[myoldidisbroke]

OK, what is everyones take on blue/red clutches? Why can't you run kolene steels with the blue?

todd

 

[Mario428]

My spare tranny has the blue's in it and they worked well. I pulled the tranny after about 160 passes because it was starting to flare into high gear. The clutches just showed some heat marks. standard clutches would have been smoked for sure. My problem turned out to be the large seal on the H piston. The tranny now in use has reds with kolene steels so we will see how well they do. I have never seen any reference to not using blue clutches with kolene steels. Call Harvey at Perf Automatics, great guy to talk to and if you have not purchased them yet PA now has a 6 clutch high gear drum setup which I would love to get.

 

[windsoreight]

With the reds you can use standard steels. With the blues you really use the kolene steels.

 

[myoldidisbroke]

I'll call PA again, my brake is going back to them since it died. I was told by the guys at bulk parts not to use kolene steels with the blues, only the red. Here is my issue though, the blue are not really for a slipping situation so would they be bad to use on the forward clutch pack while I stand on the brake?

todd

 

[windsoreight]

The clutches shouldn't slip with the trans brake. The converter should slip or stall. I did run a trans brake but my car is on the street so I swapped valve bodies. The blue clutches are better than the reds but I run the reds with no problems. I just never needed to upgrade to the blues and the kolene steels.

 

[67stang]

I ran 'stock' clutches, (and even ONLY the 4 clutch setup) the last 2 years.
First year, (if you remember previous C4 posts), I had a loss of 2nd gear. (PA servo/kevlar band fixed that).
Anyway, didn't know that TCI used/utlized stock ford frictions/clutches in their kits. When you order a performance overhaul kit, ONE assumes it would have good stuff in it. NOT. In either case, where I"m going with this, is this.......I didn't add up ALL the passes on the trans the last 2 years, but there was alot. This is with those STOCK TCI frictions/steels. Saw a few heat spots on the direct. Other then that, they looked like new. You could still read the FORD part numbers (in ink I'm assuming), on the frictions......... Wonder what kind of heavy hitter it's going to be this year with reds in the forward, and the new 6pack in the other?

 

[myoldidisbroke]

I used TCIs clutches before, they were not the same as a raybestos tan clutch. The TCI clutches looked fine after two years of running but the planet broke. This trans was never intended to have a brake so I used the tan clutches, the brake was a good deal so I got that. After 30 passes on the brake the forward clutches are wasted along with the steels, the high/rev pack looks brand new(I use 5 clutches in each pack).

thx

todd

 

[Mario428]

If your forward clutches are gone take a good look at the sealing rings grooves in the pump. I have only burnt up 1 set of forwards in all the years I have been racing. The cause was worn grooves on the pump. The forward clutch is always on and should never fail if pressures are right. The components that fail are the ones that get applied by shifting and have to slip a bit to absorb the power.

 

[myoldidisbroke]

I'll check the pump seals and lands out. Would it be a good idea to take a brake hone to the inner area of the drum to promote sealing? I have seen this done on the area for the govener.

todd

 

[Mario428]

The inside of the drum should not wear. The sealing rings spin with the drum and there is an oil film like on bearings that keeps the groove sides lubricated. But if the tranny has too much end play the drum will slide back & forth on the rings wearing it and killing the grooves.
Clean the drum up if there is very little wear, if wear is really evident I would replace. When you reassemble get your endplay to bottom end of factory specs. Use output shaft for the brass washer and end play on direct drum for the large plastic washer.
Very important in a C-4 that will handle a lot of HP to keep endplay to a minimum.

 

[1FAST67]

<font color="blue">A local tranny guy here builds C4's with stock rebuild kits, then puts a hipo servo and valve body in it. he says that line pressure is the most important thing and that if it's too low, the tranny will slip and burn up. Is he right? or should he be using the hipo rebuild kits?

</font>

 

[67stang]

Line pressure & the intermediate servo. Also if you really want to abuse it I know a place that has kevelar lined rigid bands for C-4's