I've made a post about this a while back, but never came up with any good conclusion, so here I am asking again.
I am going turbo this spring and plan to put down between 300 and 400 HP. Here lies the problem. Which clutch do I go with? For reference, I've got a '00+ F23 Getrag trans. I have had terrible luck in the past with SPEC clutches. I had two of the stage 2's fail on me. And by the looks of other JBO members, it doesn't appear that a whole hell of a lot of people are having any better luck. Shifted comes to mind.
I was contemplating the SPEC Stage 3+, but again, I am leery of going with SPEC after the issues I have had with them in the past. Anyone have any other recommendations that they have personally used? Like Clutchmasters? I also don't want to spend $1600 on a custom one either. I'm looking around the $500 range.
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
I have a SPec stage 2 and love it!!!! I do not think I would want the stage 2 with the power your aiming for. Stage 3 or Stage 3+. I have installed a stage 3 and driving it. Still nice clutch, just much more less play for daily driving, but still very drivable. Only real problem I have seen with the stage 3's is the life of the clutch, but that can also be different based on the driver. If I ever buy another clutch I will not think twice about getting Spec.
FU Tuning
Luke, this weekend I am installing the Spec 3+ on my 2000 Z24. After talking with Karo and Tom about problems others faced, I am also installing;
New GM Master Clutch Cylinder
Spec Flywheel
All new Flywheel bolts
I'll give you updates if you want.
Don
I want to add. Spec states to replace the clutch master cylinder when installing a new clutch. Also GM redesigned the TOB and clutch master cylinder in 2005.
FU Tuning
From what i have heard and read about spec peopel are seeming to have issues with the stage 2's and 3's but i have yet to hear of anyone having problems with the plus series which seems to be a beter built clutch. I personally have the stage 3+ with the lightened option..have yet to drive with it but it is pretty ..phil
John Higgins wrote:I have a SPec stage 2 and love it!!!! I do not think I would want the stage 2 with the power your aiming for. Stage 3 or Stage 3+. I have installed a stage 3 and driving it. Still nice clutch, just much more less play for daily driving, but still very drivable. Only real problem I have seen with the stage 3's is the life of the clutch, but that can also be different based on the driver. If I ever buy another clutch I will not think twice about getting Spec.
Wow, you're luck. I had two stage 2's go bad on me.
OD1 Z24 wrote:Luke, this weekend I am installing the Spec 3+ on my 2000 Z24. After talking with Karo and Tom about problems others faced, I am also installing;
New GM Master Clutch Cylinder
Spec Flywheel
All new Flywheel bolts
I'll give you updates if you want.
Don
Yes, be sure to let me know how it goes! I'd be very interested in how it feels and performs.
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
ok so the past few days ive been calling about every clutch place there is trying to find a clutch, told all these people im running a 2000 2.4 cavalier with 450whp 420tq, and looking for a clutch to hold 550hp/tq....
compitition clutch- dont have anything "contact clutch masters"/ kinda funny cause right from their website "We Are the Competition...Bring it On!" but they recomended clutch masters and arent interested in building a clutch
exedy- plain in simple dont have anything
bully clutchs- are suppose to call my back with avalibilty and pricing
clutchmasters- can build a "custom twin disc fx600" for a whopping $1900..... spy paid 1600....
spec- you could run a stage 5, my question is it streetable, his answer was yes i have customers doing it.... ok then when i told him im looking for something to hold 550hp/tq said they dont carry anything and when i poked around seeing if they could do anything didnt seem like he was to interested.....
so yea... maybe i should part out the cav. because this is just plain stupid
R.I.P. Brian Klocke, you will never be forgotten
^^UGHH....well that is not good news. Let me know what you hear from Bully Clutches. If all else fails, I think I may just go with a SPEC 3+ and hope it does the job for a while...
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
Wow, their aren't very much options for you 5speed guys with alot of power
~2014 New Z under the knife, same heart different body~
______________________
WHITECAVY no more
2012 numbers - 4SPD
AUTOMATIC!!
328 HP
306 TQ
I wish Exedy would pull something together for us. We're running that on our RHD 300hp civic and runs perfect. Because i don't want pay 1600-1900 for a twin disc clutch.
the exedy twin disc are kinda in the same price range tho., i was looking online and clutch masters twin disc are going for 1200-1500 but i guess since we have cavs we get the shaft yet again
R.I.P. Brian Klocke, you will never be forgotten
Yep, apparently that still seems to be the trend these days even with the eco motors doing what they have done. On my spare time maybe i'll write up a formal letter to each of these companies and see if we can get them to make something for us. Doubtful due to not many people wanting clutches that can hold what your looking for Brandon. I will still be content to have a company back their products and have less issues with them (i.e. SPEC) but have a 3+ made by them. I'm still waiting to see what Bully has out there for us before i even commit to anyone yet.
