I am starting to take my 5,000 mile 2003Z to the next level on the performance scale. I decided to start on the drive train with a clutch. I was lead to Tony Mamo and he suggested the RPS. Well, I had the clutch installed today and WOW. I am not making this up ! The car is really much more responsive as the whole car actually feels "more solid". The shift are stiff the clutch pedal is a "go/no go" with very little play if any. It is worth every penny and the revs seem to react up and down quicker. Again, if I did not know it was the same car I would question... I want to thank Tony for all his input/information and suggestions. A solid guy who will hear from me again soon....The vette is alive !!

 

Did the clutch come with a new flywheel and how much power is it supposed to hold?

 

if it is a go/no go it must chatter pretty bad..

 

Is this the single, double or triple disc? I have the triple disc and it's acutally gotten a lot easier to modulate the "go/no-go" charatristics as I put a few miles on it. But yes, my triple holds the power where the McLeod twin disc didn't.

Derrick

 

No....not at all

I think Joe just means its quicker to engage/disengage (smaller window) compared to stock. He specifically told me there was zero chatter. Its the RPS single disc btw....real nice clutch for the money....perfectly balanced with the only negative (if you want to call it that) being a little more pedal effort over stock. For me, I hate the limp noodle stock pedal pressure and welcome the feeling that there is actually something pushing back on my leg....easier to drive it more aggressively that way. And its not over the top or anything concerning pedal effort, probably 35% stouter than an OEM LS6/LS7 clutch. In a week your completely used to it.

Enjoy the new clutch Joe!

Cheers,
Tony

 

Tony or anyone else; what are the advantages/disadvantages of the RPS over the popular Textralia?

 

IMO the RPS offers a few advantages....

Lighter weight (37 lbs for the RPS dual-friction single disc unit) with the majority of the mass more centrally located making the weight reduction even more effective at reducing losses from more rotating inertia than you actually need (which robs power and engine responsiveness).

The RPS single is also unique in that its an aluminum flywheel (versus steel which is more common) with four "segmented" iron inserts instead of one that has been commonplace for years in all aluminum aftermarket wheels (the steel part that the clutch rides on). The segmented design's multiple steel friction surfaces are better for heat dissipation and offers a flatter surface for the clutch to ride on when its hot (Rob has a patent on this design btw). In short it offers you less warping under heat which improves the holding power the clutch can offer you (if more friction material is in touch with the flywheel versus skipping over a potentially warped or distorted surface).

Lastly, RPS uses a less aggressive premium organic material on the flywheel side of the clutch disc which takes up some of the "hit" and gets the car rolling before the more aggressive material on the back face (hence the dual-friction moniker) gets that clutch fully engaged shortly after. You have a little more forgiveness with that design and while its alot more on/off than a limp noodle stocker, its still easy to modulate with zero chatter. For me, I absolutely wont put up with clutch chatter (just a personal pet peeve of mine). A chattering clutch can turn a bad *** 50K+ sports car into what feels like a pile of nuts and bolts. When you finally get a really good working clutch in the car you will be amazed at what it can do for the entire feel and personality of the car. You interface alot more with that third pedal than you realize and that is never more driven home till you experience your car with either a really good clutch or a really bad one....LOL

Feel free to PM guys if you have any questions etc.

Cheers,
Tony

 

Yes, Tony puts it in better words on the "feel" of the clutch and car overall. I can add the stock system weighs 51.6 lbs..... It was a perfect set-up for my Z

 

My spec stage 3 chatters so much im worried about breaking something from the shocks. Just like wheel hop.

 

Those are probably the most consistant and worst offenders in the chatter department....some other clutches are hit and miss but the Spec III has the highest batting average when it comes to horrible clutch chatter. Ditch that thing and pick up anything else....it only gets better from there. I dont even understand how some guys put up with it.....no amount of money is worth having all the money you already invested ruined from a crappy clutch design.

Like I said though....I may take more offense to it than others but if you can obtain a clutch to hold the power you are generating without chatter there really isnt an excuse not to swap. Another grand or two in the big picture of what you already have invested is not the end of the world.

-Tony

PS....And btw, over time that chatter is abusive on parts.....bearings, torque tube bushings, trans, rear end, and suspension parts, etc. and ultimately severe chatter (or prolonged chatter) may lead to the straps of the pressure plate themselves failing (NOT good) from the constant loading and unloading. The same principle that will break a piece of metal in two by constantly bending it back and forth.

Guys....here is a good pic of the RPS patented segmented flywheel design I was refencing a few posts up

 

I had the RPS stage 3+, alum. flywheel, dual friction material disc
and their PP. The system worked great. the flywheel is light making downshifts very easy. It did require a little more gas on starts due to lost flywheel weight. pedal pressure is a little more than stock. Held the drag radials

I went to the tex clutch next
steel flywheel, dual friction and their PP.
the added FW weight makes DD easy. pedal pressure is a little lighter than the RPS. downshifts require more gas to get the RPM's up.
I have not tried drag radials yet.

ether setup should work, the slight differences are personal choices.
system life?
the RPS system did not last long-2 years
we will see how the TEX system does

I run 408RWHP N/A and 485rwhp on NOS

 

Hey guys thinking about getting an RPS dual friction clutch. The manufacturer says not to exceed the recommended rpm of the 2003 Z06, if so you need a bullet proof bellhousing. Is this thing gonna blow apart and take out my legs?

 

I guess I missed that bulletin....LOL

I was shifting my solid roller 383 at 7300 forever.

Its no big deal....the better the clutch components the safer that situation is. RPS clutches are extremely well balanced removing the dreaded shifter rattle commonplace to these drivelines (most of it due to imbalance in the clutch/flywheel assy.)

If your considering an RPS, let me know...I could probably help you out. Ive used my own car for alot of their R&D and am intimately familiar with their products and services (their local to me obviously).

Thanks,
Tony

 

the rps sounds pretty good.. how is it in heavy traffic? the weight concerns me launching at the strip..

 

Reacts similar to stock but you should release quicker to limit slipping the clutch (metalic side bites more aggressive). Actually, with the reduced mass, it is easier to modulate speed as the vehicle responds to on/off throttle settings much better. Seek Tony's response for drag strip launching -- road course and daily driving behavior is excellent in my experience. Trust this is helpful...

A1