Help! Issues after ACT Clutch install.

[chevymitchell]

But we're not touching the clutch at all. Sorry I guess I'm just not understanding what that means.

It’s likely my misunderstanding of the issue. Sorry about that. Master cylinder will obviously need bled. If there was a leak found, then that’s highly likely the culprit of all your problems. I’d love to fix it for you but you’re pretty far away and plane tickets are expensive right now. lol.

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[Steve104]

It’s likely my misunderstanding of the issue. Sorry about that. Master cylinder will obviously need bled. If there was a leak found, then that’s highly likely the culprit of all your problems. I’d love to fix it for you but you’re pretty far away and plane tickets are expensive right now. lol.

Thanks for all the good info. Would you consider a JL clutch replacement a doable job in the driveway under jack stands? I found a PDF of the Stellantis /NHTSA instructions on the web, and it doesn't look too terrible.

 

[chevymitchell]

Thanks for all the good info. Would you consider a JL clutch replacement a doable job in the driveway under jack stands? I found a PDF of the Stellantis /NHTSA instructions on the web, and it doesn't look too terrible.

Absolutely. The transfer case comes off, leave the trans shift linkage in place, then drop and pull the trans back. It doesn't need to come out from under the Jeep. There's plenty of room for it to slide back and give you the room to work on jack stands. Very doable in the driveway if one was so inclined. The hardest part, honestly, is holding the flywheel in place while trying to put a bolt in all while laying on your back and not being able to see the holes straight on. Good times.

 

[fczabala]

Thanks for all the good info. Would you consider a JL clutch replacement a doable job in the driveway under jack stands? I found a PDF of the Stellantis /NHTSA instructions on the web, and it doesn't look too terrible.

*6,500 Mile Update - 7/22/24*: Estimated 75% City Driving / 25% Highway Driving

ACT JP6 functions flawlessly and have had zero issues. No noises, groans, odd feels, or slipping. The pedal feel is consistently good and I have decided to forgo the clutch recall (all 3 so far) and stick with the superior replacement.

I cannot recall one instance in which I've stalled the Jeep since installation of the new ACT JP6 clutch.

Observation: I definitely notice the heavier flywheel during "spirited" driving, when trying to quickly shift at higher engine RPM's. The engine just takes a little bit longer to drop RPM than it would with the non pro-mass flywheel. However, given the opportunity to choose between a pro-mass or standard flywheel again, I would still choose the pro-mass.

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Special thanks to @Actman for developing an outstanding and sorely needed OEM clutch alternative, supplying an outstanding installation video, passing on helpful installation tips, and being a valuable contributing member to this forum. I took the time to document this project, and post about it, under my own prerogative because I believe in this product.

Vehicle:

2021 Hellayella Willys JL
3.6L/Aisin 6MT
OEM Dana 35/44 regeared to Dana 4.10 ring/pinions
OEM 32" Firestone MT's
Odometer at clutch change: 15,291 miles

Product:

ACT JP6-HDSS-HD-O/Perf Street Sprung: pro-mass flywheel, 11" clutch disk, HD pressure plate, 479 Ft-Lb torque capacity, MSRP $1399.00

Vendor:

Summit Racing: Part # ACL-JP6-HDSS $1091.00 w/ free shipping, tax not included.

Installation Information:

Installation was completed by myself (self proclaimed shade tree mechanic) from start to finish on a garage floor. Drive up ramps for front tires and jack stands for the rear axle were used for ground clearance. A Harbor Freight 2000 lb low profile transmission jack, SKU# 60240, was used for divorcing the transfer case from the transmission, and the transmission from the engine. This jack was a huge help in the process. A Lisle Flywheel Locking Tool, part number 23800, was used to remove the pressure plate and flywheel bolts. All other tools were common hand tools, jacks, and bottle jacks.

Installation Time:

This project was started on Saturday, May 27 and completed on Wednesday, June 7 with multiple days of inactivity and "half-day" work days. Disassembly took longer due to stopping for photos and creating a "list" for reassembly. I was not working with any kind of time crunch and took my time with everything. That said, disassembly and installation was trouble free. No broken bolts, no snags, no hiccups, no complaints.

I purchased a subscription to ALLDATA's 2021 Jeep JL service manual. However, I did not use the manual near as much as I did the ACT Installation Video. I did not want to pay someone to perform this task, and after having completed it, I would recommend doing this yourself to anyone who would be committed to completing it.

Review: The following was immediately noticeable after installation of the ACT JP6 kit:

- The clutch pedal itself is noticeably stiffer, but not too stiff. Holding the clutch pedal in at an extended traffic signal is no problem. I do not consider this a detriment.
- Clutch engagement is near the top of the pedal release and consistent every single time.
- There is no jerking or bucking in reverse, or any forward gears.
- There is no discernible gear noise from the JP6 clutch system when compared to the OEM clutch system.
- There is no discernible lag in engine rev speed with the JP6 "Pro-Mass" flywheel when compared to the OEM clutch system
- Being able to bypass any R&R of the hydraulics of the clutch system during installation is a major benefit of the ACT kit.
- My JP6 kit was complete, well packaged, and easy to install.