Luke, you mention that you have had two stage 2 clutch kits fail. Do you have pictures of the assemblies? Have you ever contacted us in regards to your issues?
It is important for everyone to realize that clutch "failure" is a relative term. It is important to know what happened with the clutch and from that to gather evidence of the potential cause. I am not saying that it is impossible to have issues with our kits or anyone elses for that matter...but there will always be a cause of the issues and rather than saying "it must be the clutch" which seems to be the trend here...wouldn't it be better to actually examine the problem and determine the actual issue? Of course, they say "ignorance is bliss"...but I would disagree wouldn't you?
J. Auvil
Sales and Tech Manager
www.specclutch.com
The first clutch I had, the rivets in the disc actually came extremely loose and you could twist the two parts of the discs apart. I called you guys and you did send me a new disc. That solved the issue for a while until it started slipping. I took it apart again, and it appears that the disc is only contacting a partial surface of the pressure plate and flywheel. There are black burn marks in the small spots that it is making contact. The flywheel was resurfaced as well before installation. So I don't know what is up.
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
Use of a new disc on an older plate and flywheel can lead to wear on the outside of the disc surface. This is related to the contact surfaces tendency to wear with use (think of this wear as dish). Another potential cause is a disc that is not flat. Here is what I recommend doing--check the flatness of the plate, flywheel and disc. I am willing to bet that one of these surfaces is not as flat as it should be. Let me know what you find. Thanks!
J. Auvil
Sales and Tech Manager
www.specclutch.com
I know that the flywheel is true. I checked that already. I didn't check the pressure plate or the disc though. The disc was new from you guys, so I dunno. And no one ever said or offered to send me a new pressure plate either.
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
If the flywheel was used with the previous disc...it won't be flat...remember the parts that touch in clutch kits are called friction sirfaces for a reason. They are scuffed and worn during use which inherent to the job they do. People buy new discs all the time to use with older plates and flywheels...however as I have mentioned before each part wears. I get the feeling that you may be heading in the direction of "it must be your fault" but remember...we check every part for flatnees before it ships (this is part of our quality control process). A disc can be bent during installation if the transmission is hung off the shaft...this is a possibility. Here is what I suggest...get a machinists straight edge and a feeler gauge and measure the outage on the flywheel and plate. Put the flat side of the disc on a known flat surface and see if it rocks when pressure is put on one side and then the other. This will narrow down the cause. Let me know what you find. Thanks!
J. Auvil
Sales and Tech Manager
www.specclutch.com
As a side note stage 2 discs produce the least wear of any unit that we produce. This is related to their material..Kevlar...which many of your will recognize as the material in bullet-proof vests. Kevlar has a great friction coeffecient but looks like fabric and is easy on plate and flywheel friction surfaces. It is really a very cool material. As a side note Luke...how many miles are on your new disc?
J. Auvil
Sales and Tech Manager
www.specclutch.com
As I said before, the flywheel was resurfaced before the installation of the new disc. It could quite possibly be the surface of the pressure plate, because that wasn't touched. I can check the disc later this week when I get back home. And the disc couldn't have been damaged by the transmission hanging from it because I was extremely careful and had the motor out of the car at the same time. It was as simple as sliding the transmission straight on. The new disc has around 6,000 miles on it.
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
Let me know what you find and we can go from there. Thanks!
J. Auvil
Sales and Tech Manager
www.specclutch.com
spec clutchs rated at wheel tq or flywheel tq, and whats the chances of a streetable clutch for our platform to hold 500+whp/wtq??
R.I.P. Brian Klocke, you will never be forgotten
SPEC rates their clutches at flywheel tq. 3 is 365ft lbs, 3+ is 400ft lbs (but drives like a stage 2), 4 is 365ft lbs, and 5 is 485ft lbs.
Boosted...if you are interested in having a kit hold 500wtq. let me know what model year and engine you are using and I will see what I can come up with. I haven't had a whole lot of requests for such high capacity on these cars but anything is possible. Thanks!
J. Auvil
Sales and Tech Manager
www.specclutch.com
2000 cavalier 2.4 need a clutch to hold 500-600 wtq
R.I.P. Brian Klocke, you will never be forgotten
Boosted2point4 wrote:2000 cavalier 2.4 need a clutch to hold 500-600 wtq
x2
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
