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LUK clutch installed today.

1383 Views 9 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  Believer45, 
Believer45
About 8 hours working total (including instruction time for my son) plus tool runs and such. I got to spend some quality time with my 15 year old son as well. It is pretty cool to have a son who is MAN help instead of boy help (6'2, 185# but then Dad is 6'6 and 295 or so). I have been nursing my transmission for four years (pedal box has a little play, rebuild will be done soon). Anyone waiting or hesitating about a LUK (or similar) conversion one word of advice - go ahead and do it. Pedal effort is cut to less than half, engagement is a couple inches off the floor instead of 1/2" into the floor mat. My only problem now is I have no excuse for Lovely Wife not to drive the truck. She tried it out this evening (she is one of the best drivers of any gender I have ever met) and was impressed. First time in 100,000 miles anyone but me has driven the truck even an inch.

Nobody outside the family drives her still though. I am more than happy to lend a truck and a driver, just like I am more than happy to lend tools along with the mechanic.

Dave / Believer45
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Believer45
It really wasn't bad at all. I had an inexpensive transmission jack I bought at Harbor Freight, had I rented one with the adjustments available to line it up on a good one things would have gone better but there were none available. I have done transmissions, clutches and such before. All the lifting was by hand with the exception of the transmission itself and was pretty easy. I would suggest a pair of fingerless mechanics gloves for handling the flywheel, those gear teeth are machined to a pretty sharp edge, as the nicks on my hands will testify. Local discount stores sell them for $5 a pair (and I have LARGE hands).

If you are somewhat mechanically inclined it is a rewarding job. Ford wanted $2300 five years ago, I did it for half that, upgraded the clutch; got to keep a transmission jack, a torque wrench and a bolt extractor set plus I paid for a used tranny to boot.

Dave / Believer45
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Believer45
arizonian said:
Not trying to be rude, but has anyone put a scale on their pedal after the install? With a spacer to clear the brake pedal, my pedal effort on a stock clutch is in the neighborhood of 60~65 lb.
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I am just going by my foot-o-meter. I seriously thought I had forgotten to reinstall the slave cylinder on the transmission the first time I went to start it. I can sit in traffic with the weight of my foot (granted a size 14 with a 300 lb driver behind it) holding the clutch in. Lovely Wife was amazed as well. I do not have a way to get actual force required.

BTW, I got my "foot-o-meter" off the shelf right next to the "butt-o-meter" many folks use to judge performance, accuracy can be taken with a grain of salt.

Dave / Believer45
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