JUIC3D

EDIT: Included the LS9X as Katech's website says it should be good to 700whp(but I'm not sure how much torque)

Ok, I'm having the hardest damn time narrowing down a clutch choice. I've gone round and round and round and have finally (I think) narrowed it down between these 3 clutches.

Car info
Car makes 517whp/462wtq and has been as fast 10.67@129 on stock clutch and it's time for an upgrade.
Car is my daily driver
I may add nitrous(150 wet) in the future, so that is a considering when choosing a clutch.
I frequent the drag strip often so it needs to be able to wishstand the abuse and provide reliability. I don't want to have to swap it out again anytime soon.

Here is my take on each of the three.
All 3 are comparatively priced

Katech LS9R
Essentially a stock clutch with an 'enhanced' pressure plate. 6 bolt flywheel and slave cylinder included.
Pricy for a 'stock' clutch
Nice driveability.
Proven.(I think)
Why can't I just order the LS9 pressure plate/disc and use a different flywheel? Gene lists the LS9 clutch for $471.

Can this clutch be slipped or is it on/off?
How long can I expect it to last?

Katech LS9X
Essentially a stock ZR1 clutch with a different flywheel I believe.
Katech includes a slave and all the other stuff necessary for the swap for $1300.
Will it hold up to drag racing abuse and a 150 shot?
How is the pedal feel compared to the LS9R?

McCleod RXT
I've of great reviews with this clutch, but also heard of some failures with the floater plate warping due to excessive heat.
Can it be slipped?
How long can I expect it to last?

Mantic Twin disk
ECS swears by them
No reviews that I could really find other than "oh its a great clutch"
Interesting design
I'm not sure I want to be the guinea pig and find out it doesn't slip or isn't daily driver friendly.


Any tips, reviews, opinions, or helpful advice is appreciated.

Thanks

gotjuice?

For a daily driver, The Katech LS9R would be my choice. The pricy part is the flywheel. You can use the Katech or Lingenfelter. That is you only option on the flywheel.

Joe_G

HC Mechanic

I'm very happy with my ACT twin disc

It's rated for 900ft/lb and it's very linear in terms of engagement. A great clutch worth considering in my opinion. I went with it because Charlie (owner of RPM Motors) likes the design, and the fact they have great customer service.

In terms of street use, it's much easier to match revs on downshifts and easier to keep the rear hooked up while shifting mid corner. The ACT is very noticeably lighter than stock.

Toxic c6

Katech ls9x coupled with a tick adjustable master cylinder and the clutch pedal feel will actually be softer than the stock clutch and master with spring removed. You can slip the crap out of it drives great I have nothing bad to say about it. The guys who installed it said it should withstand my future mods too Heads and nitrous.

JUIC3D

9X or 9R Toxic?

Toxic c6

ls9x

winters97gt

Awesome driving, Justin. The ACT is junk, I toasted mine with a couple thousand miles and hard track abuse. You know how much I like the RXT. Good luck man!

JUIC3D

Thanks Mark. It's such a tough decision as I'm sure you can understand. Right now, it's a tossup between the katech(not sure which one yet) and the McCleod

Streetk14

For a daily driver, I think it's hard to beat the LS9 series. If your stock clutch is taking the kind of abuse it has, I don't think you'll be able to hurt even the regular LS9X. I also like that you can buy a new flywheel insert for ~$50 if you ever wear it out. The regular LS9 (X) pressure plate assembly goes for around $425 if you need a new one ever.

JUIC3D

^ good point. I am a fan of the OEM stuff as it has shown to persevere in some hard conditions.

If I went with the LS9X to start with, could I 'upgrade' it to the R with just a pressure plate change?

Streetk14

Yep, the 'R' version is identical to the stock ZR1 disc assembly but the pressure plate has been re-designed for 20% more bite (and pedal pressure) by the OEM parts manufacturer.

I'm actually doing the opposite right now -- going from the 'R' pressure plate assembly to the 'X' version. Decided I'd rather have a lighter pedal than the extra holding power. My drivetrain has to come out soon, so I figured I'd just do it. I'll most likely be selling the LS9R pressure plate/disc assembly for a really good price if you're interested. Has maybe 1000 miles on it.

JUIC3D

I might be interested but it would have to happen very soon as I have my clutch swap planned for the weekend of April 21

Streetk14

It should be out within the next week or two.... I'll keep you posted.

JUIC3D

Sounds good, thank you. I'll give Katech a call tomorrow to see what they recommend based on my 517whp/462wtq motor that may be sprayed with a 150 shot in the future.

gotjuice?

Want to trade the 'R' for the 'X'? I need to install the 'R' and have an 'X' sitting here now. I don't think the one that I have will hold up to the power I plan on making. Just upgraded to a YSI from a T trim.

DOUG @ ECS

I am so positive that you will be in love with the Mantic twin the second you get in it that I will offer you a money back guaranty for you as a CF regular member. This is deal is for you specifically, not an open invitation to everyone, sorry.
We have plenty of guys using this clutch for their DD/track car and everyone is very happy with it. The slip and high RPM disengagement is just incredible, and it feels like your driving a stock clutch during normal street use.
You will also get longer life from this clutch over any of the OEM clutches from the clutch materials used without compromising street use.
If your interested PM me and I'll "make you an offer you cant refuse.."

JUIC3D

That's a pretty nice offer Doug, thank you.
What makes the Mantic twin so special? It's a new clutch and I researched, but could not find a lot of information about it. Quite frankly, the first I heard of it was when Cajun mentioned it.
How would you compare the ability to slip it to the stock clutch?

Streetk14

I actually already have a new 'X' pressure plate sitting in a box in my garage, so I'm good on that. I will be offering my slightly used 'R' for sale sometime soon, though. I'm under 700 whp and don't do much drag racing, so I feel the 'R' is overkill for my uses. I would be keeping it, but my driveline has to come out for an unrelated reason.

DOUG @ ECS

I have always been extremely spectacle of any new clutch because I have seen a dozen clutch companies come and go over the years, so when we looked into the Mantic line we decided that we would use them on our own cars or regular local customers here for 1 yr prior to selling them to the general public.
What drew me to the clutch was the overall design and manufacturing process. Every clutch is dyno tested, every piece is individually balanced, it's simply a very well made piece of equipment.
So that caught my eye, but a pretty clutch is not going to sell me just yet. We installed these in several cars and what sold me was driving and racing them. Power shifting is effortless, it can be slipped just like a stock clutch without the on/off grabbing, yet holds the power.

To give another example, we had a customer with another well know twin disc in the car. The car would somewhat regularly miss shifts when drag racing, and on the street it was clear you were driving a race clutch. We swapped that clutch out for the Mantic twin and the WOT shifts became seamless, and he enjoys the street use a lot more now. Thats just one example, we have many like that now.