Alright guys… I've come across an issue here. We have the motor installed in the car. If you have been following this thread you know I have a matching numbers 429CJ with the original 4 speed Toploader. So.. the original clutch was smoked and needed to be replaced. I contacted David Kee Toploader and they gave me a McLeod part number MCL-75148 which includes the pressure plate and throwout bearing. We go to install it, the 11 inch disc is too small and the pressure plate does not line up with the bell housing. SO.. I call McLeod again and this time they give me a different part number with a 12 inch disc (MCL-75135) and get the explanation that they went away from the 3 prong style to the diaphragm style which is why they need the bigger disc for this application. We get the new set up and everything lines up perfectly. So, good to go right? Well, we install the clutch, bolt up the transmission, and the motor won't spin. We pull the transmission back off, motor still won't spin. We pull off the bell housing, now the motor spins freely. We find paint transfer from the pressure plate hitting the bell housing. So now the 12" inch disc that lined up with the holes correctly is obviously too large for the bell housing. So here we are, Saturday morning, McLeod and David Kee are both closed for the weekend.
Can anyone tell me the CORRECT clutch kit for the 1971 RUG-AZ1 top loader transmission? From what the "experts" have told me the three prong style is basically obsolete now and everyone is going to the diaphragm because the three prongs are impossible to find and no one is remanufacturing them. With so many 429 set ups here in this club I hope someone here can steer me in the right direction. Thanks fellas.