.

the car junkie daily magazine.

.

  • Home
  • Wally's World GTO
  • The Wally’s World GTO Gets A New Hurst Shifter And Centerforce DYAD Clutch Setup

The Wally’s World GTO Gets A New Hurst Shifter And Centerforce DYAD Clutch Setup

Dec 04, 2013Wally's World GTOComments Off on The Wally’s World GTO Gets A New Hurst Shifter And Centerforce DYAD Clutch Setup

The Wally’s World GTO Gets A New Hurst Shifter And Centerforce DYAD Clutch Setup

One of the most iconic parts in any stick shift muscle car is the Hurst Shifter. And if you are going to be building big power and ripping on that shifter, you are going to need a good clutch like Centerforce’s DYAD setup.  It’s no surprise that Wally chose Hurst and Centerforce for the Wally’s World GTO as the two go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. The cool thing about the new Hurst Competition Plus Shifter that he installed in the GTO is that it not only shortens up shifts and performance better, but also adds that iconic look in the process. It’s a part you touch each and every time you drive the GTO. The Centerforce DYAD Clutch on the other hand is one of those parts that you don’t get to see but you sure can feel. And you know that with more than 1400 lb ft of torque holding capacity it’s always going to be there when you need it.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON CENTERFORCE’S ENTIRE LINE OF CLUTCHES.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HURST SHIFTERS FOR YOUR APPLICATION.

Centerforce has been one of the most iconic names in high performance clutches for decades, and their new DYAD twin disc setup has become one of the go to setups for high performance street vehicles. Lets be honest, until Centerforce came out with the new DYAD line of clutches, they hadn’t had many “new” advancements or products to talk about in a while. But when they launched the new DYAD line of clutches that changed. And in a big big way. The twin disc DYAD clutch system that was installed in the Wally’s World GTO is one sexy piece. In fact it’s way too trick to hide inside a bell housing, but what are you going to do?

With twin organic discs and a sprung hub design that, when combined with their patented pin drive setup, creates a smooth chatter free driving experience, this clutch is just as comfortable to drive every day as any stock clutch. And yet is has triple the torque holding capacity. Let’s face it, big power combos and heavy street cars can murder a clutch. With twice the friction material, thanks to twin discs, installing a DYAD in your car is like running two clutches! Check out the exploded view of all the components in a DYAD Clutch System below.

Cross-Section-DYAD-Labeled

Installation of the DYAD system is simple. If you are installing one behind an engine, and in front of a transmission, that maybe never came together. And then throwing in an aftermarket bell housing as well, clearances and setup dimensions can sometimes be daunting. Centerforce takes out the guesswork on clutch clearances and setup dimensions by sending each and every DYAD out with a sheet much like the Cam Card you get with a new camshaft. The sheet includes all dimensions for the actual clutch in the box, and includes clamping force as tested when your clutch was built. It’s like a dyno sheet for your clutch. How cool is that?

As delivered. Pretty don't you think? Tools, instructions and a full Clutch Spec Card are included in the box.

As delivered. Pretty don’t you think? Tools, instructions and a full Clutch Spec Card are included in the box.

Installation in the Wally’s World GTO was a simple affair after taking it out of the box. We used the stock bell housing and as you can see the entire clutch assembly fits inside it with no difficulties. One thing to remember as well is that the Centerforce DYAD system has a patented roller bearing pressure plate pivot which means that factory geometry will be maintained for your clutch linkage. This means that mechanical or hydraulic applications will maintain correct pedal pressure and not feel like you have a garage door spring attached to the clutch pedal. This is not the case with all clutches.

Even with a stock bell housing the twin disc Centerforce DYAD fits nice.

Even with a stock bell housing the twin disc Centerforce DYAD fits nice.

We wish there was more to say about the installation, but the truth is it’s like installing any other clutch. The instructions and tools provided with the kit, including a clutch alignment tool, make it simple. This is especially handy when talking about a late model car like Wally’s GTO because the transmission on these cars is so high up the car that any misalignment issues make it even more difficult to get the transmission up and in and aligned with the clutch. Not a problem with the the Centerforce setup.

