Clutch?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: Acworth Georgia
Clutch?
Guys,
I need a good clutch. What's the recommendations?
Centerforce seems nice, but they have no middle ground it seems between a stock replacement, and their hard core unit.
Spec I've heard are nice clutches, but have some fitment issues with the C4's.
I've heard conflicting info on the Ram HD clutches.
I've been told the McLeod (sp?) would be a little much for a daily driver.
Here's the specs,..... This car will be primarily daily driven, and will make 370-400rwhp off the bottle. 470-510rwhp on the bottle. It will not see drag radials, slicks, or hard launches. No power shifting. Just basically be driven as a Vette should.
So what are the recommendations? Price? Best place to purchase?
Thanks.
I need a good clutch. What's the recommendations?
Centerforce seems nice, but they have no middle ground it seems between a stock replacement, and their hard core unit.
Spec I've heard are nice clutches, but have some fitment issues with the C4's.
I've heard conflicting info on the Ram HD clutches.
I've been told the McLeod (sp?) would be a little much for a daily driver.
Here's the specs,..... This car will be primarily daily driven, and will make 370-400rwhp off the bottle. 470-510rwhp on the bottle. It will not see drag radials, slicks, or hard launches. No power shifting. Just basically be driven as a Vette should.
So what are the recommendations? Price? Best place to purchase?
Thanks.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 1,189
Likes: 0
From: Lewisville Texas
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Clutch? (Hi-psi)
I have a spec stage II and love it. I have had mine in for about 1 1/2 years and have not had any problems with it. It feels like stock to me but it grabs real good when I get on it. I bought mine directly from Spec.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 388
Likes: 0
From: Acworth Georgia
Re: Clutch? (Thumper)
Thanks for the info Thumper.
One more thing guys,....I do not want to convert over the the single mass flywheel.
I don't think I could live with the racket for a daily driver.
One more thing guys,....I do not want to convert over the the single mass flywheel.
I don't think I could live with the racket for a daily driver.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 9,713
Likes: 3
From: Sachse Texas
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Clutch? (Hi-psi)
Thumper is running a Spec Stage 2 with a stock dual mass.
Other options include McCleod. They have an upgrade clutch that will work with the dual mass that will hold the power you are talking about. The other good option would be a Centerforce, or just put a stock replacement back in. As long as you are not launching it hard, most of them will hold up to quite a bit of power.
Other options include McCleod. They have an upgrade clutch that will work with the dual mass that will hold the power you are talking about. The other good option would be a Centerforce, or just put a stock replacement back in. As long as you are not launching it hard, most of them will hold up to quite a bit of power.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 7,411
Likes: 253
From: Little Elm TX
Re: Clutch? (Vette92)
I've had a stock one and a centerforce with the dual mass. I toasted the centerforce. Not sure if it had anything to do with the rear main seal leaking. :mad I now have the Spec Stage 2 with a single mass aluminum flywheel. It's noisy, but so far I like the way it feels and holds. I'll have to see how long it holds up.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,178
Likes: 2
From: Windermere FL
Re: Clutch? (R94 LT 1)
Stage III SPEC with Aluminum Flywheel. Noisey yes. But bulletproof and its setup for what I plan to do. Easy to live with from an operational standpoint for everyday driving. :reddevil :flag
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 9,713
Likes: 3
From: Sachse Texas
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Clutch? (92TripleBlack)
I would honestly not consider the SPEC 3 and aluminum flywheel bullet proof after Chad blowing up two of them because the flywheel and pressure plate would not stay together on two seperate occassions. If you are running that setup, seriously spend the money to get a tranny blanket in the event of a catastrophic failure like Chad had. Luckily he did not loose a foot as pieces did fly into his cabin from the assembly on the first failure. The second failure he did have a blanket.
Now, I have a SPEC 3 I have run with a steel single mass and it worked great with the exception of some additional noise my other single mass McCleod setup did not exibit.
After hearing of Chad's problems with the aluminum flywheels, I would not recommend them to anyone. I would simply deal with the extra 5 or so pound of rotating mass and use the steel flywheel.
Chris
Now, I have a SPEC 3 I have run with a steel single mass and it worked great with the exception of some additional noise my other single mass McCleod setup did not exibit.
After hearing of Chad's problems with the aluminum flywheels, I would not recommend them to anyone. I would simply deal with the extra 5 or so pound of rotating mass and use the steel flywheel.
Chris
Racer
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 467
Likes: 1
From: Lufkin tx
Re: Clutch? (Vette92)
Chris, good call. Yes I did have 2 failures with the aluminum fw/ stage 3 carbon setup. SPEC tried to blame the re-using of stock bolts on the first one, but the second one was put in using their recommendations of new GM bolts torqued to the factory specified torque value.
After pulling the thing apart after the second failure you could see that the bolts simply pulled out of the aluminum flywheel.
I now run a Mcleod Street Twin, the one with the push type pressure plate and hydraulic throw out bearing. I will say that it is much more driveable on the street than the SPEC, while gripping alot better on the track too.
