Hi everyone. I am looking for some help. I purchased someone else's long, long term project and discovered that it has an interesting modification.


It was a 273v8 Automatic and the previous owner converted it to a manual trans. It has the 4sp trans and both the engine and trans were fully rebuilt but then sat for 30 years in his garage.


So I buy this, get it running well and find that it has a slipping clutch when you have it in gear and step on it. Doesn't matter if it's 2nd, 3rd or 4th. It will not hold the torque of that engine.


So I try to get a new clutch but find that all the parts stores list a 10" clutch for a 273 v8 and mine has a 9 1/4". This was supposedly only on the 6 cylinder engine.


So I can't seem to find a "performance 9 1/4" clutch, only standard versions. I can get 10" versions all day but I think I must change the bell housing and the Flywheel to make this conversion to 10" work.


Can anyone here confirm this for me? Any suggestions?

 

i had 64 dart slant 6 with a factory 4 speed. a little rare. it had a 9 or 9 1/4 clutch. the houseing was NOT big enough to put a bugger clutch in it. and 4 speed trans had a 3.09 low gear. diff than the same trany in a V8. i moded the intake and put a 318 2 bbl on it. with the low gear trans and the 2 bbl it launched very good. same MPG. a lower gear rear end will put less load on the clutch. there might be custom clutch shops around.

 

Sounds like someone bastard it together and failed at there attempt to successfully convert the car over?...

My Guess is you can get it up and running with this disc....

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...1351&ppt=C0015


The car might have been converted in the early 70"s... That being said and not knowing what trans was installed... The above would be my guess at what would fit your needs Possibly...

Hope this gets you up and running for now....

 

I have looked at that one. Summit Racing has one as well. 'Exceeds OEM Spec' or so it says.


What baffles me is that this is the same clutch that is used on the Jeep Wrangler. How it is that there is no performance clutch version for off roaders, I can't figure out.
I plan on trying this unless I can get something better in the way of a new bell housing and flywheel.

 

I'm Sure there out their.... I am sure you can get it custom made also... I am Pretty sure someone has one on the shelf that has been done and stilling around just waiting for your call to get it.... It's out there. I'm just not in the known where it is hiding.. Might check with Dan over on the Slant Six Site. He might know.. Steve Magnante over at Mopar Max might be of some help.
Check with some of the folks at: McLeod, Tilton, Ace, Centerforce, AP, Exedy, Quarter Master, Spec, Or even your local truck shop clutch supplier...
Now with all that being said.... Do you know why the clutch went out in the first place? That might be a bigger problem that might need addressing?

Just food for thought..Keep us posted on what you come up with..

 

By the way, I did find a supplier that can help. I got parts from Brewers Performance.


http://www.brewersperformance.com/products.asp?cat=251


This part works and is an improvement over stock according to the staff at Brewers. Read the caption closely to see all the applications.


Posting for future reference in case some other poor sap like me has to search for this in a few years.

 

My buddy's 65 Dart 273/4 speed all original came with a 9 1/4 clutch from the factory