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If you have a Ford 7.3L Diesel with a Dual-Mass Flywheel as Original Equipment and need to replace the clutch...
PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION BEFORE BUYING A NEW CLUTCH ANYWHERE.
We offer Brand New Original Equipment Quality Clutch Kits with Brand New Dual Mass Flywheels to bring your Ford 7.3 Diesel Truck back to OE specs and O.E. performance.
We also offer Brand New Clutch Kits with Brand New Solid Flywheels to “convert” many Ford 7.3 Diesel Truck to a conventional Solid Flywheel configuration.
Q: Should I keep the original dual mass set-up or convert to a solid flywheel?
A: That depends on several factors, it’s your call. The following information
may help you make that decision.
What is a Dual-Mass Flywheel & what does it do?
Drive Train Engineers developed the dual-mass flywheel to isolate high crankshaft torque spikes prevalent in the diesel engines used in Fords. These spikes are created under load during the power stroke. Some Chevrolet Corvettes also used dual mass flywheels to prevent transmission damage created by high RPM “speed shifts”. Basically dual mass flywheels separate the flywheel’s rotating mass (torque) between the engine and the transmission preventing more costly damage to transmission & other drive train components. We assume that the logic here is that clutches are by design ” wear components” anyway, subject to periodic replacement. It’s better to replace a clutch & flywheel rather than the transmission.
Can I eliminate the dual mass flywheel?
Yes, we offer Master clutch kits containing brand new replacement Solid Flywheels to convert your 7.3 Ford Diesel to a “standard” configuration. The clutch kit and solid flywheel must be replaced together. They are matched components.
Please note: Some parts distributors errantly refer to the Solid Flywheel Conversion Option as an “Upgrade”. It is NOT an upgrade … it’s merely a conversion. The O.E. Dual Mass configuration is know to be quite reliable as well as preventing more costly transmission repairs. However, the Solid Flywheel Conversion is a viable and certainly less expensive clutch replacement option for some 7.3 Diesel powered Ford Truck owners.
What’s the “Upside” to converting to a Solid Flywheel set-up?
The cost of the parts to do the entire conversion is substantially less than replacing the original dual mass components.
And future clutch replacements will be even cheaper as you will likely NOT have to replace the flywheel. (re-surfacing a solid flywheel is considered standard procedure when replacing a clutch and it is inexpensive, about $25-40 at most machine shops).What’s the “downside” to converting to a Solid Flywheel set-up?
If you use your truck for high stress commercial use (heavy pay loads, towing max weight trailers, etc) converting to the solid flywheel style clutch may lead to transmission damage caused by transferring the stress to its components. You may also notice some drive train vibration under severe load conditions by eliminating the dual mass set-up. If you think the dual mass flywheel & clutch is expensive … price a transmission!
If I convert to a Solid Flywheel Clutch set-up will it work as well and will it last?
Yes, IF your truck is not subject to extreme load conditions or severe use (as described above) you’ll save big bucks on your clutch replacement job by converting to a solid flywheel set-up. It will work fine and should last as long.
Fleet Owners Note:
If you have several Ford 7.3L diesel trucks in your fleet we understand that maintenance costs are a major concern for you. We suggest that you try converting one or two units to the solid flywheel conversion for long-term performance evaluation along side other trucks with new dual mass replacement parts to get an accurate “cost per mile” figure.
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