Doesn't shutter, grabs like a beast.

 

How did you modify the pilot bearing removal tool?

 

I have a stage 4 and its awesome.After about 50 miles it gets hard to slip when hot and will chatter under the right takeoff if you get lazy.After 4 or 5 hundred it works good and will hold perfect.Not really a DD clutch.

 

I used a bench grinder to grind down the fingers slightly so thet would fit inside the pilot bearing.

 

In my original post, I said the clutch had no chatter. That was with about 50 or so miles on it. Shortly after that, it develped some chatter, and now with 200 miles on the clutch, it still has some chatter. It's not terrible, but I hope it gets better.

 

I have a little chatter if I dont give enough throttle or clutch, other than that I love mine.
I went with the Mcleod Adj. Master, new slave, the HD setup, Stock turned flywheel, B&M Ripper and a Prothane Mount. I love it, a litte more noise from the mount/shifter but I rarely notice it with LTs and duals

 

I'm now at about 600 miles and the chatter seems to be going away.

 

I Have A Ram Stage 4 And I Love It. It Does Have Some Chatter, But Once You Get Use To The Engagement Its Not A Problem.

 

Oh And I Have A Little Over 2k Miles On Mine, Daily Driver.

 

Did you not have to use a shim behind the slave?

 

I didn't use a shim.

 

We installed a Powergrip HD, Ram billet steel flywheel, and Ram adjustable master in our '99 C5 when we still had it, and it was my daily driver. It had a built 347 cid and a ProCharger D1SC that put down 630 RWHP and 565 RWTQ. As with any clutch that will take a hard beating, it had a stiffer clutch pedal. The chatter got noticably better after 400 miles of break-in. I NEVER had a problem from the clutch at all; it held everything I could throw at it. I wanted a clutch that would take a beating, and I did not care how it drove. I was surprised at how well it drove around. I drove the car in town 90% of the time and was never annoyed by the clutch. We've had nothing but great luck with the Ram clutches, and I highly recommend them. This is why we became a stocking distributor.

Feel free to give me a call or e-mail me at trevor@texas-speed.com with any questions or concerns.

Trevor
Texas Speed & Performance