For 1700 do they give you a case of preperation H also

 

Thanks for ther assistance, fellas. I've been in e-mail contact with Valair (Dan) and did try to contact South Bend but I guess they're taking a long weekend off. I also appreciate the local Tucson reference. It turns out that a friend of mine here in Tucson has a friend who is an expert diesel mechanic who works on all kinds of diesels, including big rigs, and has quite a reputation for competence. At any rate, it appears there are some good options open to me in this situation. Thanks again.....Ed

EDIT: I think I'll have the dealer look at it anyway, on the outside chance there is some kind of warranted defect other than the disc itself that may be the cause of the slippage. That's probably not the case, but one can always hope for the best (and prepare for the worse).

 

A clutch at 30K!? Wow, you guys must be loaded all the time. I have 123K on mine and still going strong.....although I float the clutch 9 times out of 10 so I only clutch at stop/go. 30k, man, just can get over that. Are the clutches cheaper in the newer models? Different than the 02' models?

 

yes, with the introduction of the G56 transmission in the mid-05 model year came a new design of LUK clutch with a weak dual mass flywheel. The clutches in front of the NV4500 and NV5600 are much stronger than those equipped with the G56. I think I replaced the clutch in my '01 the first time at somewhere around 225000 miles, 75% of which were loaded miles with my 32' G/N.

In fact, if i remember right, Dan at ValAir told me their entry level single disc clutch for the G56 trucks is nothing more than a retrofitted NV5600 clutch and flywheel, giving a stock feel while being much more reliable than the newer clutch and flywheel setup. It makes it easier to find parts for as well, as you would just need replacement discs or pressure plates from an NV5600 clutch.

 

Peter e-mailed me that he has developed a much quieter g-56 replacement than his present applications. He's knocked out 75% of the clatter and is striving for more. I don't know if it is a single or DD. The stocker sure is quiet and the engagement/disengagement is perfect. Unfortunately,it just can't handle much additional power.

 

I had two 07 manuals in my fleet and both were loaded ALL the time pulling about 18K. Both clutches were replaced around 90K

 

Today,I spoke to that mechanic friend I mentioned above. He's going to check things out for me. He mentioned that a rear oil seal leak could be the culprit. He also knows the people at a local Dodge dealer, which makes him a very important contact, indeed. If indeed the seal is leaking, warranty should cover it.
He's going to check another Dodge 3500 that also has a slipping clutch, although that one is a 2006 model and has about 100k on it.

 

Bet seal is not leaking.Pretty darn rare on those engines.

 

I am glad that Peter knocked down some of that noise. My single disc in the 95 w G56 talks to me whenever I take my foot of the throttle. Especially at lower engine speeds. Alot of times I rest my foot on the accelerator at stoplights because of it. I hate high pitched noises but love the clutch.

 

I think only the DD's are noisy, the OFE I just put in is as quiet as the stocker and not grabby at all. You do hear the gears a little more cuz you get rid of the dual mas flywheel, but most passengers I've had in the truck don't even notice.

 

OEM specs list the DMF LUK clutches as having both more friction surface & plate load than the NV versions.

 

That brings up a good point. The DMF sucks, i still maintain that and won't sway in that opinion. The clutch itself, however, may be a stronger unit than those in front of the NV's yet with the newer engines and constant increases in available stock power, the clutch seems weaker to the owner. The clutch in my '01 lasted twice as long as the clutch in my father's '05 but that could be due to the 160ft.lbs. increase in available torque between the 24 valve and the HPCR 5.9L's.

 

I think SBC offers two versions of the OFE: a quieter but weaker one,and a loud but stronger one. Peter e-mailed me that they had developed a 75% quieter clutch and he was working on the other 25%. I don't know if it'll be a single or dd. Glad you got the quiet one.