Tcheairs38655

Planning to do the TKO 600 conversion later this year. Any opinions on the use of their (Silver Sports) hydraulic clutch or stay with a conventional clutch? I also currently have a Lakewood Scatter shield bellhousing. Would it be wise to purchase SST aluminum bell housing in the likelyhood that the alignment would be easier?..Hate to lose that protection when my 383 Stroker gets wound up.

Thanks

wmf62

if you have functioning clutch linkage with your scattershield, "I" would NOT change to hydraulic...

Bill

Crunch527

Correct...

Pop Chevy

I just ordered my TKO from them this afternoon ! I'm planning on sticking with my Lakewood and clutch linkage. Mine will go in my 60 and I told em I was going to drag race it. I will find out if the shift mods work cause I can slap my Super T-10 pretty quick..

KEZ06

While my set up is in my era 427 cobra, I have a ram hydraulic throw out bearing with a tko600 and a Lakewood scattershield and it works flawlessly. Just my 2 cents.

Kerrmudgeon

You need to strengthen the firewall with a gusset plate if you plan a hydraulic clutch to spread the load for stress. I wouldn't bother.

Low Rider

I have had the TKO 600 in my 57 with a ZZ 383 with the stock clutch and aluminum bell housing for 8k miles with no issues.

68hemi

Until you want to power shift it rather than speed shift it.

Crunch527

Here is more detail...

B/L: Hydraulic introduces a bunch of headaches or potential headaches that at the end of the day aren't worth it...

The mech linkage is fine...

Installing and reinforcing the firewall is one thing but also the fact that the throwout bearing itself is hydraulic and if it leaks the whole trans has to come out, this is the bigger issue.

I have done both...fought the hydraulic...yes mine leaked right away, had to pull it and replace the throwout bearing...

Once you get under the car and start fighting the non removable crossmember, it will become clearer...you won't want to risk having to go back and pull the trans...

wmf62

that's the point that we have all being making...


Bill

Tcheairs38655

[B]Now it's looking like I'm going to have to raise the body to create additional clearance between the floor pans and the #2 cross member. Has anyone been through that ordeal? If so, what all is involved, how many body bolts etc.?/B]

I am now convinced that the hydraulic clutch is not a good idea. Thanks for the "leak potential" heads up.

Tom Austin

The clearance under the floor is a veryt common problem for those of us who have installed a 5 speed in a C2 - You'll need to shim the floor above the transmission crossmember using hockey pucks - lots of guys have done it!😪

Tcheairs38655

Are you talking about shoving the bushings between the floor pan and the crossmember? Or raising the body with the bushings at the anchor points? Silver Sports says just shove them in there..

Tom Austin

shove them in there - get them as close to either side of the transmission as you can

Crunch527

Yep...Tom is spot on...I have also used composite deck material...two pieces sandwiched together...carefully raise the floor with a piece of plywood under a floor jack to spread the load...place the spacer material on top the crossmember and you are good to go. You will need every bit of the room...

I assume you are installing the TKO yourself? It can be done with the engine in the car...I have done it this way but after doing several, I don't recommend doing it this way...mainly because I am usually working by myself.

I pull the engine, dial in the bell housing, set the clutch, mate the trans and install as a unit. These are very critical, and to get them right and doing them under the car is a b!tch.

To make the install go easier, I go a few steps further and drop the steering out of the way and remove the radiator & support so I can maneuver the engine and trans as far forward and as low as possible...then crawl under the car and lift the tail of the trans over the crossmember.

From there it isn't too bad...

One thing to consider is making your crossmember removable...there are threads to read up on...many have done this modification (myself included) and it makes the TKO install glorious...

Keep asking questions...

toddalin

When mine got put in the floor bushings didn't.

Keisler later sent me their bushings. These are elongated metal "L" brackets with a piece of rubber on one side. I was able to support the floor and jack up the body enough to slip them in and I may have even put some cork on these for a bit more height. The brackets actually have mounting holes, but friction does the job.

But the tranny still hits the bottom of the ashtray.

So I took a stick and glued a piece of cork to it. I put my car up on my lift and put the stick up into the tunnel with the cork on the fiberglass. I put a floor jack under the other end of the stick and was able to jack the tunnel up enough to put some cork between that and the tranny to clear the ashtray.

BTW, mine came with a new McLeod clutch (IIRC) disk and drive shaft.

vjjack04

Another thing to consider is manufacturers have been using hydraulic clutches in cars for years, very successfully. I had a c5 with about 600 HP using one with a double disc clutch and all worked fine.

Tcheairs38655

It's not the hydraulic clutch I'm worried about, it's the complications of getting all of that stuff installed into a C2. It does complicate an already complicated installation (for those of us non mechanic Septuagenarians)

vjjack04

Then the other folks are right, if you want to keep it less complicated, use the manual/regular factory type clutch.

Tcheairs38655

Might as well do it right and stick an LS 3 on the other end of the TKO 600 and lower the whole deal in. Damn the torpedoes (complications).