Warning! Bought AC Delco 381036 from Rock Auto ended up being a Sachs clutch kit. It lasted 1,500 miles and fell apart. One of the springs on the disk came out. Do not buy a AC Delco or Sachs Clutch!! Only good thing now is I can remove a 2.8 and its clutch in 10 hours, not that I wanted the practice.
No matter who makes a product of any kind, there will be some failures. You cannot engineer out failures. Ask any engineer. So to make a statement that those clutches should be avoided due to the failure of one clutch is a 'knee jerk' reaction. I've had the clutch disc material slough off one side. I took the car back to the same shop that had installed the first one. I had the disc replaced under warranty with the same manufacturer and part number. It worked just as it should and lasted for a long time. I can understand that you aren't happy with the failure. I would be contacting the manufacturer to see if they want it back so they could look it over to find what went wrong with it. Maybe there was some impurities in the metal. Maybe cracks developed during heat treating the metal. Maybe a tooling issue. But if we all avoided products that had one failure, none of us would be able to buy anything as all products would be banned due to having failed at one time or another. You buy Ford/Chevrolet/Dodge/etc.??? They've all had recalls. That means that something in the vehicle failed. Have you stopped buying from them? Added them to your banned list? I seem to recall that there was a recall on Fieros. You give up on it? Things fail. Tells us about it. Tell the manufacturer about it. Then fix it and move on.
[This message has been edited by n7vrz (edited 02-20-2014).]
Thanks for the advice, just don't plan on taking another chance on a low-end low-cost product and I hope for the best. I hope others can avoid them by buying a higher grade like RAM, SPEC or another highly tested product. It proves if you buy AC Delco you have no idea of the manufacturer you'll get or quality of the product.
Originally posted by n7vrz: No matter who makes a product of any kind, there will be some failures. You cannot engineer out failures. Ask any engineer. So to make a statement that those clutches should be avoided due to the failure of one clutch is a 'knee jerk' reaction. I've had the clutch disc material slough off one side. I took the car back to the same shop that had installed the first one. I had the disc replaced under warranty with the same manufacturer and part number. It worked just as it should and lasted for a long time.
While true that you have % of defects/failures allowed... ACdelco is to car parts as Kenmore is to Appliance. Is just a Name that slaps on whatever make by cheapest contractor and you pay premium price for that name without any better quality.
Did you see Made In? Sachs clutch not unique. They will make Car Parts and most anything Anywhere that's Cheap.
Clinton signed NAFTA and Obama still want to expand that to all of South America. Many SA countries have poor track records on human rights... Google: brazil human rights brazil human trafficking
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
I bought a Valero clutch from Carolina Clutch. I planned on having my mechanic install it, but he won't guarantee the work if I don't buy through his supplier. That, of course, makes sense, since one never knows these days about the quality and manufacture of some automotive products. Is the Sachs clutch, which he would install, a good option over the Valero? In the long run, I'm only spending $160 for the entire installation by using the Sachs. Now, all things said, I guess I'll go out on the street corner with a sign, "good Valero clutch and Beck / Arnley flywheel for sale." Hope all is well with you guys. bb
Originally posted by Bruce: I bought a Valero clutch from Carolina Clutch. I planned on having my mechanic install it, but he won't guarantee the work if I don't buy through his supplier. That, of course, makes sense, since one never knows these days about the quality and manufacture of some automotive products. Is the Sachs clutch, which he would install, a good option over the Valero? In the long run, I'm only spending $160 for the entire installation by using the Sachs. Now, all things said, I guess I'll go out on the street corner with a sign, "good Valero clutch and Beck / Arnley flywheel for sale." Hope all is well with you guys. bb
Usually they will not guarantee the work because they typically get a markup off the part which means the service provider makes more money when you buy parts from them. Most shops have that policy and it doesn't change when you show up with parts from the exact same distributor they use. I've seen far more Spec performance clutch failures here than Delco/OE and the in service ratio is far greater for OE.
While true that you have % of defects/failures allowed... ACdelco is to car parts as Kenmore is to Appliance. Is just a Name that slaps on whatever make by cheapest contractor and you pay premium price for that name without any better quality.
I agree with this 100%. AC Delco takes vendor parts and marks them up, and then puts them into a pretty box. There's no reason to buy Delco anymore.
If you want OE parts, Delphi is often the OE parts supplier, and they actually make stuff.
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Did you see Made In? Sachs clutch not unique. They will make Car Parts and most anything Anywhere that's Cheap.
I'd take a Brazilian clutch over a Chinese one
[This message has been edited by masospaghetti (edited 03-14-2014).]
I ended up installing a SPEC stage 1 clutch kit, I hope it lasts. The pressure plate housing is a very pretty blue I'm sure that will help and it cost around $230. Oh yea I also got free SPEC bumper sticker. Really the design of the pressure plate and friction disks looks good.
Clinton signed NAFTA all right but it was Bush the smarter's bill.
I try and buy the best of everything for my Fiero because it's so difficult to work on, especially engine/ transmission related stuff where removal of the engine is concerned. I feel your pain.
[This message has been edited by raysr11 (edited 03-14-2014).]
Its has been almost a month with me working on it here and there but just started the engine this morning and still finishing the antifreeze toping off procedure. Overall not a bad experience since I just had rebuild the engine last winter. I also install a new distributer O-ring from Dickmans and added a seal at the top. It leaked soon after the rebuild for some reason. I still love the Fieros.
I have drove my car about 150 miles since I install the new SPEC stage 1 clutch. It is very grabby though it is seems to be getting better as it is getting broken in. I got in some road construction with stop and go traffic for about 15 minutes and the car shuttered with each first gear start, just wanted to park it and not drive it again. SPEC says there is about a 500 mile break-in period and I sure hope it improves. Hind thought, I should have bought the RAM clutch.
