I keep seeing 500 miles for a break in on a new clutch. I have my valiant I dont drive it on the street but I race it a couple times a year. I would like to change the clutch but I have no way of getting that kinda miles on it. Is there any other way to break in a clutch beside driving it?

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

No one has anything on this? How do racecars do it there not driving those kind of miles for a clutch break in.

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

I don't run a manual. Even with my automatic I have trouble with consistency.

Word is, you want to heat cycle the clutch several times. I'd say get to the strip early, drive around the pits gently, stopping and starting, then let it cool down. Repeat.
The big teams put the car up on stands and do this. With the level of power most slants make, I'm not sure it's going to make a big difference, but heating it a couple times and getting it to uniformly engage across the entire friction surface won't hurt.

2¢

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

drive it like you stole it LOL

I have a line lock, do you think I could just use that to load/heat it up. If I set the lock let the clutch out until it starts to grab go a little father them let off and repeat a couple dozen times.think that will work?

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

I did that with the last one I put in, it chatters pretty bad and it doesn't hold in second or third

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

chatter????? did you resurface flywheel???? if not new clutch will chatter soon also

I resurfaced the flywheel with the first clutch, but I did nothing to break it in. I was beating the begesus out of the car and It was fine for a while then started acting up. It's alot more noticeable now that I have a solid mount in.

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

Heat cycling by gently heating it up and cooling it down will reduce the tendency to chatter. Side stepping it right out of the box at the line will cause it to chatter for the rest of it's life.

I don't know that setting the line lock and heating it is going to be that gentle. The idea is to get it uniformly engaging prior to doing something nasty to it, like launching the car.

The idea is to warm it up, not get it hot. It's not like a two stage, so I'm not sure how your going to approach this on stands like the big teams do.

What kind of friction material are you using? Check with the clutch manufacturer. Your not trying to do this with an OEM replacement clutch, right? If it's a stocker, your going to need to make sure it's run in before going out and stomping the stuffing out of it.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Ceej is right, you could stick the rear axle on some jack stands and jack it through the gears but that won't put stress on the disc and pressure plate to condition it like driving it. Stocker clutch will require daily driving to break in. I know Spec Clutch requires a break in period the same way regardless of the type of clutch (I usually drive mine to work for a week or so, and go get groceries, etc...just to 'book time' on the disc).

Worst case scenario is you drive it around the block in 1st and 2nd to keep the rpms up and cycle some drivetrain drag on the setup between the gears down and upshift (but don't lug it in 3rd unless you have a set of 4.xx under there...).

-D.Idiot

For materials I'm gonna resurface the flywheel,i have a new oem disk and
http://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47123.

What kind of disc would you recommend to go between what I have?

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1966 Plymouth Valiant, 225, 3 on the tree, 8 1/4 3.21 sure grip, hyperpac, holley 650dp, holset h1c

I would get a 4 or 6-puck sprung center clutch disc. Spec will make you one, but they will want to know the thickness in addition to the spline size and diameter. You can use a C-clamp to compress the Marcel in the stock disc and measure the thickness. The factory service manual only gives the lining thickness. If the flywheel and pressure plate are very smooth the break-in time will be minimal.

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Joshua