Technical 153 vs 168 tooth flywheel performance potential

I did a search but couldn't find what I need. I know the 153 flywheel uses a 10.5" clutch and the 168 uses an 11" clutch.

Is there a big difference in durability between the 2 sizes. Are there performance options available for the 153 that can handle moderate abuse?

I would prefer to run the smaller flywheel and bell housing but not at the cost of durability.

 

Smaller clutch = less durability. But how many miles will you really drive it? Maybe durability should not be your primary concern

 

I'm not worried about it lasting a long time under normal driving conditions. I want to know how well its gonna handle some abuse

 

Centerforce makes some very nice clutches. Plenty of options for different power levels. My dad ran a 10inch in one of his race cars and it lasted for years. I personally like the smallest clutch possible as the reduction in rotating mass really helps performance. A friend even runs a 3 disc in his 800 flywheel H/P street car. I wouldn't though as you can't leave a stop in a civil manor.


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10.5 hayes street strip clutch driven daily and put threw some hard abuse (multiple engines) for years .

 

Hayes, Centerforce and Ram all make several levels of power handling capability, in the 10.5 size you want. Thing is, when you get to the ''bottom of the page'' the serious ones cost what the bigger ones cost.
Stepping up to the 168 tooth wheel made it possible to use the Centerforce 12'' clutch for my big block.
Please use a blowproof can if you hit it hard!

 

So you never took your parents car out when you were a teenager and run the piss out of it? Did your parents find out?

My point? Any set up will take some abuse. The more you spend the more abuse it can handle. If I wasn't going to the drag strip every week, then I would buy a good quality street clutch and have fun.

 

This is sound advice. Troll C'list and swap meets for used ones. Less than a foot crippled for life. Just sayin, since you used the word "abuse" so....

 

What are you putting it in? Factory 11 inch clutch was usually in 1/2 ton trucks or the highest performance cars.
If you are putting it in a light vehicle you will never need that much clutch. That is without talking about what the performance industry has on the market

 

Whatever route you go buy the best you can afford. A cheap clutch is no bargain, ever.

 

I'm really trying hard to keep the look era correct though... Can a 400 HP small block really grenade a clutch so bad it will come through s cast bell housing?

 

49 chevy with a 400 hp small block....

 

good to know. If I wanna 1-2 power shift on the way to the grocery store I don't want to be afraid of destroying the clutch on the first attempt.

 

They make hot rod clutches in 10.5, used to be that Zoom was the got to clutch but today you can buy multi disc clutches from several manufactures that are durable as a hammer.

I would personally would run the smaller flywheel on a small displacement low compression motor and run the bigger flywheel on a larger displacement or high compression mill. That is not entirely true, if I was building a 14:1 alchy burner I would look for the lightest flywheel I could find and if it had a smaller diameter clutch I would go to a multi disc race clutch. But I am making the assumption that you are not building a dedicated race car here.

 

The moment of inertia is a square function of the radius, therefore the difference is about 10%
assuming the same mass density along the two radii

 

10.5 inch should be fine on that. Not really that much different than a small block powerwed Chevelle. We prob have all beat the tar out of something like that in our day. Never really had much clutch trouble untill you put some slicks on the back at the track. That stick-um stuff is really good stuff.

 

DAMN RIGHT IT CAN

 

If you want to stay period correct look for one of the cast ductil iron scattershields made by Ansen, Mickey Thompson or R.C. They are around and are heavy compaired to a hydroformed steel one but will do a decent job of protecting you . By the way 427 L88 Corvettes came with 153 tooth light weight ductile flywheels and 10.4 Hi Cone diaphram clutch assys. from the factory.

 

Will do...

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/clutch-flywheel-explosions-lets-hear-some-stories.185297/

 

Just checked eBay... One on there for $500. That's steep...

 

fuck me... OK so now what? Is everybody running a warmed over motor running an SFI scatter shield and I have just never noticed them?

 

That's a decision you have to make. How much power ? How many revs are you going dump the clutch? I have 2 race cars, one with about 550 FW/HP that currently runs a steel bell that I would like to get rid of for weight reasons but I can't seem to get the other clutch working right. The other car has been dynoed at 850FW/HP and runs a Mag bell. Multi Disc clutches are pretty well self contained and road racing I never dump the clutch because of rolling start. One of my street cars has roughly 450 Wheel HP and I use an aluminum bell and Centerforce 10" that only sees a little bit of hard launching. It's up to your comfort level.


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400 HP is an over estimate. Its a 10-1 327 with a 501 lift cam and outdated heads inhaling through a dual quad set up. I don't plan on side stepping the clutch on every take off but now I'm paranoid I'm gonna lose my foot showing off on the street.

 

Is a clutch explosion a direct result of dumping it or can it frag just driving it under load? I have only heard of it happening when its abused but I just read the clutch explosion thread and now I'm terrified.

 

Dude, it's the cheapest insurance policy you can buy. 30 years ago I blew a clutch disc while grabbing third gear. Just the disc. Pieces went through the cast bell. Don't even like to think what it would have been like if the pressure plate or flywheel had gone.

 

I know... I just priced out a Lakewood set up.

 

It's all moving parts. I don't even use the clutch except to get moving from a stopped position. We run a flex plate with 7.5" 3 disc and last year the flex plate broke around the crank flange. And that let go driving through the pits.



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I'm slowly getting to a 4spd GTO project. Stock motor with trips, I have no plans for a can on it. While I intend to have fun I also have no plans to "abuse" the car much. I beat the living fuck out of a 70 383 Cuda with a purple shaft cam and TR-6 intake back in the day. I also beat on a 69 Boss 302 that was warmed over but I can't say how as I never knew. I routinely twisted that poor lil motor to 75-7800. Both were HD versions of replacement parts twirling around in stock cans. I would say that YOU as the the one stirring up the fun in the trans will know if you're going too far. I can count on one hand how many times I childishly side-stepped a clutch. To me that's abuse designed for serious racing and kryptonyte parts that match, not for any street games. It's no fun breaking rear axles, driveshafts, trans yokes, and on topic, clutches, just to make some smoke. I wore out the Cuda's clutch in 3 months of weekend street racing and it was used when I got it. I never broke anything in the Boss but had to adjust it once. I didn't beat on that one as much with the clutch as I did high RPM shifts. Just sayin, and again, YOU know how YOU are AND if you need one.

 

Will the Ansen Iron can really save me from a clutch fragging? I'm considering bidding on one.