Good morning. This is Chris from The Clutch Hub. Today we're doing an installation of a new clutch into a Ford Ranger or Mazda BT-50 equipped with the 3.2L 5-cylinder turbo-diesel engine.

We are installing a Blusteele Survivor Series heavy-duty 4WD clutch kit paired with a new upgraded billet flywheel (Part Number: BFD9326SS).

Available Kit Configurations:

• Complete Kit with Billet Flywheel: Part Number BFD9326SS (Featured today)

• Clutch Kit Only (Reusing Existing Flywheel): Part Number BFD9325SS

Part 1: Unboxing & Component Overview

1. Billet Chromoly Steel Flywheel

• Material & Design: Precision CNC-machined 4140 Chromoly billet steel solid flywheel.

• Claw-Groove Cooling: Features Blusteele's signature radial claw grooves across the friction face to maximize thermal dissipation, clear dust, and prevent hot-spotting under extreme off-road loads or heavy towing.

• Integrated Components: Comes complete with a pre-installed starter ring gear and crankshaft tone/relucter wheel for engine position sensor readings.

• Upgraded Fasteners: Includes heavy-duty 12.9 grade high-tensile pressure plate bolts (upgraded to 13mm head fasteners from the factory 10mm bolts).

2. Clutch Disc & Self-Adjusting Cover Assembly

• Organic Friction Disc: Heavy-duty disc featuring German LUK organic friction material and a dual-stage damper spring hub.

• Self-Adjusting Cover (SAC): Features a factory-style self-adjusting mechanism (visible tracking springs backed fully off for initial fitment) to maintain consistent pedal height and clamp load as the disc wears.

• Hydraulic Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC): Includes a complete replacement internal hydraulic release bearing unit.

• Hardware & Tools: Includes a replacement spigot bearing, clutch alignment tool, and CSC bleeding procedure instructions.

Part 2: Step-by-Step Installation Guide

1. Billet Flywheel & Spigot Bearing Installation

• Apply Loctite 243 to all flywheel bolts and torque to exact factory specifications in a star pattern.

• Replace the pilot/spigot bearing in the center of the crankshaft flange.

  Technical Note: The 3.2L Ford Ranger uses an encapsulated spigot bearing. While it can be tricky to extract, replacing it during every clutch change is vital for input shaft longevity.

2. Recessed Flywheel Pocket & Disc Orientation

• Tight Pocket Tolerance: When positioning the clutch disc against the flywheel face, note that it fits into a precise, tight recessed hub pocket on the flywheel face. This tight tolerance is normal and engineered to keep the disc perfectly centered.

• Disc Orientation: Position the disc so the raised damper spring hub faces rearward toward the gearbox.

3. Mounting the Self-Adjusting Cover (CRITICAL STEP)

Self-Adjusting Clutch (SAC) Alignment Warning

When bolting down a Self-Adjusting Clutch cover, you MUST pull the pressure plate bolts down strictly evenly in a cross pattern (1/2 turn at a time per bolt).

• Why It Matters: If you tighten one side faster than the other, the cover will cock at an angle. This triggers the internal self-adjusting ratchet mechanism to spring forward prematurely, locking out the clutch and rendering the new cover completely useless.

• Torque all upgraded 12.9 grade bolts evenly until fully seated.

4. The Golden Rule of Spline Lubrication

Extreme Caution: Spline Grease Volume

Excess grease is the single biggest cause of premature clutch failure. Whatever grease you apply to the gearbox input shaft splines or spigot bearing MUST NOT exceed the volume of a small fingernail.

• Apply only a micro-smear of high-temperature clutch spline grease directly to the input shaft splines and wipe off any excess.

• Centrifugal force will fling excess grease onto the organic friction material, causing immediate clutch slip and permanent contamination.

5. Concentric Slave Cylinder (CSC) Handling & Bellhousing Prep

• Cleaning: Thoroughly wash out the transmission bellhousing with brake cleaner or degreaser to remove all accumulated old clutch dust before mounting the new CSC.