ACT Clutch Installation Video:




Installation:

Anyone familiar with Motortrend's Roadkill will recognize my cardboard "list" which I created during disassembly in conjunction with ACT's installation video. The list made reassembly much more organized by being able to work backwards and not forget any bolts or connectors. Also pictured is the lucky recipient of an ACT JP6 clutch kit.

Jeep on ramps and jack stands is the best clearance I could get:

Remove Skid Plates with 18mm / 13 mm wrench or sockets

Remove driver/passenger exhaust clamps and isolator with 13 mm wrench or socket:

Remove rear driveshaft @ transfer case (zip tie out of the way and leave connected at rear axle) with T50. Remove front driveshaft completely with 15mm wrench or socket @ front axle and T50 at transfer case:

Remove fuel tank skid plates and hose clips with 18mm and 13mm wrench or sockets:

Remove transfer case to cross member mounts with 21mm wrench/socket and driver side and passenger side cross member bolts with 18mm wrench/socket and remove the transfer case cross member:

Remove transfer case to cross member mount with 16mm wrench/socket (Not Pictured)

Disconnect top transfer case sensor connector, top transmission sensor connector, and wiring Christmas Trees (trees will probably break):

Remove right side fuel line bracket with 13mm wrench/socket and top transfer case shift cable bracket with 10mm wrench/socket:

Disconnect transfer case linkage from transfer case with 10mm wrench/socket and remove transfer case shifter linkage bracket with 10mm and 13mm wrench/socket:

Unbolt the transfer case from the transmission with 13mm wrench/socket and divorce both. The transmission and transfer case are individually sealed units so no worry about leaking fluids:

Remove slave cylinder bracket/position sensor with 13mm wrench/socket and slave cylinder nuts with 13mm nuts/5mm studs. Zip tie slave cylinder out of the way:

Remove the fuel hose clamp on top of the transmission with 13mm wrench/socket and push-on transmission vent hose:

Remove top four bellhousing/ fuel hose bracket stud/bolt combos with 15mm socket, starter bolts with 15mm wrench/socket, remainder bellhousing bolts with 15mm wrench/socket and divorce the transmission from the engine:

Remove the six pressure plate bolts from the stock clutch with 10mm wrench/socket and remove the eight flywheel bolts with a T50 bit:

Remove the flywheel, prep the crank mating surface for the ACT flywheel, and install the ACT flywheel and clutch disk per ACT instruction:

Install the ACT pressure plate and remove, clean, and re grease, the clutch fork pivot points and throw out bearing per ACT instruction:

Begin re installation in reverse order utilizing the ACT installation video or other resources. Tips for installation provided by @Actman are:

1. If the driveshafts haven't been off before, the bolts can be a bear to get undone because of the thread locking compound. On our first install we broke off two trying to get them out. We now have a couple laying around as spares just in case. Now would also be a good time to consider changing the rear main seal if you have considerable mileage on the vehicle.

2. If you are able to support both the transmission and transfer case as a unit, it saves a lot of time and you don't have to mess with the shifter cables, just the wire bracket at the back of the transfer case to allow for cable movement.

3. Some of the "christmas trees" that hold the wiring will most likely break off, no matter what you do. You can either replace, opt to leave them out or secure the wires with other zip ties. There is also one way up on top of the transmission as I recall.

4. There is a ridiculous bracket to hold the wiring to the top of the bellhousing that has a bolt and two nuts holding it down. Although the bellhousing bolts take a 15mm wrench, the very top nut holding the bracket is 16mm. The one below it is 13mm. We used about 3 ft of extension to reach the nuts from behind the tranfer case so we could turn it.

5. To make matters worse, the very top bolts have a long stud sticking out (one for the wiring bracket) making it difficult to get the bracket off the stud. We cut the stud shorter prior to re-install.

6. Since release travel is so critical on these vehicles, you want the diaphragms fingers as uniform as possible, so double check the uniformity of the diaphragm fingers after you tighten down the pressure plate by placing something flat against them as a reference. On a clutch this large, the cover stamping will flex a little when bolted down. If there are slightly lower fingers in one area, loosen the clutch bolts only in that area by a half turn and retighten. If there are high fingers, loosen all bolts by a half turn and tighten the area with the high fingers first.

7. Make sure to use our torque specifications for the flywheel and pressure plate, not the factory Jeep specs.

8. When installing the clutch arm, push it all the way away from the engine to make it easier to stab the slave cylinder later. Be careful to stab the slave cylinder in the right place. Because it is so long, it is easier to miss (like we did once) and as soon as you press the pedal. the cylinder will blow out and make a mess. Don't try to pull the arm back after the transmission is installed or do it very carefully or it will disconnect from the pivot ball and the transmission will need to come off again.

 

[Pig-Pen]

@SadRobot just needs to take out a HELOC and ship her jeep to @chevymitchell and pick it up when the clutch, transfer case and Dana 60s are done!

