OK, maybe I am just in the dark about what a new clutch is supposed to act like, but I don't think slipping is one of it's character traits. I just installed the RAM 402/6130 w/updated slave and Adj M/C (with drill mod). After finally getting the hydaulics to bleed (2 hour ordeal) I got the car on the road. At about 1/4 throttle the clutch is slipping. I adjusted the M/C because the engagement was right off the floor (and still is about an inch off the floor). What could be the problem. Is a new clutch supposed to slip until it breaks in? I do plan on taking it easy for at least the first 300 miles. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

ttt

 

Try getting a hold of Ram and ask them about it since its there product... if no one that has had this problem responds.I would guess it has to do with the hydralics <img border="0" title="" alt="[Confused]" src="images/icons/confused.gif" />

 

Did you bench bleed the Adjustable MAster cylinder? OR did you put it on the car and try to bleed it all at once? IF so there is almost no possible way to get the air out of the system without bench bleeding the master, trust me I learned this from my own experience. Also If the engagement is adjusted to far out it will slip but you said its an inch off the floor so I dont know about that. The clutch should not be slipping at all, something is a miss.... try bench bleeding the master.

 

the master was bench bled and the I think that the problem might be that the pressure plate started to back out.....I torqued the p/p to 35 ft/lbs as the directions specified and don't know how that could happen....I am not a big fan of putting lock-tight on torqued bolts. There is now a squeling sound coming from the bell housing.....no idea what that is from....but the clutch still slips like hell!

 

well now that youve slipped it and probably glazed the FW you might have to pull it and have it turned. I dont know if you mean off the floor as in it takes about an inch of you pushing on it before it startes to disengage the clutch or if you let the clutch out off the floor about 1 inch and it engages. If it takes you an inch of pressure to get it to disengage then that might be the problem with it slipping. the clutch might not be fully engaged when the pedal is up and its causing it to slip. its hard to say without actually understanding what you meant but thats my best shot for now. hope it works out for ya man. Ive heard really good things about the ram. thats what I plan on running.

 

That is all I've heard about the ram, good things, and that is why I have gone with it. I don't know what the problem could be.....the clutch engages about an inch off the floor and never seems to disengage...even after alot of bleeding. All I can think of is that the P/P has backed out, but why would it just stop baking out....it started slipping after about 15 miles...I am out of ideas and the whole thing is coming out tomorrow...I do appreciate all the replies...I am just frustrated...there is a stang that wants to race me and I have to get it on the road soon (not my only motivation, but enough to put me over the edge <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="gr_stretch.gif" />

 

yes low engaugement and slipping (and the bad noise) are symptoms of loose pressure plate bolts (happend to me 1st) gm calls for 50# on those bolts not 35. i go to 60 and make sure i use new bolts from gm that say 10.9 on them (grade) and use red permanent locktite.. try that and get back with us. unless it has done this since first start up, it is definitely not the hydro's

 

First off, I would like to thank everyone who responded to my question. Secondly, I would like to explain what the problem was. I yanked the tranny today (the second time in two days <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" /> ) and found what looked like a stretched out metal ring. One of the rings that are on the inside of the PP was wedged in between the tranny and flywheel and making a horrible noise, as you can imagine. It was also somehow binding up the slave cylinder and keeping it from releasing the clutch all the way. The clutch did not begin to slip until it had 15 miles on it, and I pulled it with 20 miles. The flywheel does not look glazed or marred and the disc is fine. I ordered another 402 from summit (I have to have the car running by monday or I will have to take the Grey hound home). I had it shipped next day with Saturday delivery for $83 <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> I will be sending the PP back to summit next week. Here are some pictures. Tell me what you think.
http://www.infi-netsolutions.net/logos/RAM402_PP.jpg
http://www.infi-netsolutions.net/logos/RAM402_PP2.jpg
http://www.infi-netsolutions.net/log...P_Internal.jpg
http://www.infi-netsolutions.net/log...esthisgoto.jpg

Thanks again to everyone <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />

 

wow, thats odd..first ive heard of a problem with the ram 402. If you are worried about breaking the bolts in the pp, Jim pace sells ARP bolts for them. Might be a good idea if you really want to tq on em.

 

Justa lil help, I ot sure who else hs done this. When I installed my Ram, Mike at Rapid said he torques the PP bolts to a good 55 ft lbs. I did this also. Maybe, just maybe your PP isnt tight enough. Just an idea. Good luck

 

For some reason, this plate has broken a pivot ring. There are two pivot rings in the clutch, one above and one below the diaphragm spring. The pressure spring pivots on these rings to engage and disenge the clutch. If one breaks, the clutch will not apply its clamp load, and will also disengage erratically. Very unusual for a plate to do this.

 

I just got the new 402 from summit today, and I got to see where the pivot ring (refered to in the previous post) is supposed to be. When looking at the broken ring, it appears that the spot weld just gave up early, very early (like 20 miles of grandma driving, no offense to senior citizens. I just feel that they are more responsible drivers <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" /> ) I have another problem with the PP. Of the six bolt holes on the pressure plate, three will not let the factory bolt fit through without actually threading it through the PP. I don't know why this is and their is no reference in the instructions supplied by RAM. Can someone shed some light on this? I don't want any more problems. Thanks for all the replys.

 

I'm sure mike n. will chime in here, but this is the prob with the stock bolts.
The Stock bolts are threaded all the way whereas the bolts you should be using are only threaded like 3/4 of the way up. The stock Flywheel and PP combo was designed with dowels to hold the PP in place. The RAM setup (using the billet FW and 402)uses the bolts to align the PP and the FW has a counterbore to accept the unthreaded part of the bolt.

If you use the stock bolts, you will be having the threads themselves holding the PP against rotational forces. (not good). You can use the stock FW but RAM's suggestion is to
1. remove the dowels
2. reface FW
3. Counterbore the holes .100" deep.
4. Don't use the stock bolts.(they have a set like 18.00)

<small>[ May 05, 2002, 05:00 AM: Message edited by: love2xlr8 ]</small>

 

Above info on why the bolt holes are made that way is correct.

 

All that was posted about the bolts makes since. I don't think that had anything to do with it. Now that the new PP is in, I realized that the first one was bad from the start. I never had a normal pedal feel. Once the new one was in, the pedal felt just like stock and the engagement point was perfect. I believe it was a freak thing and don't have anything bad to say about RAM. These things happen no matter what you do. I am now very happy with my RAM setup and will be able to open 'er up with a couple hundred more miles (I think I will shoot for 500 miles). I still think that the RAM is the best thing that you can have for these cars. Thanks for all the replys, and thanks to Mike for personnaly responding to my e-mail.
Edwin

 

any more info on this? i installed one in my friends car last night (extremez28), bled the crap out of it..no air.. no leaks

if i adjust the master in (shorter rod) i can make something in the bellhousing 'pop' in and out.. i can feel it through the pedal. is that the slave over extending or the pressure plate?

erratic, very hard pedal, low engaugement, and light throttle slippage.. did the pp fail?

i used loctite and 55# tq.

used new slave and mcleod master.

it will suck to pull it all back down again (for free)
if its a faulty part ram should hook me up <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="gr_grin.gif" />

<small>[ July 01, 2002, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: MIGHTYMOUSE ]</small>

 

yeah this does suck....i hope Ram helps us out here i just want my daily driver back and running....