I'm looking online and there are 11" and 12" clutches, what size is in the NV3500? I also just checked the fluid, it had been warmed up and it came right out of the fill hole when I removed the plug. It was very clean, so no worries there

 

11" clutches were stock until 02 then they were upgraded to the 12" clutch as OEM replacement (also Dodge switched to the Getrag 6spd in 05). I replaced mine with the 12" as it has more springs and more contact surface. Both will fit but the difference is noticeable as the 12" is much smoother going into 2nd.

 

Steer clear of the AutoZone clutches......... Go with a "luk clutch KIT", it comes with everything you need and it's also the oem supplier. I had an AZ clutch 18 months later I was changing it again, the springs were falling out of the clutch disc and dragging on the fly wheel making all kinds of noise, and I couldn't shift at all. Plus the throw out bearing went and was grinding on the pressure plate. Might be beneficial to get a fly wheel also, unless you have another ride and can take it to a machine shop and have it resurfaced if it hasn't been done before..... If your unsure get a new one.

 

Went ahead and ordered a Luk clutch kit this morning. Surprising how much cheaper they are compared to the parts store junk. Started the long process of pulling the transmission. Besides really tight, gunky bolts making everything a pain to remove, it went pretty well. The biggest pain I'd say was the transmission cross-member because it can't just fall right out. I'm sure you guys know this, but I had to hammer it towards the rear of the truck off of the tapered section of the frame rails to get it out. Bell housing bolts weren't bad, I thought that would be the biggest issue. I just used my floor jack and a strap around the top of the trans to wiggle it back and down. Took me a few tries, and some prying here and there but it came. Pulled the pressure plate off to reveal two things: the clutch has maybe .030" of material left before the rivets, and the pilot bearing/bushing is completely destroyed. I'm not sure if the clutch being that thin has an affect, but that pilot hole was certainly not helping me shift. The throwout bearing spun freely, and wasn't that chunky but made some noise.

Do you need to resurface your flywheel for every new clutch? Or is it dependent on wear, or heat spots? I was planning on resurfacing. I measured the end section of the input shaft because it was worn from that bad pilot, and there's a valley in the middle measuring at 0.7466", and the outer edges are at 0.749". It's still fairly smooth to the touch. I'm not sure if whatever was in the end of the crank was a bearing or a bushing. The one I ordered comes with a needle bearing. I'm not sure yet how I'm gonna get the old crap out. It looks pretty chewed up.

Here's some of the pictures I took, let me know if that link doesn't work.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...cY?usp=sharing

 

Resurfacing the flywheel gives the new clutch disc a clean, flat surface. I use a Dremel with a cutting disc to remove the old pilot bearing/bushing they make a puller if you want to buy or rent one. I'd say thats what your problem was. Clutch has normal wear, not completely wore out, but due for replacement. Resurface the flywheel, clean the bell housing out from the dust, pull off the releases bearing fork, put a little grease on the ball and socket end don't go overboard with the grease. Same with the release bearing shaft on the trans. Just a thin film will be good. The clutch kit will come with spline grease don't gob it in one spot. Just be mindful of the crank sensor at the back of the block when your putting it back together, you can take it out of your afraid of breaking it, put it back in before you put the crossmember in, you can drop the trans down to gain access better, just watch the distributor on the firewall. Take your time with the clutch line up tool, get a socket and ratchet and snug a couple bolts opposite each other, it should go in smooth like butter. If it catches, your trans input shaft will catch. Just adding more struggle going together. Last few clutches I done fell together, little wiggle and everything went right in.

 

Sachs is OEM, not Luk. Luke is just Napa stuff.

And yes, I got a new flywheel on my 3rd clutch.

 

Laying under the truck right now, at a loss. Whatever the hell is in the end of this crank won’t budge. I can’t even tell what’s bearing and crank at this point. I’ve been trying to get it peeled off one side so I can pull it out but it just breaks off.

 

Looks like the outer bearing race....... What's left of it, that's gonna be some fun. Hardened steel, it's not gonna bend, it's gonna chip off. That's where I use my Dremel and split it with a cutting disc, have to go at an angle, it won't make a straight cut. New disc and start on the inside, worn disc won't reach the back. Puller won't help either I don't think there is enough for it to grab a hold of. Out of the whole clutch change I think the pilot bearing is the worst. All my wife and I own are straight drives, lol. My truck, her nitro, and her gt500 that is due for a clutch......... About $1,600 worth of clutch kit lol.
I ain't seen a pilot bearing that bad in a long time lol. They usually still have a few needle bearings left lol. I usually put a little extra grease on them after I install them, and spin it with my finger to make sure it's greased good without going over board on the grease. Centrifical force will sling it all over the flywheel, and clutch disc after it melts from the heat.

 

Nope, that's the bushing. The pilot bearing itself is only about 1/8" thick and can slide onto your ring finger (yours appears missing). It goes in the center there where you have the void. The shiny center is actually the back of the crankshaft.

My late friend helped me with this trick to remove the bushing:

Drill 3/8" or 1/4" holes in the bushing carefully from top to bottom and side to side. This removes enough material that the bushing - aka hunk of steel - will have less contact and pressure on the crank and can be removed. After we drilled (mangled it) mine came right out. We then seated the new bushing with a block of wood and hammer, followed by the tiny pilot bearing. Glob it with grease and move on to the clutch.

 

The dremel tool did the trick, finally got that cursed bearing race out. I cleaned out the hole and aside from some cut marks and mangling on the outer rim it felt fine and should easily accept a bearing. However, the needle bearing they gave me weeble wobbles around in the hole. It fits decent on the shaft, could be tighter though. I’ve heard that needle bearings are not a good way to go, they don’t last with all the dust and eat your input shaft? Should I find an oillite bushing and if it’s the same fit maybe center punch the OD of it?