I'm picking up my first Mustang(86 LX carbed 5.0)in a few days and would like some help with a decision. The car has a ZOOM clutch on it, but it doesn't move under it's own power. The guy who sold it on a local forum is a somewhat shady character, and half of what he says about a particular car isn't the truth necessarily. He said it had some motor parts on it it doesn't have. Anyways, he also said the clutch was fried. The current owners verified it actually is a ZOOM clutch (not sure if it's a stocker style replacement or a performance model) but when the engine runs, there is a whining noise coming from the tranny area, they say it goes away when the clutch pedal is pushed. They say it's the throw out bearing. Not being much of a Mustang, or even American car guy myself, I'm not that knowledgable on this type of stuff.

So best case scenario, I could get my friend to help me install a new throw out bearing, a Ford OEM heavy duty one is about $35ish. Or I could go a whole different route, and just because I'm not too trusting of the guy the current owners got it from, while I have all that stuff apart anyways, I could install a whole new clutch kit and just be on the safe side. Dynamic Racing Products sells a kit for roughly $300 that is a King Cobra clutch kit (pressure plate, clutch disc, throw out bearing, pilot bearing, and alignment tool) and a 28 oz balance SFI billet steel flywheel. For just a few bucks more (they don't offer a kit for this) I can get the same clutch, but a 50 oz balance SFI billet steel flywheel. For a pretty much stock to mild bolt on 5.0, which one of those do I need? I figure since I'll have the flywheel off having it resurfaced, in case it'd been wailed on for a while, for a little more cash I can just get a whole new fresh flywheel. It makes good sense to me.

 

you need the 50 oz.

 

Is there a particular reason? I'm not doubting you, just curious.

 

81 to newer 302s are 50oz.

 

I appreciate the info. Got any good not-$400 recommendations in case I decide to go with a different brand?

 

If it's a fairly lightly modded 5.0, there's no need for a performance clutch. I would just go with a heavy duty clutch/flywheel kit from NAPA. It'll run you around 180 bucks. I've got one in mine and have no complaints. I would recommend swappin out your old flywheel bolts for some grade 8's from the hardware store. I learned the hard way to do that, my old ones snapped.

 

I can't decide between the King Cobra and flywheel kit from Dynamic or the Spec stuff my friend's been trying to talk me into. I might as well get a good clutch now because I might add some go fast goodies in the future and will already have that potential problem knocked out. $300 is what the King Cobra and flywheel will cost me, or about $450 for the Spec stuff.