Which make of clutch?

[Transmitter Man]

On ePay LT77 clutches seem to range from around £125.00 to over £350.00.

I know my SEAC may have a few more horses than the average wedge but what do any of you recommend?

Have any of you invested in a quality AP or similar clutch?

I do not want a left leg like Arne and I'd like to see a good mileage (I don't ride clutches).

I image if I went to a TVR parts shop I'll pay double that of the local factors?

I'll do some searching but would appreciate feedback from the brain trust.

Tnx

Phil 420 SEAC

[chapperssx]

Hi
I recently had the 400sx engine rebuilt and with a similar BHP figure dom recommended an AP griff 500 clutch, within the next couple of months i should see how it performs.

Regards Chappers

[Transmitter Man]

How much did you pay for the three items?

Phil
420 SEAC

[broadside]

My 450SE has a Borg and Beck clutch. There were two types of clutch fitted by the factory as far as I know, an expensive one and a lower cost one. I had my old clutch taken out and took it to RT Racing in Sheffield where he identified it as the lower cost version (fortunately as I was strapped for dosh at the time). So I replaced like for like. If I was uprating the engine etc I may have gone for the more expensive one but for my own use I have had no problems at all in six or seven years of having that clutch.

So the answer really is to get the old clutch out, identify which one it is and replace like for like or make the decision to uprate if that suits your needs.

Edited by broadside on Sunday 6th June 16:19

[Transmitter Man]

Clutch is already out of the car so will get my guys to try and match it up and compare with others out there.

Tnx.

Phil
420 SEAC

[Transmitter Man]

If this is of interest to anyone I found that AP list my car and that the clutch plate and cover have a different p/n to that of the 4.2 & 5.0L Griff's.

http://www.apracing.com/download/catalogue/Page%20...

Interesting!

Me thinks a phone call is due.

Phil
420 SEAC

[Wedg1e]

Word is that one of the 'uprated' versions is a standard clutch from an LDV van...

[Transmitter Man]

The link I posted above showing two different AP p/n's for AP clutches it seems have a couple of minor differences.

Over the SEAC the Griff clutch cover has an added metal cover (so will take more grief) and the friction material has no lead content!

Release bearing is OEM.

So, looks like around £225.00 all in unless someone knows better or can get a discount?

Phil
420 SEAC

[Barkychoc]

Wedg1e said:

Word is that one of the 'uprated' versions is a standard clutch from an LDV van...

I actually bought a '3.5 V8 LDV Van clutch' off ebay last year - it had identical part numbers to the one that came out of my V8S, it was packaged in a Unipart box but had AP/Borg & Beck components inside identical to the original clutch in every way.

The postage cost more than the clutch kit

[Transmitter Man]

In that case I'll take my clutch along to the local motor factors and check out what you say.

Nothing ever surprises me about this parts bin motor

Phil
420 SEAC

[adam quantrill]

You should be able to get a new clutch plate for about £40-£50 and a cover plate for maybe £20-£30 if you shop around. The one I got was a National part and it's put up with a supercharged 4l engine for 10k miles so far, and I don't spare the horses.

Unless you're in the Steve Heath area I don't think you need anything exotic.

You may find the clutch plate is OK and it's just lack of springiness on the cover plate - over time the pressure does decrease and it starts slipping. However while you have it apart it's silly not to replace the friction plate too.

[gsx600]

Transmitter Man said:

If this is of interest to anyone I found that AP list my car and that the clutch plate and cover have a different p/n to that of the 4.2 & 5.0L Griff's.

http://www.apracing.com/download/catalogue/Page%20...

Interesting!

Me thinks a phone call is due.

Phil
420 SEAC

Would that not be as 1 is a LT77 and 1 a T5 box, so possible different splines ?

When I changed my engine a few years ago I thought might as well change the clutch as well, so ordered a reasonable one up from some where only to find at the moment of trying to join engine to gearbox that the spline was different

So put the old plate in with new cover and has lasted another 4 years

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

T5 Box has the same Clutch spline as the LT77, so its not that.

[gsx600]

Must have come from some other Landrover or something ?

[TVRleigh_BBWR]

I think the High low ratio LR gearbox has a different spline.

[TOPTON]

I got one for my 400 a couple of weeks ago from these guys. £150 for clutch kit, manifold gaskets and delivery.
http://www.v8tuner.co.uk/index.php

very knowledgeable guy I spoke to and also into TVRs. He said that unless you are going into sill tuning territory, above 300bh then there is no need for an uprated kit

Edited by TOPTON on Tuesday 8th June 13:03

[Barkychoc]

TVRleigh_BBWR said:

I think the High low ratio LR gearbox has a different spline.

Its also a bigger diameter clutch - so not that.

I do know that the 4 speed LR gearbox has a very big chunky spline - but again its not a 9.5 inch clutch.

Is there a 4 speed LT77 2WD box?

[adam quantrill]

I heard that the splines were different length between T5/LT77, so maybe the clutch wouldn't allow the two to come together properly? Maybe...

[Transmitter Man]

Adam,

Yes, but what do you ask for to find a clutch kit at that price, surely not a TVR?

Rover SDI, LDV???

If I know what to ask for I'll start visiting all the trade parts factors.

Topton,

but I have 300 horses, they're 300 TVR horses:

From the SEAC pages;

The SEAC specification included:

Cosworth pistons
Forged rods
Tufrided crank, I think with standard bearings
Heads were fully ported (in fact over-ported for road use)
TVR big valves (as Griffith 500 etc)
TVR grind or H234 Kent cam with hydraulic lifters and standard rocker gear. A few had solid lifters
Lightened and balanced
Standard trumpets on a partially ported manifold
Throttle was normally 70mm

Engines varied in their state of tune from car to car, the 420 was rated at 300bhp and this was quite a realistic figure for some of the hottest cars. One has 355 bhp, one 327 bhp and the racer 360 bhp. 450's have 325 bhp

Phil
420 SEAC

[TOPTON]

Realised after I pressed the submit that it was a SEAC we are talking about and obviously in the 300 GG bracket. I would still give the guys in my link a bell.

He was on the phone to me for 20 minutes or so, well into tuning and TVRs, he new all about the differences with 350's, 390's and 400's. His point about clutch fitting was pointed towards mine.