I will be installing my SBC MU13-1.25 Con OFE clutch this weekend. I am going to have a couple of gasser buddies helping that have changed clutches before, but not on a CTD. Is there anything in particular to watch for or expect when I get into it? Thanks in advance...

 

get some 6" long 1/2 bolts and cut the heads off them. use them for alingment dowels in the bottom 2 belhousing bolt holes. i left my tranny/tcase in one piece, still hade the front drive shaft hooked to it. i put it on the jack, one guy on either side and slide it right in on the two dowels. put the top 2 bolts in, removed the dowels and bolted it up. you can get the transmisson crossmember out by jacking the tranny all the way up. and sliding the crossmember up and back. mike

 

Thanks!!

 

Any other tips? I got tired of the slippage in 4th and 5th so got me a SBC. Now I have to put it in.

 

Make sure and get the flywheel machined, and replace the pilot bearing while you are in there. Put in a rear main seal now too because it sure would suck if it started leaking a month from now. Otherwise, it's a straightforward job. I always separate the transfer case from the transmission, just because of the weight and awkwardness, even with a hoist. But that's up to you.

 

Ok, rear main seal as well. I also got the upgraded 5th gear nut as well.

Does the piolt bearing come with the SBC?

 

Yeah, the clutch I got came with a new flywheel that had the pilot bearing in it. FYI, the bolts that you use for alignment dowels are 3/8" and not 1/2". I had a heck of a time getting the last inch to close on the bell housing. All the guys I had there and called said that it shouldn't have been as tight as it was to get the shaft into the pilot bearing. I had to get some 3/8" X 3" bolts to start and then slowly suck the housing to the motor. Then replaced them with the original bolts. But after a long hard day, that 3rd gear rubber trail was well worth it. I'm notice that I have a little vibration at idle now, that wasn't there before. Maybe the flywheel wasn't balanced as good as the stock?? And as torquefan said, it WAS awkward to balance the transmission and the transfer case on a single jack. I also went ahead and installed a BD short shift kit from Geno's while I had it tore apart....

 

Oh, BTW, can anyone tell me if I should be worried about the stress cracks I found in my bell housing???

 

My truck did not have any cracks
DM01

 

Are you sure those are cracks? They look more like casting flashings to me.

 

You can tell the difference when looking at it up close, and I'm almost positive they are cracks. They are jagged and you can catch them with your nail, versus the smoother lines associated with casting.

 

when i installed my SBC i noticed that on my bell housing too......the werent deep but they werent just casting flash either...that was over 40000 miles ago and it still looks the same......