V8 flywheel stepped? Marks Adapter stuff and H55F

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djawahir

djawahir

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Hey guys, I need some help. When I did my 5.3L Vortec to H55F swap using the Mark's Adapter, I used the centerforce clutch and pressure plate mounted to a 168tooth GM flywheel from Downey. All of the parts were recommended for the swap as sort of a plug and play setup.

After installation, I never felt like my clutch was "grabbing" very strongly. It would engage and disengage almost at the top of the pedal. Well, it turns out that I was right.

I was towing an old Datsun 120 miles back to my house this weekend. The total towing weight was about 3000lb. It burned my clutch up and now my clutch engages/disengages on the floor...barely.

Did any of you with the V8 swap machine a .020 inch step into your flywheel to mimic what is found on the stock Toyota 4-speed flywheel?

Do you guys have suggestions on how I can figure out why my clutch has worn out after towing a load?

Have any of you stepped or machined your v8 swap flywheel? The GM flywheel that was suggested for the V8-H55F setup has no step at all.

BTW, my clutch setup had only 30k miles of easy driving on it before this happened!
 
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My guess is that the extension adapter that your clutch fork pushes on is mis-adjusted. It seemed to work with easy driving, but once you made the drivetrain work it burned up. Sounds like you need a new clutch anyway, and no, the chevy ones don't need to be stepped.

To adjust the adapter, loosen the jam nut, have a helper push in the clutch, jam a wrench betwixt the throw out bearing and the webbing on the mark's housing, take the clips out that attach the fork to the adapter, remove the fork, use the spanner wrench supplied with the kit or large adjustable pliers to adjust the adapter. The throw out bearing is putting too much pressure in the "static" position on the fingers of the pressure plate.

It could be something else entirely, I think Elbert's was missing the little block spacers that the clutch fork clips to on the adapter.

Good luck.
 
djawahir - do you have a build thread on your swap? I'm thinking about this down the road. I already have the H55 and would like to keep it.
 
Jokenring, I contacted Elbert about his setup too! Yes, he was definitely missing those little block spacers. I have mine installed as stated in the crappy instructions. When my clutch is not being pressed, the throwout bearing is not making contact with the clutch housing fingers. I've checked many times. Also when it's close, the throwout bearing will lightly touch the spinning fingers of the clutch plate and make a slight rattling sound (which bothers me sometimes). Is the throwout bearing supposed to be farther away from the spinning fingers than a millimeter or two?

FJ60Cam, I thought I started a build thread a while ago, but now I can't remember. I'll help you out as much as I can when the time comes!
 
shoot an email or pm Rover67..... I recall he had some issue with his 5.3 and the marks adapter or the flywheel setup vs. the spud shaft. My truck is a 5.7...I don't recall for sure but..I belive the marks adapter that is being discussed ...uses the GM flywheel as noted (168 tooth is for the 5.7...if that fits a 5.3 I don't know)...and then uses the low profile center force pressure plate and clutch. The spacers I spoke about are the ones that go on the clutch fork. Search Rover67 for details on 5.3 and marks setup.

I assume you would want to run the GM clutch and flywheel...even if other options would work?

If I were to do a 5.3 swap...I would use the GM OD auto transmission 4l60E or 4l80E...

Was the 5.3 ever sold with a manual transmission configuration?
 
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my truck is 5speed toyota, marks adapter, gm style center force pressure plate and clutch, GM 168 tooth flywheel, GM style throw-out bearing? 5.7 SBC I've forgotten the exact pn for the throw-out bearing, but go to the advance adapters web site and look through their parts for the Marks Adapter....last time I looked they had a kit setup and I believe it had the pn or parts listed. I bought mine from them...but that was some time ago.

Cam you should talk with Georg....he sells all that stuff
 
FJ60Cam, that's definitely not the Marks Adapter that I used. It looks much better than what I'm running right now, which is this one #MFK560LC:

http://www.marks4wd.com/bell-housing-adaptors/toyota/landcruiser/chev-petrol-engines/mfk560lc-a.html

The Mark's website doesn't really show the differences between the two, but I'd bet that my bellhousing would be better fitting if I had used the #MFK371CLS5 you linked to. (Has anyone installed this adapter and lived to tell about it?)

Elbert, the GM 5.3L wasn't sold with a manual transmission in the United States...

 
don't confuse the in-house adapters that advance makes with the mark's (just to make sure your are looking at the correct reference) on the advance web site. I would have to say next time I do a swap.... I will not be using any type of adapter between the engine and transmission, I might run something between the transmission and the transfer case. I know this narrows the choices down...but I think the end solution is better for it.
 