I honestly believe that I would have never had a problem if I had went with the steel flywheel in the first place. However, I do suggest that anyone who doesnt have a trans blanket invest in one. It would've paid for itself about 4 times over on the first clutch explosion, and it totally contained the second one as well.
Chris, congrats on your win Sunday. I wish I could've stayed around to watch, but I was too tired. Not to mention a little shaken up from the no brakes incident.
After pulling the thing apart after the second failure you could see that the bolts simply pulled out of the aluminum flywheel.
I now run a Mcleod Street Twin, the one with the push type pressure plate and hydraulic throw out bearing. I will say that it is much more driveable on the street than the SPEC, while gripping alot better on the track too.
I honestly believe that I would have never had a problem if I had went with the steel flywheel in the first place. However, I do suggest that anyone who doesnt have a trans blanket invest in one. It would've paid for itself about 4 times over on the first clutch explosion, and it totally contained the second one as well.
Chris, congrats on your win Sunday. I wish I could've stayed around to watch, but I was too tired. Not to mention a little shaken up from the no brakes incident.
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Go Fast
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 92
From: Colorado Springs CO
Re: Clutch? (91tpi-zf)
I personally have bad dealings with Spec. They're customer support is poor. I understand the quality control may be my problem. Do good research, clutch changing is not a fun & easy tasks on C4s. Do a search of previous articles last month on clutches.
BG
BG
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 9,713
Likes: 3
From: Sachse Texas
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Clutch? (91tpi-zf)
Chris, congrats on your win Sunday. I wish I could've stayed around to watch, but I was too tired. Not to mention a little shaken up from the no brakes incident.
FWIW, I burnt up the McCleod Street and Strip clutch while racing. So the Stage 3 is probably going back in this week or next.
Chris
Race Director
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 14,165
Likes: 9
Re: Clutch? (Hi-psi)
Mcleod is actually an excellent clutch for a daily driver. Their dual friction clutch will hold that much power but it will drive exactly like the stock one.
I have one and have had 0 problems out of it. I've heard nothing but trouble from SPEC. It seems like if they ever send you the correct part it'll work, but they never do send you the right parts. Then they want you to replace your whole hydraulic system before they admit that it's their problem, etc, etc. I've heard bad things about centerforce's special weights actually coming apart, obviously that's not a good thing.
Never really heard anything bad about RAM.
I know personally 2 people who have run a SPEC and didn't get the right parts, and even after they did get the right parts they don't like it's driveability. I know 4 people with the Mcleod that had no trouble installing it and couldn't be happier.
I have one and have had 0 problems out of it. I've heard nothing but trouble from SPEC. It seems like if they ever send you the correct part it'll work, but they never do send you the right parts. Then they want you to replace your whole hydraulic system before they admit that it's their problem, etc, etc. I've heard bad things about centerforce's special weights actually coming apart, obviously that's not a good thing.
Never really heard anything bad about RAM.
I know personally 2 people who have run a SPEC and didn't get the right parts, and even after they did get the right parts they don't like it's driveability. I know 4 people with the Mcleod that had no trouble installing it and couldn't be happier.
Racer
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 467
Likes: 1
From: Lufkin tx
Re: Clutch? (Vette92)
Chris, the only thing I can come up with is that the fluid boiled, because both the breaks and the clutch went out and the lines run next to each other, near the headers. After cooling down about 10 minutes, everything was back to normal. I guess the heat from three back-to-back passes was too much. I am going to wrap the lines and try it again. What was your best time Sunday?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 9,713
Likes: 3
From: Sachse Texas
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Clutch? (91tpi-zf)
I had a lot of runs with the MPH up around 127-128 but could never capitalize on a good run because of lousy 60' times and clutch slippage. My best of the day was against Mike Hefner and it was a 11.55 @ 127-128 in the semi finals. My motor passes where I did not have something go wrong were right at 12.0 @ 120. I had a lot of bad launches and had one 12.2 @ 128 with a 2.3 60'. Had some other issues with the tires actually slipping on the rim too. I thought I had somep slipping and put a chaulk line on it and the next run the tire slipped about 1" on the rim. I got real lucky bringing home the trophy as tx396 was running around 11.0 and had one 10.99 run until he missed 4th gear in the semi's to loose.
I would have had some real good times if I had the Spec in. One run where I hit the juice in 1st and 2nd, each time the Nitrous would spray, the clutch would start spinning and the car would vibrate. I guess that is what you get with a clutch meant for 200 horsepower less than what you are putting out though. ;) At least I came home with nothing broek but a worn out clutch. :D
Chris
I would have had some real good times if I had the Spec in. One run where I hit the juice in 1st and 2nd, each time the Nitrous would spray, the clutch would start spinning and the car would vibrate. I guess that is what you get with a clutch meant for 200 horsepower less than what you are putting out though. ;) At least I came home with nothing broek but a worn out clutch. :D
Chris
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 9,713
Likes: 3
From: Sachse Texas
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Clutch? (Vette92)
Check out my clutch after the weekend...
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=403235
I guess that happens when you put 650 horsepower to a clutch that is rated for 400-450. ;)
Chris
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=403235
I guess that happens when you put 650 horsepower to a clutch that is rated for 400-450. ;)
Chris