Taa Daaa! Ready for the transmission to be installed. Too bad we won't get to see this thing anymore. It's pretty.

Taa Daaa! Ready for the transmission to be installed. Too bad we won’t get to see this thing anymore. It’s pretty.

So what’s it like driving a high horsepower, high winding, LS powered muscle car with a DYAD clutch behind it? Honestly, it’s kinda boring. Not the overall driving experience, but the clutch itself. It provides a nice linear “stock” feel but with all the holding power you could ever want. From experience we can tell you that we have driven several high horsepower pro touring machines that had multi disc “race” clutches in them and they are a pain to drive. We have a lot of experience driving vehicles with race clutches in them, and in back to back testing with the DYAD you will not only find the driving habits of the car to be a lot more enjoyable, but in most cases it will also be quicker. Ask Bret Voelkel from Ridetech. His Goodguys Autocross Championship winning ’33 Ford has a DYAD in it and the prior triple disc race clutch made the car entirely too erratic to drive quick all the time. Installing the DYAD made that car WAY quicker on the autocross. Yes some of the race clutches are considerably lighter, but inertia can be your friend, and having a clutch that is super light can make it hard to drive and can make putting power down on the starting line, or in the corner, nearly impossible.

We asked the guys at Centerforce what we should do to “bed”, or break in, this new clutch and their response was to put some stop and go, or in town, driving on it and let it sit and cool down a couple of times before beating on it. Okay, maybe more than a couple as they say that 450-500 miles is best. This depends on what kind of driving you do. That’s not always possible, and we usually don’t do what they ask, but in this case we got some stop and go stuff in and then figured that a few autocross laps would count for that too. Clearly it worked because we blew the rearend out of this beast soon after. LOL. More on that upgrade coming soon.

So what about the Hurst shifter? Again, this is one simple install as this one is a direct replacement for the factory piece. Of course the sloppy, disconnected, feel of the stock shifter leaves a lot to be desired when banging gears in your muscle car, and the Hurst Competition Plus shifter will take care of all of those shortcomings. This is a full replacement shifter that uses no stock parts. The Hurst has improved lever ratios which make each throw 30% shorter than with the stock shifter, and it looks ultra bitchin in the car.

The iconic chrome Hurst shift lever and ball aren't just for looks. They are connected to a shifter that will make anyone look like a BangShifting hero.

The iconic chrome Hurst shift lever and ball aren’t just for looks. They are connected to a shifter that will make anyone look like a BangShifting hero.

Don’t get distracted by the pretty face, because the Hurst Competition Plus has got hardcore features like Adjustable Spring Bias Loads, and Adjustable Stops, which means this shifter will take the abuse and give you much more positive shifts as well.

The Hurst Competion Plus is a completely new shifter. No stock parts are used.

The Hurst Competion Plus is a completely new shifter. No stock parts are used.

As you can see, this is a completely new shifter assembly, not just a bolt on stick.

As you can see, the Hurst Competition Plus is a completely new shifter assembly, not just a bolt on stick.

One part we didn’t show, but that you should check before installing any new shifter in your late model internal rail transmission, like our T56, is the shifter “cup” or “bushing”. This is the part that the little ball on the end of the shifter assembly fits in inside the transmission. They are available in plastic, like the stock piece, or bronze as well. It’s a cheap part and one you don’t want to have to replace later, so do it while you are in the transmission anyway. It’s a simple two second install. Below are some examples of what they look like.

Bronze and Stock shifter bushings.

Bronze and Stock shifter bushings.

 

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON CENTERFORCE’S ENTIRE LINE OF CLUTCHES.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HURST SHIFTERS FOR YOUR APPLICATION.

  • Share This
  • Pinterest
  • 0
2013 Houston Autorama Gallery: From Wild Lowrider Trucks To LS Powered Rats, This Gallery Has 'Em! (Bonus Gene Winfield Action!)