High performance clutch
05-04-2003, 12:09 AM
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you have several options. hve has two clutches (www.performancestylingcentre.com.au) clutchmasters (www.clutchmasters.com) has a few stages, from 0 (stock) to 5. act (www.advancedclutch.com)is coming out with a clutch for us, though i don't know when. kore (www.kore-motorsports.com) has a few made by vitek. how much power are you looking for the clutch to hold?
05-04-2003, 11:20 AM
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well, clutchmasters makes a stage 2. we really need to know what your goals are to recommend a clutch. i mean, if you're going with i/h/e/bbtb/bim, don't need more than a stage 2. if you're going turbo, you need something more.
05-05-2003, 05:31 AM
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smokintib, you may want to be a bit more specific rather than "stage 2". Diff. manufacturers have different specs on their clutches and will vary from stage to stage. A stage 2 Clutchmasters may be different than a KoreMotorsports stage 2.
Pedal feel, clamping force, longevity (clutch life), sprung/unsprung, organic face/kevlar/etc. and many more options should be considered when buying a clutch.
If those terms seem a little intimidating or unfamiliar, don't worry.
1.Pedal Feel: How much force does your left foot need to apply to the clutch pedal to get it to the floor? Generally the higher the clamping force, the harder it is to press the pedal, but alot of manufacturers have worked around this and still giving you more clamping force without the "heavy pedal" feel.
2.Clamping Force: The force applied by the pressure plate to the clutch and then to the flywheel. Our clutches are a "pull" type as in the the pressure plate disengages it self from the clutch when the pedal is pressed and engages when the clutch pedal is released. The clutch actually sits between the pressure plate and the flywheel. The more clamping force you have, the harder the pressure plate is against the clutch and against the flywheel. Like holding something harder, it's more difficult to slip.
3. Clutch Life: Well, different clutches will give you different results. Stock clutches will probably last the longest with proper driving. Kevlar/Organic faces (clutch material) give you better grip. "puck" clutches are heavy duty, high torque transfering designs. These look kind of like fan 'blades' compared to the stock design has the friction material in a full circle. Example; A 6 puck clutch gives you 6 "blade" like extensions from the center (hub) with a high friction material on the end. These are a bit rough for daily driving and may not last as long depending on your driving habits. There are also 4 puck and 3 puck designs. The 'hub' of the clutch may be 'sprung' or 'unsprung'. These refer to shock absorbent springs or no springs respectivley. Clutches with these types of hubs reduce chatter and vibration making daily driving that much more drivable.
So what? Who cares, Right?
I had a '97 tib with all the basic bolt ons and found that a Clutch Masters Stage 1 clutch was good for the added power i had (124whp 1.8l tib) was VERY comfortable to drive and held up to the +20 hp to the wheels and if i had it occasional shots of a low end nitrous system. And i even took my transmission off to install a Fidanza Flywheel 18k later and the clutch face still looked brand new. I also drove like a maniac. It's probably not the cheapest clutch and as a matter of fact you can probably get a "stage 2" koremotorsports clutch from Dan for about $30 cheaper than what i paid through Nopi for the ClutchMasters Stage 1. The stage 1 had an Organic face with a pressure plate that delievered 70% more clamping force than stock which is great for all the bolt ons in the world and a small nitrous system.
Phew, hope this helped. suicide
Pedal feel, clamping force, longevity (clutch life), sprung/unsprung, organic face/kevlar/etc. and many more options should be considered when buying a clutch.
If those terms seem a little intimidating or unfamiliar, don't worry.
1.Pedal Feel: How much force does your left foot need to apply to the clutch pedal to get it to the floor? Generally the higher the clamping force, the harder it is to press the pedal, but alot of manufacturers have worked around this and still giving you more clamping force without the "heavy pedal" feel.
2.Clamping Force: The force applied by the pressure plate to the clutch and then to the flywheel. Our clutches are a "pull" type as in the the pressure plate disengages it self from the clutch when the pedal is pressed and engages when the clutch pedal is released. The clutch actually sits between the pressure plate and the flywheel. The more clamping force you have, the harder the pressure plate is against the clutch and against the flywheel. Like holding something harder, it's more difficult to slip.
3. Clutch Life: Well, different clutches will give you different results. Stock clutches will probably last the longest with proper driving. Kevlar/Organic faces (clutch material) give you better grip. "puck" clutches are heavy duty, high torque transfering designs. These look kind of like fan 'blades' compared to the stock design has the friction material in a full circle. Example; A 6 puck clutch gives you 6 "blade" like extensions from the center (hub) with a high friction material on the end. These are a bit rough for daily driving and may not last as long depending on your driving habits. There are also 4 puck and 3 puck designs. The 'hub' of the clutch may be 'sprung' or 'unsprung'. These refer to shock absorbent springs or no springs respectivley. Clutches with these types of hubs reduce chatter and vibration making daily driving that much more drivable.
So what? Who cares, Right?
I had a '97 tib with all the basic bolt ons and found that a Clutch Masters Stage 1 clutch was good for the added power i had (124whp 1.8l tib) was VERY comfortable to drive and held up to the +20 hp to the wheels and if i had it occasional shots of a low end nitrous system. And i even took my transmission off to install a Fidanza Flywheel 18k later and the clutch face still looked brand new. I also drove like a maniac. It's probably not the cheapest clutch and as a matter of fact you can probably get a "stage 2" koremotorsports clutch from Dan for about $30 cheaper than what i paid through Nopi for the ClutchMasters Stage 1. The stage 1 had an Organic face with a pressure plate that delievered 70% more clamping force than stock which is great for all the bolt ons in the world and a small nitrous system.
Phew, hope this helped. suicide
05-05-2003, 01:50 PM
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I got a clutchmaster stage 4 FX400 4 puck clutch in preperation for my CNK turbo kit. Clamping force is up 170% over stock. Paid about $1100 CND shipped. Life is about 30000 Km. With a stock engine and 10.8Lb flywheel I broke an engine mount. Left foot hurt for 3 days but i got use to it after.
05-06-2003, 09:24 AM
#9
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Thanx for all the info guys. The thing is that i can see that my clutch is going, before if i would release my foot of the clutch just a tad it would stall, now I can release my foot half way up and it doesn't stall. I have a few modslike intake, headers , hi flow cat and cat back exhaust. I want a clutch that would give me some sort of longevity. Do you guys think that I am better just to get a stock clutch again.
05-06-2003, 09:22 PM
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If you decide to go with a stock clutch again, a couple of people have used this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=33730
It's damn cheap and is an oem replacement if you don't want to upgrade.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=33730
It's damn cheap and is an oem replacement if you don't want to upgrade.