• CSC Handling Rules:

  1. Never press, pump, or cycle the concentric slave cylinder by hand out of the box.

  2. Bolt the CSC directly into the thoroughly cleaned bellhousing dry.

  3. Connect hydraulic lines, allow fluid to gravity-drip bleed first, and slowly bleed the hydraulic line per supplied instructions.

Part 3: Gearbox Mating & Road Test Feedback

Gearbox Re-installation

• Align the gearbox input shaft perfectly parallel with the engine block prior to mating.

• Do not force or pull the transmission in using bellhousing bolts. When properly aligned, the transmission will slide smoothly onto the engine locating dowels with minimal effort.

Road Test Impressions

• Pedal Effort: Very light and smooth—virtually identical to (or slightly lighter than) factory pedal feel.

• Engagement: Crisp gear selection with smooth, progressive take-up point.

Required 1,000 km – 1,500 km Bedding-In Period

Clutch Bedding Requirement

Instruct the driver to observe a strict bedding-in process for the first 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers.

• No Towing or Heavy Loads: Avoid hauling trailers, heavy ute tray loads, or off-road snatching.

• Normal Driving: Stick to smooth, gentle daily driving to allow the organic friction material to mate fully and evenly across the new flywheel and pressure plate friction faces.

Summary

The BFD9326SS Blusteele Survivor Series upgrade provides the ultimate balance of heavy-duty torque capacity, excellent cooling performance, and stock-like pedal comfort for the 3.2L Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50.

Thanks for watching from The Clutch Hub—happy motoring!

This product video is for:
SUPER Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PX XL XLT wildtrak, P5AT 3.2L
Blusteele Heavy Duty Clutch Kit for Mazda BT50 3.2L & upgrade Billet flywheel & CSC
Blusteele Steel Billet upgrade Flywheel For Ford Ranger BT50 3.2 2.2 P5AT P4AT
Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Mazda BT50 UP, UR, XT, P4AT 2.2L Inc. Slave
Blusteele Heavy Duty Clutch Kit for Ford Ranger PX 2.2 3.2 BT50 Incl New Billet Flywheel
Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PXI-PXIII 3.2lt p5at 11/2011
Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PX XL XLT WILDTRAL P4AT 09/2011 - 03/2022
Blusteele Heavy Duty clutch kit for Ford Ranger PX XL XLT wildtrak, P5AT 3.2L
Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PX XL XLT wildtrak, P5AT 3.2L
Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger & Mazda BT50 3.2 Litre 5 Cylinder & Slave
Survivor Series Clutch Kit upgrade for Ford Ranger PX 3.2L inc Chromoly Flywheel & CSC
Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger & Mazda BT50 3.2 Litre 5 Cylinder & Slave
Blusteele Survivor Clutch Kit Upgraded Billet Flywheel for Ford Ranger Mazda BT50 PX 3.2
Clutch Kit for Ford Ranger PX 3.2 for Mazda BT50 5 Cylinder No CSC included
Clutch Kit For Mazda BT-50 UPOYF 3.2 Ltr I/C TDI P5AT 11/2011-on 6sp
Survivor Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PX XL XLT Wildtrak P5AT 3.2
Survivor Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Mazda BT50 UP, UR, XT, P5AT 3.2L Inc. Slave
Survivor Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PX XL XLT P4AT 2.2
Blusteele Steel Billet upgrade Flywheel For Ford Ranger BT50 3.2 2.2 P5AT P4AT
Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PX XL XLT wildtrak, P5AT 3.2L
Blusteele Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Ford Ranger PX XL XLT P4AT 2.2
Blusteele Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Mazda BT50 UP, UR, XT, P5AT 3.2L Inc. Slave
Heavy Duty Clutch Kit For Mazda BT50 UP, UR, XT, P4AT 2.2L Inc. Slave
Clutch Kit and upgraded flywheel for Ford Ranger PX 3.2 Mazda BT-50
Clutch concentric slave cylinder for Ford Ranger PX 3.2 Mazda BT50 3.2
Heavy Duty Survivor Clutch Kit for Ford Ranger PX 3.2 upgraded Claw grooved Flywheel & CSC