Clutch!

[SHOTIME 37psi]

Well how much does it cost in labor to put a clutch in a 1994 Taurus SHO? Where should I buy my clutch from? Will a stock clutch be okay in my car with the upgrades I have listed below or do I need to upgrade?

 

[revhardSHO]

The stock clutch is fine for what you have, IMO.
I think the OEM kits run about $270 from AZ or Advanced Auto. This includes a Reman Pressure Plate, new TOB, new Quill Sleeve, and a new Disk. On top of this I would recommend getting new TOB release shaft bushings from www.shonutperformance.com . You will also need to get the flywheel resurfaced which runs $15-$35 depending on the machine shop.

Labor is quite a lot. I think maybe $400-$600 but I can say for sure. Dont have anyone but a SHO specialist do the clutch job; thats just my opinion but I think its good to stay on the safe side and have it done right. I think www.neshospecialists.com are not too far way from you.

 

[91taurisho]

if you drive your car hard, stay away from those clutches! Take my advice, I drive my cars hard and I toasted one of them after about 3,000 miles. Yes, I was easy on it for about 2,500 miles till it was fully broken in.

 

[revhardSHO]

if you drive your car hard, stay away from those clutches! Take my advice, I drive my cars hard and I toasted one of them after about 3,000 miles. Yes, I was easy on it for about 2,500 miles till it was fully broken in.

I remember your disk. It was obviously defective, its not like you toasted after only 3000 miles of driving. The friction disk had actually broken in two. FYI I have never had problems with the stock friction disk. You may want to invest in a Ceramic TOB from www.shonutperformance.com though.

 

[JoeHoe_SHO]

I'm gonna be doing a clutch too

I'm gonna go with the south bend kit, the cheap one...along with the tranny, oil pan and crank seals. Looking at a little over 400 in parts...will have to work something out as far as labor, shops will **** you with labor.

 

[91taurisho]

I remember your disk. It was obviously defective, its not like you toasted after only 3000 miles of driving. The friction disk had actually broken in two. FYI I have never had problems with the stock friction disk. You may want to invest in a Ceramic TOB from www.shonutperformance.com though.

Yes, but As far as I have heard, it has happened to other people. Not as bad as mine but similar things have happened. I also broke the pressure plate, not just the disc. I will never agree with anyone getting a stock clutch on one of these cars unless they never abuse it. That's my personal opinion and you don't have to agree with it.

 

[Shoaz]

FWIW, I've owned my 95 since new and it's only had a non-stock clutch for less than a year. It did several years of track use on the stock clutch before I switched to Fibertuff (I waited until the stock one wore out).

When the PP came out it still looked fine, the fingers were in pretty good shape. The stock disk even looked reasonably good, it just couldn't hold full throttle in third gear any more without slipping.

It's not the equipment that's the problem if you're having failures, IMHO. For street use I see absolutely no reason to not use a stock clutch if one is so inclined.

 

[revhardSHO]

Yes, but As far as I have heard, it has happened to other people. Not as bad as mine but similar things have happened. I also broke the pressure plate, not just the disc. I will never agree with anyone getting a stock clutch on one of these cars unless they never abuse it. That's my personal opinion and you don't have to agree with it.

FYI all of the aftermarket clutches use the same OEM pressure plate and just beef it up with bigger rivets and straps and whatnot. The finger wear you had on your stocker would of happened with any pressure plate. I think that was more of a TOB problem anyway. That was insane finger wear for only 3000 miles.

 

[91taurisho]

FYI all of the aftermarket clutches use the same OEM pressure plate and just beef it up with bigger rivets and straps and whatnot. The finger wear you had on your stocker would of happened with any pressure plate. I think that was more of a TOB problem anyway. That was insane finger wear for only 3000 miles.

I agree with that to an extent. The insane finger wear part, I definately agree with though! I know all clutches (for us anyway) use the same oem pressure plute, but I don't think it was JUST a TOB problem. I think it had a lot to do with the very hard driving it incurred. There is nothing wrong with driving hard, I just don't recommend doing it on a stock clutch.

Shoaz, I know some people have had great luck with the stock clutches. But I know some people have had very bad luck with them as well. IMO, it's too much of a hit or miss with the stock clutch. Just not my idea of playing it safe.

If you're going to fix it, fix it right with the proper parts the first time, not the 2nd or 3rd. I learned this the hard way... Now everytime I fix something, only good parts go in. Unless it has to be done and an upgrade is on the way. Hence the reason for the crappy brake pads I have on both the front and the rear... Front is getting the 96 upgrade soon and the rears will be getting better pads and rotors soon. I replaced both the front and the back with cheapo rotors and cheapo pads just till I have the money to get the right stuff.

I'm very ******* my car and I feel that street driven can mean anything from grandma driving 20 mph all day, to someone driving like they are running in the lemans 24 hour race. Normal street driving would be better wording. I don't track my car that often but I treat almost all roads like they are a prospective road course. It's the best kind of defensive driving I've ever seen. I don't do stupid things(anymore) but I am ******* my car, and I "street drive" all the time.

 

[revhardSHO]

I agree with that to an extent. The insane finger wear part, I definately agree with though! I know all clutches (for us anyway) use the same oem pressure plute, but I don't think it was JUST a TOB problem. I think it had a lot to do with the very hard driving it incurred. There is nothing wrong with driving hard, I just don't recommend doing it on a stock clutch.

