AdsoYo

For anyone who's interested I called SPEC and asked about their pressure plates. The aluminum pressure plate for my stage 2 clutch runs $300. It comes with a throwout bearing, pilot bearing is an extra $6 and they do balance them.

Ricardo

That is good information.
I ordered a Valeo Clutch from OERepalcements about three months ago and they sent me an ALTO STANDARD clutch kit with a no-name not balanced pressure plate and a VALEO clutch disc.
Oh well, I still have not installed it.

AdsoYo: are you running the RAM powergrip disc with your clutch?

AdsoYo

No, I got everything from spec when I ordered their stage 2 set. I'm looking at ordering a competition clutch 2250 set right now though... still researching. I'm gonna try calling valeo, too.

AdsoYo

I just called valeo. They confirmed that their clutch set is discontinued. Apparently their sister division who supplied them felt it wasn't cost effective anymore.

The only pressure plates on the market anymore are the Chinese knock-offs. Buying from the big name companies like McLeod, Spec, Competition, Ram etc. is still a safe option because they test and balance everything themselves. Buying Duralast, NAPA brand, or the O'Reilly value brand etc. is a bad choice unless you can balance the plate yourself somewhere.

Valeo said they're working on finding another supplier but it's not a top priority because they're diversifying into radiators and alternators etc.

ACE1252

Ricardo, I know this is a terribly late reply, but the clutch is holding up just fine. I've overheated my flywheel and it's got some hard spots in it now(causes a little chatter), but no trouble from the clutch whatsoever.

That's some good info from AdsoYo. Hopefully, Valeo will start making it again, but I feel the safe bet is to call Mcleod, Spec, Competition, Ram, etc and make sure the pressure plate is spin balanced as Valeo did it. I've got no experience with Spec, but I think they would be easy to get a hold of to talk with somebody about the issue(but it sounds like AdsoYo has already confirmed that they do balance them).

Ricardo

Yes, a key factor for a non vibrating clutch is the pressure plate having been spin balanced.

ACE1252

Just wanted to update this thread with some information. The weights around the flywheel can be easily missed. They are needed to properly balance the flywheel. In the GM parts manual pdf you can't find them in the trans section, they are under the engine section(part one cylinder block, there is no ID number for them in the picture, they are under the flywheel item 127).

Notice I have marked the length and position of my weights in one of my flywheel pictures above.

I'm going to have to pull my trans to look into a popping noise coming from the clutch. I've managed to find another Valeo clutch kit, but will be using my older seasoned flywheel as I have really hot spotted the one on the car now(improper break in...beat on it too much/too soon...my stupidity). So instead of transferring my weights to another flywheel, yet again, I'm going to order some more.

Anyway, here are the GM part numbers and lengths for those little weights.

Length - GM Part#
0.500" - 3890192
0.750" - 3890193
1.000" - 3890194

Hmmm, seems that 3890194 does not exist.....I'm going to double check with the GM parts dept. to see if the numbers have changed over the years. 92 and 93 are weights and 91 is as well. I'll report back after they get back to me.

Chimera96

Eric

if you have a stock motor it is "externally" balanced from the rear, in this case your FW. The cast in weight on the FW is what allows this if you line the FW up using the dowel hole. You don't want to "neutral" balance the FW unless you have a rebuilt motor that was "internal" aka "neutral" balanced

aftermarket replacement FW's don't have the mark (usually) and for the past several years neither do the clutch kit PP's. Valeo long ago stopped making the LT1/4 kit so all you get now are the China clones. Does not matter what clutch brand you buy

If you notice on a real Valeo PP there would be balance holes drilled in one or all of the 3 "ears" of the PP disc part. All the replacement clone PP I see don't have these balance holes drilled.

FWIW I used a few aftermarket clutches on my motor before I did a 383 and never had any balance issues. My 383 however is "internal" balance so I have a neutral balance FW and PP. Even though the FW is sold as "zero" balance I still take it to a shop to confirm...and in my case this exploding wallet billet "neutral" FW was 26 grams out of balance...due to the 4 holes it had to screw on a weight for a stock motor.

The pins you note are used to balance the FW although some do have to be drilled to remove weight. A good machine shop will have these pins and I paid $40 to get my FW balanced before.

Take your original FW and the new autozone one to your machine shop and have them balance the new one to match the old one. Then bolt up the new PP which most likely is very close to zero balance if it has no holes drilled in it.

If the machine shop needs a neutral balance FW as a fixture to then neutral balance your PP than use an old one and get it neutral balanced

Weird though that a stock replacement FW & disc is giving you balance issues on a stock motor though

ACE1252

Yeah, I just got the "Valeo" clutch and was in a beat up Valeo box, but is a knock off in the box.

It didn't have the proper packaging(as in none in the box) and none of the proper Valeo markings. Just pisses me off that they are passing these units off as new "Valeo" units.

I'm returning it.

Chimera96

a real "Valeo" clutch is marked with that name cast into the PP and the disc is stamped with ink also. There may be some "real" ones in some parts shelf somewhere but Valeo stopped making them some time ago.

for a stock motor using a OEM type flywheel there really should not be a balance problem. FWIW I never had a problem bolting up a clone one causing any balance problems and there was never any paint dabs/markings to match up anyway

weird you are having problems if motor is a stock external balance motor