I agree with Elbert on not using an adapter between the motor and trans and rather use an adapter between the trans and T case. I have one customer interested in a manual trans and we are looking at the NV4500 rather than the H55F for just that reason
 
Ok, I pulled my clutch the other day and I found the pressure plate to be worn. It looks as if the throwout bearing had been continuously in contact with the pressure plate. (I thought that the original late model FJ60's had the plate and bearing making contact all the time! Maybe I was wrong?)

So, I'm replacing the clutch plate and disc and looking to get a little more throw from the clutch slave to get a better "feel" from the clutch since now I will reassemble everything so that I have a gap between the pressure plate diaphragm fingers and the throwout bearing.

I've found that the early FJ60 slave cylinders (pre 4/85 according to some websites) have a .75" (3/4") bore diameter.
The FJ60 slave cylinders from 5/85 thru have a .81" (13/16") bore diameter.

Since the master cylinder for all of the FJ60 years are .75" bore diameter, my assumption is that I can swap to the older pre-4/85 slave cylinder to get a little more throw for the clutch fork. (Some of you can probably calculate how much extra throw I will get.) I believe I measured that my late model clutch master and late model clutch slave gives 1.5" or about 40mm of travel. So, I'm hoping for more than that with the older pre-4/85 slave cylinder.

Does anyone have any opinions, thoughts, ideas? Or am I just crazy? Or both?
 
you want to use the right slave for your year model truck.....I'm told there is a difference beyond the bore size mentioned. As I recall something to do with the return spring or return mechanism. I have the clutch slave that matches my truck (86 model). You need the magical shims on the clutch fork, and then you have to setup the marks with the magical instructions. In my case as I noted in previous posts...I did not have the shims on the clutch fork...the fingers were worn on the pressure plate and the throwout bearing seems to be never fully released. Got the "shims", replaced pressure plate and throwout bearing... so far so good, used the right slave for the truck. Clutch does engage with the pedal not to far from the floor but thats "normal" with this setup from what I've read. I'm using the recommended center-force clutch and pressure plate on a 5.7 SBC.
 
like I noted before...with manual transmission and 5.3 SBC....Rover67 had some notes on issues with the flywheel. It would be good to go read his thread to understand that...to make sure you are not replicating the issues he dealt with.
 
Elbert said:
I would have to say next time I do a swap.... I will not be using any type of adapter between the engine and transmission, I might run something between the transmission and the transfer case. I know this narrows the choices down...but I think the end solution is better for it.
Click to expand...

NCFJ said:
I agree with Elbert on not using an adapter between the motor and trans and rather use an adapter between the trans and T case. I have one customer interested in a manual trans and we are looking at the NV4500 rather than the H55F for just that reason
Click to expand...

I agree with Elbert, so I recently sold the H55 and bought a '03 NV4500 to mate directly to the 5.3L.

I also had multiple issues with clutch engage/dis-engage, rattle & quick wear with my 5.3L & H55. The person the did the swap used the wrong AA adapter. I had bought a used Marks adapter MFK560 from another member to use for my swap but decided to go the the NV4500 instead. I used the AA adapter to mate the split case to tranny and the AA bell housing/cluth fork between the tranny/motor. I have the Downey flywheel and Luk clutch kit that AA sells (got it a lot cheaper through Amazon). still working on the swap so I will keep you all posted.

Luis
 
meatloaf said:
I agree with Elbert, so I recently sold the H55 and bought a '03 NV4500 to mate directly to the 5.3L.

I also had multiple issues with clutch engage/dis-engage, rattle & quick wear with my 5.3L & H55. The person the did the swap used the wrong AA adapter. I had bought a used Marks adapter MFK560 from another member to use for my swap but decided to go the the NV4500 instead. I used the AA adapter to mate the split case to tranny and the AA bell housing/cluth fork between the tranny/motor. I have the Downey flywheel and Luk clutch kit that AA sells (got it a lot cheaper through Amazon). still working on the swap so I will keep you all posted.

Luis
Click to expand...


Yeah... I like the idea of a GM V8 + GM auto trans + AA adapter + FJ60 TC or GM V8 + GM NV4500 + AA adapter + FJ60 split case or GM 203/205 transfer case combination + 14 bolt GM rear axle...now you have a real hybrid :)
 
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