Well that doesnt make any sense. By your reasoning, any PP would do the same thing based on your very hard driving, no? So it wouldnt matter what you had in there...

AND no TOB should wear out with only 3K miles, regardless of your driving style. My brother's 89 has made about 14 passes at the track. Those are all or nothing runs and full powershifts @ 7000-7200rpm. Car is also driven to redline multiple times daily. Everything looked like new when I had it apart a few weeks ago. This is a stock clutch kit I installed last year, he has about 6K on it now.

 

[91taurisho]

The reason I say hard driving is because, I think the pressure plate broke after The disc. Remember, I drove home with the disc in pieces because I had no way to get myself or my car home. My TOB is fine(the one that was in the car at the time that clutch broke). There is nothing wrong with it. I'm using it as a spare. That's why I agree with you to an extent. I don't think it had much to do with the TOB. I think it was the hard driving it incurred after the disc broke. When the disc broke, the TOB was fully engaged on the PP the entire way home. My flywheel was so heat spotted, from it slipping the entire way, I thought I might need a new one(turned out I didn't, thankfully). So, in short, it makes perfect sense. Like I said earlier, I drive my car hard. I drop the clutch a lot and I double clutch it and spin the tires into second as well. My cars go through a lot of abuse and I don't mind fixing them when they break.

 

[Shoaz]

I think it's pretty easy to surmise from this thread that if you don't intend to grossly abuse your car a stock clutch is fine.

 

[91taurisho]

I think it's pretty easy to surmise from this thread that if you don't intend to grossly abuse your car a stock clutch is fine.

Also like I said, if you

if you drive your car hard, stay away from those clutches!

Or:

I will never agree with anyone getting a stock clutch on one of these cars unless they never abuse it

I'm glad you agree with me...

 

[Shoaz]

I'm glad you agree with me...

Except that I make a distinction between abuse that results in premature failure and "driving hard". I drive mine pretty hard as well, including a lot of track time, and the stock clutch did fine for me.

FWIW, YMMV, etc., etc...

 

[Bizzy]

I opted to go with a stock clutch over the 9 puck this time around. It will allow with a bit more slip when using the nitrous than the 9 puck afforded.

Stock clutch kits will endure tons of hard driving, including track use. Iit's when burnouts are attempted is when the damage occurs. Many drivers rev the crap out of their cars, then slowly let off the clutch to do the burnout. They see smoke and think it's the tires. Often times the smoke they see is the clutch disk burning up. That is the killer of the stock clutch disk IMO.

 

[91taurisho]

Shoaz, Bizzy, Like I also said, it's too much of a hit or miss for me. I've seen it go both ways but for my troubles, I'll go with something a little better than stock. A stock clutch with Bolts and heavy duty straps on the PP(as opposed to the rivets and straps) would be a WAY better choice than a stock clutch from napa/AZ/wherever. The clutches from NAPA/autozone/wherever have the same pressure plate as oem, no bolts, just rivets. This is why I say stay away from those clutches. If it were one with bolts and HD straps, I would be less likely to say it(hence the reason I recommend the southbend stock replacement kit same as stock but bolts & HD straps). It's more the fact of the stock PP, not the disc. Aftermarket PP's are the same except for the straps and rivets. Again, this is my PERSONAL OPINION! That's the great thing about it, everyone has a different opinion...

 

[revhardSHO]

Shoaz, Bizzy, Like I also said, it's too much of a hit or miss for me. I've seen it go both ways but for my troubles, I'll go with something a little better than stock. A stock clutch with Bolts and heavy duty straps on the PP(as opposed to the rivets and straps) would be a WAY better choice than a stock clutch from napa/AZ/wherever. The clutches from NAPA/autozone/wherever have the same pressure plate as oem, no bolts, just rivets. This is why I say stay away from those clutches. If it were one with bolts and HD straps, I would be less likely to say it(hence the reason I recommend the southbend stock replacement kit same as stock but bolts & HD straps). It's more the fact of the stock PP, not the disc. Aftermarket PP's are the same except for the straps and rivets. Again, this is my PERSONAL OPINION! That's the great thing about it, everyone has a different opinion...

Should'nt you be worried more about the disk, since that was the part that failed?

 

[91taurisho]

No, Because I think it had a lot to do with the PP straps and rivets. They replace the straps with HD pieces that provide more clamping force. I think it was the lack of clamping force that HELPED cause the premature failure. The stock disc with the HD straps and bolts holds up quite well from what I've seen. If I'm not mistaken, It's Terry(TWR) who has a IPT(same as spec) stage 4 PP with a stock disc. It holds up well even with some abuse. I couldn't tell you how much exactly but I'm sure it's not a small amount(no offense Terry ). I'm sure not as much as my clutches but still...

 

[Shoaz]

I don't think the straps have anything to do with PP clamping pressure, that's determined by the fingers/spring. The straps are reinforced to help with the shock load during a launch or shift.

 

[revhardSHO]

No, Because I think it had a lot to do with the PP straps and rivets. [QUOTE/]
Like Shoaz pointed out, the straps have nothing to do with clamp load.

They replace the straps with HD pieces that provide more clamping force. I think it was the lack of clamping force that HELPED cause the premature failure. [QUOTE/]
The stock PP provides 1900 lb. of clamping force which is more than enough for most N/A applications; this is NOT the issue here. Can you please explain to me how the lack of clamping force (there was no lack, but) HELPED cause premature failure? I would be thinking just the opposite...