I posted a while back about the dreaded sticking clutch pedal problem. Well, I took my car in to have it looked at, and the recomendation was to replace the slave and change the fluid. Once they got it apart, there was enough wear on the clutch to warrant having it replaced...it was already apart anyway. So, I had them put in a stage 2+ organic hybrid clutch, rated for 600 HP 600 tq. This was what they recommended as a step up from the Z06 replacement, and have been putting in all of their cars lately. I get the car back, and there is alot of chatter in the clutch. They tell me to take it easy for the first couple hundred miles, and the chatter will go away as the new disk mates to the flywheel. Driving away, I notice ALOT of vibration in the car, getting much worse with higher RPM's. I take it back, they take it apart and the replacement flywheel didn't have balance pins, so they put in a flywheel that did. Okay, vibration is still there, but nowhere near as bad...but not silky smooth like it was before. About like my bud's Ram Air.

I now have almost 500 miles on the car. The clutch still chatters! It's not as bad as when I first got it though...but starting out in 1st is tough because the car jerks and jumps and makes a gawd aweful racket...reverse is just as bad. I can juggle the rpm's and dump it quickly to avoid the chatter...but nobody drives like that all the time...what about hills? And backing out of a parking space? Sometimes it sounds like it's trying to tear the butt end out of my car!

I've never owned a car with anything other than a stock clutch. Do I need to do anything to this clutch to smooth it out? Does it just need more time? Any/all advise is much appreciated!
:confused:

 

This is my view on replacement clutches. Your stock setup didn't vibrate so the new stuff should have been match balanced to the old stuff. The vibration will never go away. There are a lot of threads on this. I learned all this the hard way.

 

I agree about the vibration...but what about the chatter? Is this normal for a high(er) performance clutch?

 

Did you have the new clutch balanced? Did you change the flywheel to aluminum?

 

IS this a SPEC clutch if so it is not the first I've read or heard that chattered. I like my RAM 980 and would not consider a SPEC.

 

Yes, Spec clutches are well known to chatter. It sounds like you've got the Spec Stage 2 or 3 hybrid (I forget which one it is). It's annoying, ain't it? I have an older style Cartek, it chatters like crazy. Careful use of the throttle (more throttle than you normally would) and very careful engagement of the clutch seems to help. I would have done a bit more research before letting them install a clutch. What do you have for mods? I wouldn't even consider anything above a Z06 clutch for anything less than about 375rwhp or if you race the car on a consistant basis.

Dope


[Modified by Dope, 3:39 PM 2/27/2004]

 

I did not know that and thanks for the heads up!!!

As for something that may work, a few of us are runnning the new Exedy setup, it's expensive but should work great with no noise. NeptuneBill has ine installed and I just got mine, FlyinBrian is currently installing his :D :cheers:

 

My Spec III was a mf for about 5 or 600 miles and this stop and go driving then it smoothed out, you deff have to make the car growl a little then let it out, easing it out will cause the car to have a rather violent shudder, too much and you are doing a burnout leaving every light, does the clutch shift ok when shifting through the other gears? if so you probably need more break in time--my clutch was first generation and yours is stronger and may require more breakin time--my rattling (from the clutch area not the whole car) didn't start until later when the damn thing was wearing out which mine did in about 15,000 miles-it still did not slip but had a certain amount of the famous sticking desease under hard throttle--my exedy dual needed no breakin at all and is very smooth and I don't know if I will ever have to replace it, if I do I can replace a disk and the flywheel is there forever--I was going to go with a new star III+ until I found the exedy--I am very happy with my new clutch and I think mean green and flyin brian will be bragging about theres very soon, buckmaster is waiting on his exedy now--eventually (unless something else comes along better and I doubt it) all the performance guys will be using this clutch, it will even work very well in a stock situation and will be there as your power grows--bottom line give it a little more time, I never had vibration problems with mine can't advise you on that---

 

I got the spec stage III. I never had vibration issues but it chattered like crazy. It did it about have as bad after the 500 mile breakin but took about 1500 miles before it stopped. It still chatters on occasion but you learn to deal with it. Also when you get more used to being more agressive with the throttle when starting off it will probably smooth out. :steering:

 

Yes, I've found that much more aggressive throttle when starting out helps a great deal. It is gradually getting smoother, especially as I hit it harder, and I can see how some said 1500 miles to smooth out...I think I'll be okay chatter wise eventually...but man! Never had to do that with a clutch before.....

Had a big family get together this weekend, and one of my uncles (hotrodder from 50's 60's) said they used to drive up against a brick wall, and burn then cool the clutch over and over until it smoothed out......not gonna happen in my vette though....

 

dang.... You should have posted before you had it installed.... Spec is a good company, and their new clutches are suppose to be good. When me and my friends had them... they would last only 5k miles or so... They will chatter for a long time. My friend that had 4.10's with the stage 3 seemed to chatter less than me with the 3.42's... This time around with my new car.... I just replaced the clutch with a Z06 clutch, I just wanted something that would last a long time and be a smooth driver..