Clutch type

[bluebird90]

Hi, All. My bus, 90 IHC bluebird, dt466, spicer 5 speed. I have been collecting all the parts to turn this into an mt643. But now I,m leaning towards keeping the 5 speed. My quesetion is... does any one have this setup in their bus and what ype of clutch do you have? My biggest concern is pedal effort. Right now I have a single plate pull clutch. Thinking of going 2 plate. Any input?

[CHEESE_WAGON]

I'm no mechanic, but from what I understand multiple discs will increase longevity but also increase effort. Just my $0.02. I'm no heavyweight but I found the average clutch in a semi to be no real trouble.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by bluebird90

My biggest concern is pedal effort. Right now I have a single plate pull clutch. Thinking of going 2 plate. Any input?

My '97 has the 466E with the Spicer 5 sp....single plate. Probably 80% of all the vehicles I've ever owned were manuals.....I just prefer the additional control of my shift points. Sure, this clutch is stiffer, but look at how much beefier all the surrounding components are.

Were there any issues with driving it home after initial purchase, that make you WANT the 643? Are you foreseeing an inordinate amount of stop-n-go traffic? If so, I'd probably drop the 643 in there. Going to a multi-plate system in a low-power bus application just seems like a waste of money, given that multi-plate is for increased performance, and that every Int. mechanic I've talked to has said that the Eaton/Spicer combo is virtually indestructible in a bus.

[bluebird90]

There were no issues involving the clutch except uncomfortable pedal effort. Thats why I would like to hear from people with the 2 plate clutch. I have considered an eaton easy pedal but I need to use a pot flywheel and that has a lot more weight to the rotating assembly. I want to stick to a flat flywheel .

[Ronnie]

I have a 12" spicer ceramic clutch in mine. Yes a little heavy but even in stop and go traffic it is still reasonable for me. The ceramic discs tend to be a little grabby compared to the organic disc. So if comfort is your goal stick with organic.

It might be worth checking to see if Centerforce has a clutch for your application. They make a nice lower (pedal)pressure clutch. It has weights so that as rpm's go up pressure increases on the disc. Very effective in the trucks I have used them in, smooth engagment and lighter pedal effort.