Yeah I know it has been brought up before but I am getting my engine rebuilt by a very good friend, we don't know exactly which route we are going till the engine is tore down. The car has 135k on it and I replaced the stock clutch at 80k with a ram stock replacement which still feels strong but since it will be apart I might as weel replace it. We will be upgrading parts and I would be more than comfortable putting another stock replacement in, but I want something that feels a little more aggressive, after owning the car for five years even the stock clutch feels very conservative to me, not to mention within the next few years outside of the rebuild more upgrades will be coming. It appears ram only does a stock replacement and then a strip clutch. I want something for moderately modified street cars. Any recommendations?

 

A stock GM clutch is all that you need unless you are adding some serious horsepower. In that event I would go with a Centerforce dual friction.

 

We might stroke it. Will the stock clutch still be sufficient?

 

just remember the stock clutch has enough give to keep you from splattering the rest of the drivetrain.

 

IMO, If you are replacing the flywheel too, get the RAM push type and save yourself a lot of ZH headaches

 

Try to include the year in your post. Some of us are giving advice for a 4+3, other the ZF6.

Your profile says you have a 94, but most people don't go that far.

I have a McLeod twin in my car, and while it is awesome, the clutch WILL find the next weakest link in your drivetrain if you drop it repeatedly.

For you, I think the Camaro steel flywheel, the covette disk, and the corvette pressure plate might be the way to go.

 

My buddy has a Civic, he said he just pulled the old stock clutch out and coated it in weatherstrip glue, also drilled holes for extra cooling. His clutch grips better than ever.

(Just jerkin your chain. )


Nikki6, on the ram clutch, is the throwout bearing the same as the stock one? I'm keeping my eyes out for a better one than this garbage that is pressed together with thin metal.

 

My fault on that other post I was having a crappy night and got a little internet tough guy in me.

My fault i forgot to post its a 94.

Yeah the ram throwout bearing was the same. While the car is all tore down I want to cover all the bases.

 

You can get the friction disc by itself from McLeod. They have a couple different versions. I've got the kevlar one and am happy.

 

Looks like we are gonna stroke it. I read a post in the archive as well saying that the stock pressure plate will hold fine with a 383, is this true? Any first hand experience? Should I put in an aftermarket disc for good measure granted everything is in good condition once we get it tore apart?

We are stroking it, porting the heads and intake, New cam but I don't have specs the yet.

 

Does anyone know what the stock pressure plate holds?

 

Not enough.

 

I believe the Camaro steel flywheel is single mass and the corvette disc does not have springs in it.

Doesn't the disc need springs to compensate for the lost function of the dual mass or is it fine without springs?

 

Correct answer if it's a LTx car......exactly the same as any of them. Valero holds the patient and makes them for GM and sells them to all the aftermarket companies. Don't let anyone BS ya. They are the same. Look at the part number.

You don't want a Centerforce as the added weights will warp the pressure plate eventually causing less surface contact and premature failure.

Anything other than the stock dual mass flywheel will be noisy as hell in neutral if the clutch is not depressed. I have two billet single mass flywheels in my garage in both neutral balance and stock balance if you don't mind the noise. The F-body is slightly lighter but will have to be machined thinner to work.

So……..where does that leave us?? Depending upon your tolerance to noise in neutral you can either go with a dual disk (very expensive and noisy in neutral) or try a different friction material for the disk itself. If you have that many miles on a stock composite you might seriously want to think about another.

I've had issues with Kevlar friction material but there are about a dozen other possibilities. My personal favorite for a street driven car that sees a little track time on street tires or drag radials is a smooth ceramic dual side puck surface. It will hold a 3500-3800 rpm launch, be just a bit more grabby but not enough that it interferes with regular daily driving. DO NOT get the course ceramic. It will chatter making driving a real PITA.

Have fun!!!! I'd just go back to stock and enjoy all the R&D that GM did if your not a serious hot rodder.

 

I'm running the ZF clutch with a solid flywheel with no problems. It feels like it takes a little more clutch slip to get going, but that's it.

Supposedly a sprung clutch hub does very little to help with the noisy ZF6.