kk240 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 To start off, I have a Gen I block that I am mating a '97 T56 to. I've read many of threads pertaining to this combination and I have still not quite found the answer I'm looking for. 1) Can I use the stock bellhousing with a 168 tooth flywheel or does it have to be a 153 tooth? 2) Does the clutch have to be from an LT1? If so is it in fact an 11in? 3) Which hydraulic throw out bearing should I use to maintain the existing slave cylinder mounting location? I know there are many combinations that would probably work. I'd appreciate any information along with what you have used and if it was sucessfull. I already have a 168 tooth flywheel and an 11in centerforce clutch. Physically looking at and attempting to mate the flywheel it seems that it will not work with the stock T56 bellhousing, which is why I believe that everyone is saying to use the 153 tooth. However if I could use another suitable (larger) bellhousing then that is one less item to purchase, I could just utilize everything that I have now, with the exception of the throw out bearing. I appreciate any help you are willing to offer up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay260z Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 With the stock bellhousing you will have to use a 153 tooth flywheel that will use a 11" LT1 type clutch (Pull Type) witch is stock in all LT1 cars with the T56 trans and the throwout bearing is made into the pressure plate but can be removed in needed. Here is what a LT1 pressure plate looks like, the clutch fork pulls the on the clutch instead of pushing like every other car. http://www.caspeed.com/gallery14/images/mc-assm-800.jpg The pull type pull LT1 clutch will require a special flywheel to use the a LT1 clutch and centerforce is the only company i konw of that makes them. To use the clutch/flywheel setup you have now youll need a new bellhousing to fit it all under and a new slave cylinder setup to convert from a external slave (factory LT1 clutch setup) thats a pull type into a internal slave cylinder that will be a push type. An easy way to compare the push and pull clutches is to look up a factory LT1 camaro clutch/slave cylinder setup to a factory LS1 clutch/slave cylinder setup. You will notice they are totaly differnt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 To start off, I have a Gen I block that I am mating a '97 T56 to. I've read many of threads pertaining to this combination and I have still not quite found the answer I'm looking for. 1) Can I use the stock bellhousing with a 168 tooth flywheel or does it have to be a 153 tooth? 2) Does the clutch have to be from an LT1? If so is it in fact an 11in? 3) Which hydraulic throw out bearing should I use to maintain the existing slave cylinder mounting location? I know there are many combinations that would probably work. I'd appreciate any information along with what you have used and if it was sucessfull. I already have a 168 tooth flywheel and an 11in centerforce clutch. Physically looking at and attempting to mate the flywheel it seems that it will not work with the stock T56 bellhousing, which is why I believe that everyone is saying to use the 153 tooth. However if I could use another suitable (larger) bellhousing then that is one less item to purchase, I could just utilize everything that I have now, with the exception of the throw out bearing. I appreciate any help you are willing to offer up. kk240: Fidanza, McLeod and Centerforce all have flywheels available for LT1/T56 combination. McLeod has the hydraulic slave clutch cylinder for the pull type T56 bell housing. There is a cast adaptor made by GM that goes between the slave cylinder and the T56 bellhousing. All of this is what I am installing in my 240Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kk240 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 RSICARD, I've heard about the adapter that you are installing but i've never seen one installed. When are you planning on installing yours? Could you post pictures when you are complete? Thanks again and good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 RSICARD, I've heard about the adapter that you are installing but i've never seen one installed. When are you planning on installing yours? Could you post pictures when you are complete? Thanks again and good luck. kk240: The adapter I was referring to is between the T56/LT1 bellhousing and the McLeod slave hydraulic cylinder mounts on it. I will photograph this setup and send to you such that you can visualize same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kk240 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Jay260Z thanks for the info I found it very usefull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kk240 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 RSICARD: Where do you get the adapter? What flywheel and clutch are you using? Sorry for so many questions, I like to hear information from people that have had sucess with their combinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 RSICARD: Where do you get the adapter? What flywheel and clutch are you using? Sorry for so many questions, I like to hear information from people that have had sucess with their combinations. kk240: Sorry, I got off track. The adapter between the T56/LT1 bellhousing and the slave cylinder is a GM part that I purchased from GMpartsdirect.com. I purchase an aluminum Fidanza flywheel and Centerforce dual friction clutch and pressure plate off of Ebay. Talked to Centerforce at SEMA and they Email me the GM part number for the SPECIFIC bolts to use to mount the pressure plate to the flywheel. I will try to get you all this information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kk240 Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 RSICARD: I appreciate all the help. Have you installed it yet? Is it an 11" clutch with a 153 tooth flywheel? Did you have any intentions of using a hydraulic throw out bearing? I heard that hydraulic was the way to