idyota

I believe I got a clutch and/or throw-out bearing quitting on me, so I have been looking at new clutches to see what is out there. I'm thinking I should jump up to a heavier duty clutch than what is stock. What I've been looking at is Marlin Crawlers, LCE Performance, and Northwest Off-Road. They all have heavy duty clutch options and I was wondering what everyone's experience with any or all them was? The other thing I discovered is a heavier flywheel option, is this a good thing to do at the same time? Should I replace the rear main seal, while I'm in there?

Thanks,
idyota

SCLead

I went with the MC option, can't speak to any of the others. Absolutely no complaints about the MC package. I replaced my flywheel with an Autozone flavor, so nothing fancy there. Definitely replace your rear main seal while you're in there. I don't know what's involved on the 22RE with that, the 3VZE forced me to remove the oil pan to do it, which made the rear main a much larger task. Definitely worth it though. My philosophy is to do everything I possibly can while I'm in there instead of risking a return trip. Wish I would have done my slave cylinder too. Cheap insurance given the labor involved.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Depends on your use of the vehicle in question.

All my vehicles have new clutches I have one LUK quite a few of the Aftermarket Aisin ones

If I needed a new one I would likely go with the Marlin Crawler 1200 pound one

While your doing the clutch do the hydraulics as well.

As to the rear Main seal do what you think you should do.

I never changed any that were not leaking the way my luck goes the new one would start to leak a month later.

Griswald

First gen, right?

I just put in a Japanese made Daikin/Exedy clutch kit, and it's money.

If you want "heavy duty", then the Aisin clutch kit with Heavy Duty disc.

muddpigg

iTrader: (1)

I like my HD 1200lbs Marlin

curious to see if anybody chimes in with ceramic clutch experience in a DD/weekend wheeler. I've read they catch hard so not best option for traffic driving.

idyota

Here's some more info on the truck, probably should've had on the first post. 94 4x4 ext cab 22re 220000 miles original clutch as far as I know 235 75r15 tires. It is beat around the woods truck so I'd be doing everything from highway driving to low range applications. The hardest thing on it is in the spring when we are trying to bust through the snow banks, this sometimes takes multiple try's.

Thanks
idyota

thook

i installed the 1200lb MC on mine years ago. very nice and the pedal wasn't too stiff for more daily application.

RJR

If you got 220,000 miles out of the original clutch, I'm not sure why you wouldn't replace it with the same thing. I wouldn't count on any aftermarket clutch being better than that.

Low range applications are no harder on the clutch than normal stop and go city driving. The clutch doesn't know what kind of gearing you have after it - it merely has to handle the maximum engine torque, which never changes regardless of gearing. Max torque is most often applied to the clutch when you're in 4th or 5th gear going uphill on the highway. Think about it - how often do you mash the throttle to the floor when on a trail in 4-lo? But you do that all the time on the highway.

The only thing that will stress the clutch abnormally is if you do a lot of driving where you need to slip it a lot, such as rock crawling, starting heavy towed loads, or stuff like snow-plowing that involves a lot of reversing.

thook

rjr raises a good point. i got the MC clutch (which is a modified aisin) because i towed a trailer and heavy loads frequently stopping and starting on hills. it helped a lot in those situations. otherwise, the stock clutch....before installing the marlin...really was just fine

thook

lol...that's exactly what happened to me. of course, the original seal was leaking, too. pffth....

idyota

RJR, I see your points. I'm not sure how the pickup was driven prior to me buying it, I'm assuming they didn't do the stuff I do with it now. The reason I'm looking at these heavier clutches because I do floor it a lot in 4low when trying to get through the snow.

Thanks
idyota

muddpigg

iTrader: (1)

Depends on driving style and use of rig. I've had clutchs slip in other rigs; Jeep, Nissan, and ford Once you glaze it well..... I've never had my 4rnr clutch slip, have no idea what clutch was in it when I got the rig, but the first time the tranny was off motor, about 4 months after getting rig, a new 1200lbs clutch. I've torn motor mounts apart. You don't shred motor mount pulling hills in 5th on the interstate. So build your rig how you want it. Who's gonna be the person limping a glazed clutch off a trail in the middle of no where??? Just my opinion.

thook

not trying to convince one way or another or even debate merits, but i got a lot of miles out of a stock clutch pulling a heavy trailer. just sayin...

muddpigg

iTrader: (1)

no worries, just offering a different point of view. Like I said all depends on use of rig. Mine's never been attached to a trailer since I've owned it. But dual case, light built motor, dual cases, lockers, with 35s wedged in between rocks on a 20% incline. May produce different stresses than others experience in their driving habits. That's the great thing about old trucks, fun to build to individual specs. But I will 100% agree Aisin makes awesome clutches. Don't think I'll ever run any other brand in a yota. I have wondered if a stock clutch would hold up to things I like to do, but price difference and labor time (I prefer to wheel over wringing) makes 1200lbs HD a no brainer to me.

RJR

The engine mounts have to deal with the torque at the output of the transfer case, which indeed is a lot greater in 4lo than in high range. Might be as much as 1800-2000 ft-lbs. The only thing keeping the whole engine, transmission, and transfer case from spinning in the chassis is the two front engine mounts and the 3rd mount back at the tcase. The front mounts are the most important.

The clutch, on the other hand, only has to deal with the engine torque, which is always the same regardless of gear or tcase range, and is never more than 180-200 ft lbs, 1/10 of what the motor mounts see.

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

I had one in my 92 when it still had the 3.0. Not worth the cost or sanity. It was tiring to drive. There was no "feathering" the clutch. Once it started to grab, that was it. It also made a loud metal rubbing metal sound when you did try to feather it.

muddpigg

iTrader: (1)

thanks for posting. Goes along with what I'd read about ceramic clutches in a different article.

idyota

Are you talking about the Marlin or ceramic clutch?

Thanks
idyota

thook

ceramic