TH400 Clutch Assembly help

[McHaggis]

I've bought a TH400 rebuild kit that includes extra frictions and steels but I'm having a s**t of a time trying to get anything to fit. The vendor isn't that helpful, when he finally replies to emails, (he usually doesn't!) so I'm throwing this out to you guys for some advise.

I've been trying to go to 6 stack forward and direct packs but have pretty much given up. The direct drum is NOT the deep 6 element one so I've settled on 5 with the 0.0915 steels. It has 0.025" clearance right now. I've changed both pistons to alloy ones so I can machine them for the desired clearances.
How much should I shoot for? I'm guessing 0.050" or so but some publications say 0.030 to 0.040". Isn't that a tad too tight?

The forward has 5 with the 0.0775 steels and there doesn't seem to be a way to fit the extra one in here either unless I keep the clearance real tight. What clearance should I shoot for here? Again I've read 0.030 to 0.045 is ideal.
What's better in the forward pack? A 6 element pack with thin steels or a 5 with the thick steels? It's not a shifting clutch so it shouldn't get too hot? Right? But they seem too....

And finally the intermediate.... The vendor told me no machining or extra parts are required to fit the 4 element "power pack" in here either. I guess that if 0.003" clearance is cool then I don't have a problem!
This piston isn't square so will load one side the the pack before the others so I'll square it up and take about 0.030" off it doing so. Any more and I'll run into the center support snap ring. That should give me about 0.033". Still not enough. (0.070"?) I'm guessing the only way to make this fit is to swap out the backing plate with a thinner one but I've already spent more than I've allowed (client has already paid for the parts) so I can't get more parts shipped over here.
Can it be machined? It looks to be b***dy hard so it's going to be difficult (read that as expensive!) to do. It's about 0.436" thick at present.

Any suggestions?

 

[chris718]

I am your vendor and do answer your emails when I get them.Lets put the bull\$hit aside and get your answers to your questions.A piston machined to .575 will fit 6 thin steels and clutches and 6 clutches in a 5 clutch direct or forward drum.If they are too loose add a thick steel.Clearance should be .030 to .060 IMO.If it is too tight even with thin steels machine a litte off the pressure plate under the snap ring groove to gain additional clearance.As for the Intermediate,.035 is fine and is where I put them.If it is too tight rechecheck you assembly or install a thinner snap ring on the top of the pack.Some snap ring grooves are cut lower than others reducing the clearance.I install 4 disks in all of my th400s and never have issues with clearance.Torqueflite hi gear drum snap rings @ .060 or .070 will fit right in the groove.

 

[McHaggis]

Chris. I'm not here to openly discredit you in any way, hence no names mentioned. I have simply stated that many of the emails I've sent you have remained unanswered, 23 in fact. You say you have responded to all the emails I've sent therefore I fully retract the above statement and apologize to you for this misunderstanding.

Let’s set the record straight…..
I bought a TH400 kit from CK Performance and have had many communication issues. From Chris’s comment above it appears that the email system has let us both down in this case. While some emails went unanswered Chris went to the trouble to reply to me during a short break he had taken. This is immensely appreciated.

I needed to get more parts once the initial kit arrived so we got this sorted, paid for, and sent. I included in this shipment a TH350 rebuild kit to keep the shipping cost reasonable for my client (the TH400 is for him) as we shared the shipping cost. When it arrived there were some TH350 parts missing so I emailed CK Performance and Michelle (She’s been awesome too!) responded quickly and sent them at no extra cost! Can’t ask for more than that!
So, on the whole both Chris and Michelle have been great to deal with.

Now that’s been put to bed lets sort out these clutches!

Chris, I don’t have enough thin steels to fill both packs. Am I better to keep the direct at 5, with the thicker steels, or should I get more thin ones and make them fit? If I do get more steels are they OEM style or something different? (I’ll get them locally because of shipping costs to New Zealand)

Can the intermediate backing plate be machined for the extra clearance or is it too hard? This seems the best way, in my mind, and I’d rather do this as I got a TH200 4R snap ring off you and putting a thinner one in seem to go against all advice.

 

[chris718]

Send me an email and I will reply to it as long as I get it with my recommenedations