[This message has been edited by Imnuts (edited 02-20-2016).]
It's more like a shutter but I think your right it is called chatter. The whole car vibrates as the clutch is let out and I am watching the dash and wondering if something is going to break off. Seems to get worse the warmer the clutch becomes. It would be great for a high performance driving. I sent a message to SPEC to inquire if I should be worried about abnormal wear on the flywheel during the break-in period but did not receive a response. Time will tell.
On mechanical clutches (non-hydrolic) it was generally caused by the linkage as the engine moved around and changed the engaugement. On a Fiero is it most likely caused by something on the clutch disc or flywheel/pressure plate. Not really normal although not uncommon. Sounds like yours is sort of extreme for sure. What is the disc made out of? Is it a puck type ? Larry
Did you resurface the flywheel? You should always have it machined when you install a new clutch.
Did you use brake cleaner to clean the flywheel and pressure plate surfaces? Any oil will cause problems. Never touch the pressure plate surface, flywheel surface or clutch media with your hands. Its a good idea to wear latex gloves when installing everything. I know it sounds extreme but it's important. It sounds like you have a contamination problem.
I have that vibratey issue on my delorean clutch, but it gets better the hotter it is , also if I rev high it doesn't vibrate. It's a clutch that came from John Hervey owner of specialtauto.com The whole car shakes when I engage it. It's his own proprietary clutch supposed to grab better and last longer than the stock Valeo clutch for DeLoreans. I've been told its cockeyed, angled , contaminated etc. I've test driven other DeLoreans with Valeo,clutches and they are smooth as silk. Maybe it is contaminated , or just extra "grabby". When its time to change it I will put a regular Valeo in. My Fiero clutch is grabby but doesn't vibrate at all.
------------------ ===Always trying to find time to work on cars=== Louis Duet Baldwin, Long Island, NY Where driving hard is SOP. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Blue" <= '85 Fiero GT Stock V6---Stock everything. Trying to keep it 'mostly' that way. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Boo" <= '81 Delorean DMC-12 The "DuetLorean" VIN #5835 Stock PRV engine Robertson Equipped Neiland/Delman Engineered Carbed and loving it! (Peugot 604 manifold) ---"Sorry purists"
Did you resurface the flywheel? You should always have it machined when you install a new clutch.
Did you use brake cleaner to clean the flywheel and pressure plate surfaces? Any oil will cause problems. Never touch the pressure plate surface, flywheel surface or clutch media with your hands. Its a good idea to wear latex gloves when installing everything. I know it sounds extreme but it's important. It sounds like you have a contamination problem.
Sadly, Many will degrease brake parts all day long and forget a clutch pressure plate and flywheel needs that to.
The bad news is that you run the contaminated clutch, fixing a chattering clutch is much harder to impossible.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Did you resurface the flywheel? You should always have it machined when you install a new clutch.
Did you use brake cleaner to clean the flywheel and pressure plate surfaces? Any oil will cause problems. Never touch the pressure plate surface, flywheel surface or clutch media with your hands. Its a good idea to wear latex gloves when installing everything. I know it sounds extreme but it's important. It sounds like you have a contamination problem.
Flywheel was new and I cleaned it with brake clean before I installed the new clutch and pressure plate. I hope it will improve as I put more miles on it. Thanks for the input. ≪∪≫
What's your experience driving a standard? Is it possible you're simply not giving it enough gas as you relatively slowly release the clutch? Some people seem terrified of allowing the clutch to slip at all, as if this is going to wear it out prematurely.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 04-17-2014).]
What's your experience driving a standard? Is it possible you're simply not giving it enough gas as you relatively slowly release the clutch? Some people seem terrified of allowing the clutch to slip at all, as if this is going to wear it out prematurely.
Sorry that's not it, this is my 2nd Fiero with a Getrag. I have been driving a Fiero for over 10 years now and this is not my first clutch install. It does smooth out if I rev the engine like I am getting ready for a burnout and just slip the clutch until it accelerates. ∇PONTIAC∇
After suffering almost 2 years with the grabby SPEC clutch I decided to see what was causing the problem.
The best I can tell is the grease from the throw out bearing came flinging out all over everything including the fiction disk and pressure plate. At first I thought I may have had an transmission input shaft leak but after looking the grease was much heaver then the trans oil.
You can see the scalding on the flywheel from either the oil or me slipping the clutch to keep it from grabbing.
For the third try I have installed a Ram clutch from the Fiero Store. I hope this one works because I don't want to do it a fourth time.
[This message has been edited by Imnuts (edited 02-19-2016).]
I have a Ram heavy duty clutch bolted to my 4.9. I like it, so far. I like the feel of the organic lining, but wanted the biggest disk I could find, in order to handle all that torque.
Not the first time he's referred to it by the wrong name.
In regards to clutches and reliability, my current one is going on 2 1/2 years now. As well as being a daily-driver, I drive the car hard at autocross. No issues with the clutch.
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Originally posted by Patrick:
From RockAuto, I bought a LUK clutch "kit" (clutch disc, pressure plate, throw-out bearing) for a grand total of $70 (plus a modest shipping fee) for my '88 Formula (5-spd Getrag). Works just fine.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 02-19-2016).]
Running a FS Ram HD clutch kit on our '87 for the last two years, no problems. Kit was a little pricey but the quality seems to be where it should be. Grabs nice and easy drivability. Can't see where most folks would need much more of a clutch for occasional sprited driving.
Good luck with your latest install. Not a bad job putting one in, but certainly understand why you wouldn't want to do very often.
