centerforce clutch Install

shawpdx1

Registered User
does it matter were the dowel pins line up? I tried different patterns and none lined up w/ holes on flywheel.
 

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As long as the bolts you have are pilot style bolts then you are all set. If you dont then you will need the pilot pins.
 
those pins on the pressure plate are to big for the holes in my flywheel & they don't line up in any pattern with holes in flywheel. I just used some #8's w/ lock washers and The blue locktite.
 
Pins should be on the flywheel. Not the pressure plate. Then you can pilot the pressure plate on. Although I am not sure that DF clutch was never made for a late model car, so you will likely need the pilot style bolts and not use any pilot pins. Late model cars use pins and regular bolts. You can mix and match as long as you have the correct bolts an pins for the pressure plate, all stock flywheels are the same and can use both style clutch.

I dont know if regular bolts will work. I meant it will bolt on but not sure if you will be able to align the pressure plate correctly. You should get the pilot bolts. The body of the bolt is fat and fits snug on the pressureplate. Only the tips have threads for the flywheel, they are special bolts.
 
looks like its all aligned right. the alignment tool has me dead center on pilot bearing, pressure plate sits right at the flywheel lip the bolts I got are #8's and are same depth of the one old one the only difference is the new bolts have threads all the way to the head of the bolt
 
I wont tell you your set up wont work cause I dont know, But if it was me Id source out some pilot style bolts, They are discontinued likely and I was involved in a trade with another member. When I had this problem.

You could take the chance that visually its aligned, but the pressure plate could shift on you since there is space between the hole walls and the bolt. There alot of torque that this engine produces.
I dont know what to tell you.
 
well baxter has ford v8 pressure plate bolts guess ill go take my old 1 original in and see if it matches up
 
well baxter has ford v8 pressure plate bolts guess ill go take my old 1 original in and see if it matches up


Why not reuse the old one, The only bolts I dont trust reusing is the flywheel to engine bolts. Ive reused the pressure plate to flywheels bolts before..
 
I lost all but one of them somehow, Its been sitting for 3 years and in that time i did a move, so I'm piecing it back together. finally got my interest back into finishing this thing but I could loose it again over these bolts!!!
 
I just installed a new Centerforce DF in mine and am currently breaking it in. My Spec aluminum flywheel had 3 dowel pins that didin't line with any of the holes in the pressure plate so I had the pins removed. My old stock steel flywheel didn't have any dowel pins. Of the 6 mounting bolt holes in the pressure 3 were the right size and 3 were too small so I bored out the small holes so the bolts would just fit thru. Everything lined up perfectly at this point and there is no vibration so it must be correct. The correct pressure plate and flywheel bolts are 12.9 strength. Be sure to break in your new clutch as Centerforce instructs or it won't last.
 
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I just installed a new Centerforce DF in mine and am currently breaking it in. My Spec aluminum flywheel had 3 dowel pins that didin't line with any of the holes in the pressure plate so I had the pins removed. My old stock steel flywheel didn't have any dowel pins. Of the 6 mounting bolt holes in the pressure 3 were the right size and 3 were too small so I bored out the small holes so the bolts would just fit thru. Everything lined up perfectly at this point and there is no vibration so it must be correct. The correct pressure plate and flywheel bolts are 12.9 strength. Be sure to break in your new clutch as Centerforce instructs or it won't last.

Just to add to this...which happens to be exactly to the T what happened to me yesterday, and now its all in and feels/runs great!...I called Dave just to be sure and he said pins are not needed as long as pressure plate has no play with straight bolts, otherwise shouldered bolts are needed.

Yes and make sure to break that bad boy in 500 street miles...

After having a Spec stage 2 and it burning up and a Spec stage 3 and it burning up...so far I love the Centerforce pedal and driveability! Wont know long term until around Xmas time
 
One thing I have noticed on mine is that it has a little growl to it when the clutch engages and slips a little bit. The more I drive it the less it growls and it no longer growls between shifts. I've got about 350 mi on it so far. I suspect I could have surfaced my flywheel steel insert better. The insert was perfectly smooth with no wear pattern on it at all other than some coloration in spots, no galling though. I went over it with 400 gray sandpaper till it was nicely buffed off but I guess it wasn't enough. There is a resurfacing compound on the puck surface and thats what is probably causing the growl which is almost gone now. I'm supposed to race Saturday so I'm trying to get lots of stop and go driving on it before then.
On my old one 3 pucks fell off and got stuck between the flywheel and a couple of good pucks and I couldn't disengage it. I originally thought my slave cylinder went bad but when I found clutch material lying inside the bellhousing, I knew it was the clutch instead.:(
 
no play as in what? I could NOT move that pressure plate if I wanted to after I torqued it...............should I roll with it? I just got back from Baxters and picked up some shouldered bolts that are they are Mopar PP bolts but are 8's 3/8-16x1" these have a little longer shoulder. Im at a stand still here deciding if I should just go for it but after putting out $500 on the clutch parts Im Leary


Go with what I got in already???? or swap them out to these new ones??
 

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Use your discresion, looks like Dalke is ok with regular bolts as long as there was no play on that bolt and the PP holes. Make sure its torqued to spec.
 
Im going to Roll the dice and stab it in. see what happens..........what fun is a SC unless your wrenching on it :)
 
One thing I have noticed on mine is that it has a little growl to it when the clutch engages and slips a little bit. The more I drive it the less it growls and it no longer growls between shifts. I've got about 350 mi on it so far. I suspect I could have surfaced my flywheel steel insert better. The insert was perfectly smooth with no wear pattern on it at all other than some coloration in spots, no galling though. I went over it with 400 gray sandpaper till it was nicely buffed off but I guess it wasn't enough. There is a resurfacing compound on the puck surface and thats what is probably causing the growl which is almost gone now. I'm supposed to race Saturday so I'm trying to get lots of stop and go driving on it before then.
On my old one 3 pucks fell off and got stuck between the flywheel and a couple of good pucks and I couldn't disengage it. I originally thought my slave cylinder went bad but when I found clutch material lying inside the bellhousing, I knew it was the clutch instead.:(

All I know is I am going to give this clutch 500 street miles before doing anything erratic
 
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