has this been done??? Flathead clutch idea...

Ok, so I own a OT 1993 Dodge dakota and was looking at a clutch for it and this is what went on in my mind when looking at napa online...

hmmm... look at that... the clutch for the Dakota is 10.4 inches... the flathead truck clutch is 10.5.... hmmm... the spline is 10x 1 1/8.... so is the flatheads spline!!! I wonder if you could use that dakota clutch on a flatty as a cheeper alternative??? yeah, maybe I will post that on the HAMB... Yeah, thats what I will do...


Can this be done??? could this be the cheeper alternative to the other clutches avaiable for the flathead...

Just a thought! let me know your input...

maybe Im just a mad man!!!

Jordan

 

only 20 people have even bothered to look at this? I should have thought of a better ***le!!!

Jordan

 

I use a mid 60's Y block ford pickup clutch disc for an 11" flathead flywheel. They bolt right in, but are like 25% of the price...

 

why not?

if it doesnt work, or the splines are just out, I'm sure your going to know. have you got a clutch plate that you can try to a pressure plate and a flywheel?

 

I will when i get around to replacing the clutch in my Dakota... I will let you guys know what i find!!!

Jordan

 

Not a dumb idea at all. Sometimes off-t******lf parts from off-the-wall applications can get the job done for big $aving$.

Had a friend who was looking into pistons for flatheads from foreign engines like Toyotas and such. What he said made sense: As long as the top has close to the right shape, the pin height is resonable, and the bore is close, the rest can be done by a guy with a lathe. New undersize bushing in the rod, carve the piston top a little, and bore to some metric size. Beats spending $500 for a set of Jahns.

 

Parts is parts. Auto manufactures don't design every part in every car to be application specific. They say we need X part, then they find a part that is already being manufactured that will meet their spec and use that. So yes by all means do a bit of research and fine the stock parts that meet your needs for cheaper then the specialty parts houses, when you buy the Flat Head specific clutch(etc. etc.) you are just paying those guys to do the research for you. It obviously doesn't work for all parts but the basic ones are almost always universal. Bearings, bushings, clutches, seals, on and on. If you get creative you can almost always find the exact part you need for less then half the price of the specialty parts supplier. Good luck

 

There is always a cross between time ,and money. I've always felt it was better to do a little "research" on new, better , cost effective parts. Hard to find parts are not in the same cl***. Sometimes it's needed. I said a little time. Keep this in mind if you have to pull your engine or ****** if you clutch set up doesn't work after a few miles.

 

I will sure be looking at this when I put in my new 40' Merc flattie with a bronze inserted aluminum flywheel.