Direct drum clutch pack options .090 steels or thin?

[bragggf]

I am in the midst of having my trans rebuilt after a forward drum failure. This trans was last built in 1995 by Mike Kurtz and I got +- 200,000 miles out of the trans before the forward drum failure. In then end I want the trans to shift just like it did prior to the failure. Obviously this is a daily driver. At the time borg warner clutches were used. Mike had setup the direct drum with the thinner forward drum steels and an additional direct drum clutch, machining down the clutch plate. Some say not do this, Alto offers a "power pack" kit that essentially does the same thing.

Right now I'm inclined to keep it the way Mike had it since every tear down I had done (the lockup clutch in converters don't last 200,000 miles) the soft parts were perfect so we simply put new seals in it and that was it. Even now I could reuse the borg warner clutches but obviously make sense to do the soft parts. I'll use the Alto clutches and band.

Any suggestions/coments?
1. Do I use the Alto Power pack kit and new backing plate
2. Revert to stock .090 size steel's (need new direct drum or stock backing plate)
3. Use the forward drum steels like Mike originally did and an extra direct drum clutch?

Thanks!

PS. This is for a 12/13 sec daily driver TR that sees about 20 runs a year. I don't drive it quite so much anymore (20,000 miles per year) since I"ve already put 330,000 miles on it.

Thanks!

-Gerry Bragg
Brighton, MI
bragggf@sbcglobal.net

 

[2quiktocare]

We don't add friction to the direct drum because thinner steels mean higher temps. In light of your success of what Mike is doing there, I would continue. Why mess with success. Mike does great work and knows his stuff for sure. Go with what Mike tells you, you can' go wrong.

Mark

 

[blackplague]

I Am No Expert, But Here is What I Do

I get 2 packages {because my vendor doesn't carry them individually} of Alto Reds in stock direct clutch thickness. 6 to a package>> 4 for the fwd {sometimes 5} then 7 for the direct.


I use new stock fwd steels {they are only .010 thinner/ .080 fwd - .090 direct}. Sometimes you get lucky and don't have to "step" the direct clutch backing plate, sometimes you don't {to get clutch pack clearance} {.035-.040 is what i shoot for}.

Will the .010 thinner steels be a problem over the life span of the trans? I personally don't think so. If the clutch pack clearance good and the hydraulic calibration <<< {shift kit} is good you shouldn't have a problem.

I think a steel any thinner than the .080 fwd steel, could pose problems though.

 

[Hacksaw]

I don't know how hard you drive it, but 200,000 miles is great for this trans, even a built one. Some people here are rebuilding their trans each year.

Yep, stick with what Mike K. did in the past. Did you have an improved forward clutch drum/input shaft in the last trans?

I see where PTS has some new overrun gear train improvements. They may not have been around in 1995.

-Mike H.

 

[JDSfastGN]

I don't know how hard you drive it, but 200,000 miles is great for this trans, even a built one. Some people here are rebuilding their trans each year.

Yep, stick with what Mike K. did in the past. Did you have an improved forward clutch drum/input shaft in the last trans?

I see where PTS has some new overrun gear train improvements. They may not have been around in 1995.

-Mike H.

no kidding 200,000 is nothing to scoff at. Keep it set up as it was

 

[bragggf]

thanks for the thoughtfull replies. I will do as consensus says and keep it the way Mike originally did it since for my trans using the forward steels has worked well. Most of my driving is highway and I used to put 50k a year on this car. Certainly the most reliable car I've ever had which I bought new back in Dec. '86. Beyond the typical upgrades (fuel,exhaust,intake) and routine maintenance In 330,000 miles I have had to do the following:

1. valve springs
2. alternator
3. water pump
4. trans, 3 converters
5. coil pack (stock would only last 3yrs; went to a 3 coil pack setup off of a '92 century that has worked flawlessly for the past 7 or 8 yrs).
6. MAF
7. radiator
8. header cracks

I have a new motor I can use and sometime next year I will pull the original motor since something has to give sometime and I'd hate to trash the thing. The thing I have liked most about the car above everything else was how well the trans shifted (after the Mike Kurtz rebuild). Nice comfortable part throttle shifts but a completely different animal @WOT.

 

[supergn6]

200,000 miles man you better keep it just like it was!!!!!!!!!!