 

[Pig-Pen]

Thanks. I'll see what they say. I've been reading up some more on the Jeep Recall page and a few others having the exact same problem with the ACT. You either get lucky or you get S.O.L. I think I'm in the S.O.L. category.

I regret throwing out the stock clutch. Maybe would have had a shop put it back in and gone to get a new clutch for free from the dealer. Oh well. Lesson learned.

im sure you can get one from someone who's replacing theirs. maybe swap for your ACT? lol

 

[Pig-Pen]

I agree it may not necessarily be the clutch. At this point everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else and it's frustrating. I wish I just had a shop I could trust to look at it and tell me exactly what is wrong.

in my 30 years of taking vehicles to shops, this is typically the result. shops love to point fingers at each other. that's why i prefer to do as much of my own work as possible or have friends who are skilled do it. although clutch/trans jobs are not for rookies.

if you think this is bad, you should see what happens when multiple stereo shops get involved. after going through that non-sense over the years i learned to do everything myself. i hate taking my vehicles to any kind of shop at all. even body shops. nobody puts the care into it like you and your friends.

 

[notthenewguy]

Was able to get a video of the groan my JL makes when slowly releasing the clutch. Happens during takeoff during normal driving but I can’t get the sound to record from inside the car. The groan stops as soon as the clutch pedal is depressed. No noise in the morning, as the day goes on it gets louder, and shifting gets worse. Happens in reverse and I’ve noticed it sometimes happens when upshifting if I let the clutch out slow enough.

 

[fczabala]

Was able to get a video of the groan my JL makes when slowly releasing the clutch. Happens during takeoff during normal driving but I can’t get the sound to record from inside the car. The groan stops as soon as the clutch pedal is depressed. No noise in the morning, as the day goes on it gets louder, and shifting gets worse. Happens in reverse and I’ve noticed it sometimes happens when upshifting if I let the clutch out slow enough.

Yup I have that sound too, it was addressed by ACT here in the forum I think on one of their threads explaining the clutch, I believe ACT said it's not detrimental to the life of the clutch and not of concern if my memory serves me right

 

[SadRobot]

Was able to get a video of the groan my JL makes when slowly releasing the clutch. Happens during takeoff during normal driving but I can’t get the sound to record from inside the car. The groan stops as soon as the clutch pedal is depressed. No noise in the morning, as the day goes on it gets louder, and shifting gets worse. Happens in reverse and I’ve noticed it sometimes happens when upshifting if I let the clutch out slow enough.

Huh, I don't think mine has every made that sound. The only odd sound I have is the croak/creak in the pedal itself.

 

[notthenewguy]

Huh, I don't think mine has every made that sound. The only odd sound I have is the croak/creak in the pedal itself.

mine makes a squeak that comes from the slave cylinder but you can really only hear it with the car off. This noise started a few weeks back and has gotten much worse.

 

[SadRobot]

So here's an update on my Jeep.

@roaniecowpony stopped by the dealer and picked up the part I had on hold and brought it up to my house. We swapped out the master cylinder and re-bled the system. On our test drive we both agree it's driving normal. I'll drive it around tomorrow to see if things stay the same or get worse. If it gets worse again then there is either:

A. air still getting into the system somehow from somewhere else
B. something wrong with the ACT clutch (whether it be a bad install or other)

I'll report back after a day or two with how it's doing.

 

[notthenewguy]

So here's an update on my Jeep.

@roaniecowpony stopped by the dealer and picked up the part I had on hold and brought it up to my house. We swapped out the master cylinder and re-bled the system. On our test drive we both agree it's driving normal. I'll drive it around tomorrow to see if things stay the same or get worse. If it gets worse again then there is either:

A. air still getting into the system somehow from somewhere else
B. something wrong with the ACT clutch (whether it be a bad install or other)

I'll report back after a day or two with how it's doing.

hope this fixes your issues
If it does I might have to look into my clutch hydraulics. Was there any hydraulic fluid leaking from your master cylinder that led them to determine that was the issue?

 

[fczabala]

So here's an update on my Jeep.

@roaniecowpony stopped by the dealer and picked up the part I had on hold and brought it up to my house. We swapped out the master cylinder and re-bled the system. On our test drive we both agree it's driving normal. I'll drive it around tomorrow to see if things stay the same or get worse. If it gets worse again then there is either:

A. air still getting into the system somehow from somewhere else
B. something wrong with the ACT clutch (whether it be a bad install or other)

I'll report back after a day or two with how it's doing.

glad to see you back on the saddle
save the manuals! lol

 

[SadRobot]

hope this fixes your issues
If it does I might have to look into my clutch hydraulics. Was there any hydraulic fluid leaking from your master cylinder that led them to determine that was the issue?

The shop thought so. Chuck and I are not as sure. There was some fluid around the connection to the line that leads down to the slave. But also that could be from all this work that's been done with this system in the past 2 weeks with brake fluid getting poured in and bled out, etc.

I figured worse case I spend money on the part and then learn a thing or two about how hydraulics work. Best case the part fixes all my troubles.

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