Description
# RCPBP-04. Fits 700R4 Transmissions, Blue Plate Special friction clutch kit.
Raybestos Powertrain GM TH700-R4 Clutch Pack Module GEN 2 Blue Plate Special. RCPBP-04 features 2 Overrun GEN 2 Blue Race Product, 5 Low/Reverse GEN 2 Blue Race Product (High Static), 4 Reverse Input GEN 2 Blue Race Product (High Static), 5 Forward GEN 2 Blue Race Product, 8 3rd, 4th GEN 2 Blue Race Product (Hardened Core) Friction Clutch Plates.
Recommended Use:
Serious racing applications; with optimum benefits in dynamic clutch positions
- Made with high-strength, matrix bonding resins for superior performance
- Manufactured with high-strength steel
- Less shock during shifts
- Greater durability to last race after race
- Excellent fatigue strength to handle high power cycling
- Withstands higher torque and horsepower per plate than the competition
Hi-Static Friction Clutch Plates
Question: I recently purchased a gen2™ Blue Plate Special® Clutch-Pack® Module for a 4L60E transmission. I noticed the Low / Reverse and the Reverse Input clutches are tan colored while the rest are blue. Why would Raybestos® put these tan frictions be in a Hi-Performance friction module?
Answer: A clutch or band which is applied when going from Park or Neutral to a forward or reverse gear is considered “statically” applied. In the 4L60E the Low / Reverse clutch and the Reverse Input clutch are statically held clutches because they engage while the vehicle is at a stop. A clutch, such as the 3-4, that is applied during a shift is considered “dynamically” applied.
The color of the friction plates result from the materials and resins used in the manufacturing process. The “tan” colored friction plates we use in the gen2™ Blue Plate Special® Clutch-Pack® Module for the Low / Reverse and the Reverse Input clutches are a “Hi-Static” friction material. This is a different material than the conventional tan materials used in OE type applications. An easy test for you to do is to take 2 OE replacement Raybestos® friction plates, such as the GM 4L80E – Overrun, and squeeze them together (don’t use a steel plate). While squeezing the friction plates together, try to rub them together. The trick is to keep a clamping force while also exerting a sliding motion to push one plate in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. Now do the same with a Raybestos® Chrysler A500/518/618 – Overdrive Direct “Hi-Static” friction plate which is similar in size. Notice the difference? I found the test results are better when the frictions have been pre-soaked but not dripping wet (patted dry). This generic test does not provide scientific data like our test equipment does, but it gets the point across.
When horsepower and torque levels exceed the factory specs, or a transbrake is used, the “Hi-Static” (high holding) material will absorb more power before it breaks away (slips) than a typical conventional “tan” friction material. These “statically” held components are not used during an up-shift and do not require the more exotic materials and processing of the gen2 Blue Plate Specials. So even though they look like any other TAN plate, they are much more than that.
The Blue Plate Special provides optimum shift performance with a positive engagement under high power conditions where all of the energy absorption is condensed into a very short length of time. The color is not a dye but is a result of high-strength resins used to bind the fiber friction elements together and then covered with a preliminary coat of oil.
