Hi, anyone have any experience or knowledge of the quality of AC Delco clutches, ACDelco Part # 381146 for a 67 small block? Does anyone know who makes them? Thanks
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Re: Delco clutch
Terry-----
I've never absolutely confirmed it but I strongly suspect that these units are manufactured by Sachs/LUK. Many GM PRODUCTION cluthes are manufactured by this company. As far as I know, GM does not manufacture, in house, any clutches. Their spin-off supplier, DELPHI, does not manufacture any clutch components, either.
In any event, the original GM clutch components for your application are long-since discontinued. So, some sort of aftermarket clutch is more-or-less inevitable for your needs. I think that you will be happy with the Delco clutch. Other than the LUK (which is probably identical to the Delco-packaged unit), the only other clutch I'd recommend would be a Centerforce I.In Appreciation of John Hinckley -
Re: Delco clutch
Thank you Joe, if Luk makes it for AC Delco, do you think it is of equal, lesser or better quality than their own rep sets? Is the Centerforce a better quality clutch or would it be on par with Luk or AC Delco. I don't run the car hard and don't want to do this again. ThanksComment
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Re: Delco clutch
I had one installed about a year ago, got it from ac/delco , it was in a "BORG-SACHS" box 10.4". I have 67 SB, and it is working well. Also had one installed my 93 chevy 1 ton. Only thing there is a little clutch shudder.Comment
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Re: Delco clutch
The Borg-Warner, Sachs, and Luk brands are now all owned by the same parent company, which is either Sachs or Luk. It's part of the ongoing consolidation in the auto parts industry.
Just like virtually all the old brands of ignition components (Echlin, Niehoff, BWD) are now owned/manufactured by Standard Motor Products, the only difference between a B-W, Sachs, or Luk clutch is probably the name on the box, so just buy on price.
Delco purchases their ignition parts from Standard, and as indicated in the previous post a "Delco clutch" is a Borg-Sachs-Luk in a Delco box.
AFAIK Delco purchases everything they offer from outside suppliers except spark plugs, which I think are still manufactured by GM in house.
DukeComment
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Re: Delco clutch
Duke-----
The spark plugs are manufactured by DELPHI. For how much longer, who knows? If DELPHI continues to manufacture them, it will be somewhere else besides the US. A lot of their spark plugs are manufactured at their plants in Mexico and have been for a long time. Soon, I expect all will be made there, if they continue making them, at all. None of the US plants that they intend to keep open manufacture spark plugs so as far as a US-manufactured item, the AC plugs are a "goner".
I kind of think that DELPHI will likely cease the manufacture of spark plugs anywhere in the near future. Spark plugs are a "commodity item". DELPHI wants to get out of the business of manufacturing "commodity items" altogether.
So, I would expect that in the future AC spark plugs will still be around, but they'll be manufactured for Delco/GM by someone else.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: Delco clutch
As the consolidation continues, GM just announced late last week that they will no longer buy spark plugs from AC-Delco; they'll be buying them from Denso.Comment
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Re: Delco clutch
I think Densos have been OE in new Corvettes for several years.
They also make a NON-RESISTOR plug equivalent to the old AC45, the W14-U that I recommend in all vintage SBs for best all around street and highway performance, or if you prefer the extended electrode type - W14P-U
Joe - I guess it got by my that GM's spark plug manufacturing operation was included with all the plants and assets that was spun off as Delphi.
DukeComment
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