HELP... Luk clutch problems...

[82dieselburb]

I just swaped from a 700R4 to a sm465 in my suburban.I installed a Luk pro gold clutch.Everything work fine on the first test drive for about 10 mile.......Then I was shifting through the gears a bam the clutch went out the truck would move and I had to have it towed home.

I dropped the transmission and clutch to see what broke.The snap ring that holds the center spline in the clutch pack came off and the spline insert backed out of the clutch.I thought that possibly the snap ring wasn't installed properly from the factory.I bought the clutch over a year ago and didn't have any receipts.
So I decided to buy another Luk pro gold clutch to replace the first one.Then I could use the reciepts to possibly get the first one replaced from the Luk and install it in my Jimmy .
Anyways I checked the new clutch to make sure the snap ring was installed properly.Everything looked good and I installed it.
Everything worked fine for about 100 mile then bam the clutch did the same thing
When the first clutch broke I thought there was maybe a problem with assembly at the factory.But now that the same thing happened again I am wondering if I am doing something wrong???

Here is a pic of the spline note once it backed out it ground off the groove for the snap ring

Here is a pic of the spling on the clutch where the snap ring should be

I am baffled to what will caused this,any ideas????
Everything is new and I double checked to make sure the clutch was install correctly.

 

[sweetk30]

havent done many my self. but there is a front face and back face. did you have the disk in correctly.? some look close to the same front to back.

 

[82dieselburb]

Yes I double checked both times and the disc was installed correctly.The snap ring side goes towards the flywheel.So the spline is backing off towards the trans.

 

[sweetk30]

got me then. have you tryed there tech line if thay have one?

 

[73k5blazer]

I've seen this happen before, the 2 times I seen it:
1) The person did not install a pilot bearing
2) The trans input bearing was toasted and having way too much slop. You could grab the input shaft and move it up and down 1". Not good.

So, in the 2 times I've seen it,it was do to the shaft wanting to go on an angle. Did you install the pilot? Does yours trans engage it properly (Mabey the wrong flywheel was used?). Did the trans slide nicly home or did you have to start the bolts and pull it shut (Usally not a good sign)

 

[82dieselburb]

I used a new pilot bearing.I checked the output shaft on the transmission and there is not much if any play in it .The trans mated up the the engine and slid together pretty easy.??????

 

[73k5blazer]

Hmmm...the odds of 2 LuK clutches, bought 1 year apart, going bad in the exact same fashion, are pretty slim.
That sucks it happened twice now.
Let's see....you swapped from a 700R4 right? Did you get the right crossmember and is the trans/transfer supported propertly, at the angle as it's supposed to be. Is it the right clutch? I think there are 2 different LuK numbers for '73-87 depending on something, can't remember what.
If mating to a 6.2, number (pro gold) should be 04-902.

 

[82dieselburb]

The clutch is Luk 04-902 for the 6.2 diesel.I have the factory 465 crossmember and everything is mounted up tight .I know Luk clutches are good but I don't like the way they secure the spline in the clutch.
I can't figure out what would make the snap ring fall off twice???Maybe there is some sort of force pulling the spline out combined with the vibrations making the snap ring pop off???

 

[73k5blazer]

Is that snap ring on the flywheel side or the trans side of the disc?

 

[koldsimer]

I gotta agree with 73k5blazer. I think that something is causing the shaft to move around in turn causing it to put a strain on the splined ring. When i first read your post, I thought it was either a missing pilot bushing/bearing or a loose connection between tranny/bellhousing. During installation, is it possible to over-torque your disc so that when you push the clutch it pushes it so hard that it causes to pop the retaining ring out? Just an idea.... Good luck man.

 

[82dieselburb]

The snap ring is on the flywheel side of the clutch.
I still don't understand what what is making the lateral force to pop the retaning ring off.There is a thin wave washer between the snap ring and the clutch.It doesn't seem like it should take much to hold the spline in or Luk would put a thicker washer in it.
The clutch came with new pilot and throw out bearings that I installed with the clutch.
Im going to see if Luk has a tech line to call tommorow.

 

[drofdar]

I hate to bring this up, because I don't know if it could even be done. But you have not mentioned changing from torque converter flex plate to flywheel. I don't know if you could even bolt a pressure plate to an auto flex plate, but..... Sorry, don't mean to offend, but that possibility has not been discussed. Good luck!!

 

[82dieselburb]

I hate to bring this up, because I don't know if it could even be done. But you have not mentioned changing from torque converter flex plate to flywheel. I don't know if you could even bolt a pressure plate to an auto flex plate, but..... Sorry, don't mean to offend, but that possibility has not been discussed. Good luck!!

No offence taken,I appreciate everyones input .
I do have a brand new flywheel for a 6.2 diesel.
I have 6.2-sm465 setup in my jimmy with exact same parts except for the clutch with out any problems.