go, any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 RSICARD: I appreciate all the help. Have you installed it yet? Is it an 11" clutch with a 153 tooth flywheel? Did you have any intentions of using a hydraulic throw out bearing? I heard that hydraulic was the way to go, any ideas? kk240: I have an 11" centerforce dual friction clutch and a Fidanza Aluminum 153 tooth flywheel. Have NO intentions to use a hydraulic throw out bearing. A fellow that I used to work with had a jeep with a hydraulic throw out bearing and he hated it because when it failed, which it did, it required removing the transmission to replace the throw out bearing. This is why I stayed away from same. Using GM adapter and McLeod slave hydraulic cylinder to actuate pull-type clutch. Have not installed same but expect only one problem and that is the trans tunnel interference with the slave cylinder. I can handle that. Talked with AMP performance from Phoenix at the super chevy show last weekend at the drag strip and he said that he can fix the weak points in the T56 transmission. I think that I will make a fixture and do it myself by ordering the parts and just doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kk240 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Heres another question for ya, what was your reason for not using the centerforce flywheel with the stock LT1 clutch which would use the stock pull type bearing and would not require a bellhousing adapter? Since I found out the different routes to take I'm trying to utilize the parts I have now. Also do you know the size difference between a 168 and 153 tooth flywheel? I have a centerforce II that will bolt to a 168 tooth flywheel. I measured the disc plate end to end, is this the proper way to determine size of the clutch or is it by measuring the pressure plate? If in fact I do not have an 11" clutch in my possession then it really wouldn't matter which route I go because I will have to by all new components. How much do you think you spent on the flywheel, clutch, adapter, bearing and other misc. parts? I'm not necessarily aiming for the cheapest combination, just looking for reliability and ease of operation. I'd hate to get everything together just to have to have a bionic leg to operate it. Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsicard Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 kk240: The centerforce 153 tooth STEEL flywheel weighs 28+ pounds. I purchased a Fidanza aluminum flywheel of 11 pounds on Ebay for $300+. Purchased the GM adapter from GMpartsdirect.com. Cannot recall the cost for same. Purchased the Centerforce dual friction clutch disk and pressure plate off of Ebay for substantially less than same on Summit Racing. It did have some rust but media blasted this off. Purchased the slave cylinder from Summit Racing manufactured by McLeod. Purchased the specific bolts which attach the pressure plate to the flywheel from GMpartsdirect.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay260z Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 One of the main reasons others convert to the push type clutch is the ablity to mix and match clutch combos, when you do the pull type (factory LT1) you are limited to only the clutches for the LT1 t56 cars. The factroy LT1 clutch is 11" and ive seen no other diam, just a singel or twin disk. The 168 tooth is about 14 1/4" in diam. and the 153 is a little over 12" in daim. A 168 tooth flywheel will not fit under the factory LT1 beelhousing so you have to use the 153 tooth and a starter for a 153 tooth witch any LT1 camaro/firebird starter works for this. Your centerforce II will not work with the LT1 clutch setup it has to be a pull type clutch in order for it to function. The parts ive bought are; centerforce flywheel pn. 700107 $380, a cheep stock clutch form autoparts store $200, slave cylinder form the auto parts store for $50, russell clutch adaptor fitting pn. 640281 $21, and a pilot bushing pn. ST656KPB $41. I have not got a slave cyl yet and i used a steel flywheel to make it more street friendly over the light weight alum. I talked to a buddy of mine who owns a 96 LT1/t56 firebird and takes it to the track all the time running 11.62 at 117 and has no problem with the stock clutch setup. I kept it simple to prevent headaces and if parts need to be upgraded later on they easily can be by using parts for the same car the t56 come out of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kk240 Posted April 12, 2009 Author Share Posted April 12, 2009 Thanks Jay260! Is there a specific year flywheel for a Gen I block to a T56 bellhousing (ie. 93-97)? You said you used the Centerforce, how much better is the Centerforce over say a stock GM flywheel? I only ask because there is about a $150 difference between the 2. Oh and how does the steel flywheel make it more streetable? I had an aluminum in my last car and the only differences that I noticed were that it revved faster and it made a little more chatter than normal. The pedal effort was a little more as well. I've also heard that the life of an aluminum flwheel is not as great as a steel. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay260z Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 The flywheel is a special flywheel because of the 11" clutch to a 153 tooth flywheel. There are two differnt flywheels that centerforce makes for this setup, a 1-piece or the 2-piece main seal. There can be others who make them but, i just searced on summit racings website and thats what i found. The extra rotating weight helps in stop and go traffic, the alum i have heard in some cars it makes it a little harder to drive in traffic, its up to you if you want better track results or better street manors. The steel will take the heat buildup of stop and go traffic better than the alum will also. Im not sure witch one will last longer but the alum has a steel ring bolted to the face, the other is all steel so it cam probly be surfaced more than the alum if needed to be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.