posted
sometime in the future, (hopefully near future), i will be wanting to upgrade my Very weak factory clutch with an aftermarket one. for those of you who have an aftermarket clutch, could you please say which one it is, and the pros and cons about it. here is a list of some aftermarket clutches that i have found:
the cluthces that i am leaning toward are the Mcleod and SPEC clutches. my ultimate goal is to have about 450-475 rwhp, possibly a little more. and when i update my clutch, i will be looking to replace the clutch disk, pressure plate, flywheel and and hydraulics. i want a setup that has a nice positive engagement but still feel similar to stock in pedal pressure.
i noticed that some companies have a twin disk setup. is this advisible for the rwhp that i want to achieve? also should i go with a Carbon disk, or is Kevlar ok? i think Ceramic would be too much for my hp rating i want.
sorry it is so long. thanks for any advice you guys can give.
BTW, i will also eventually be adding an ATI procharger.
I have a McLeod street twin. VERY VERY GOOD CLUTCH! Alot more streetable than most will say. Although it comes with a price tag, their tech support is very informative to questions too. However, I have had experience with there single disk setup, IE. in my buddies LT4 conversion Z28, it was rated at 400HP and he burnt it up in a matter of minutes. Now he has a SPEC STAGE III and it rocks. However the life of the clutch won't be as long since its a "puck" disk. Though providing awesome gripping power, its life is short when beat on. But of those you listed, there would only be 3 I would feel safe with, Ram, Spec, and McLeod.
Just a note, ALL aftermarket clutch setups use the stock pressure plate. Even my street twin but its just reworked to fit 2 disks between it. So I would just buy a stock pressure plate, get your flywheel resurfaced, and buy a disk from one of the aftermarket companies. Try calling McLeod and asking them for a disk for your setup, my friend only had the full disk in his, so a rev lok disk might suite better than what he had.
EDIT: JFYI, I've had experience with center force and SLP, and I don't really consider those worth it. I would hafta rank them at the bottom of the list. CAPA and Cartek I have not had experience with so I cannot say how good they are.
[ 17. May 2003, 12:49 AM: Message edited by: Hot Rod ]
Posts: 47 | From: Cincy | Registered: May 2003
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posted
I just put in a Spec Stage 3 Carbon clutch with updated hydraulics and billet steel flywheel. I have only had it on for a week but it seems to grab good with very little chatter. I will let you know how it grabs when it gets broken in. You won't have to update your slave or master because you already have the updated ones. You might want to look at getting and adjustable master though so you can set where on the pedal it engages.. It all depends on how much you want to spend. The Spec is half of the Mcleod street twin and the Cartek is about 2/3 of the Mcleod.. They are all good clutches with the street twin able to handle the most power.. I have driven a car with the Caretk and it grabs real well and good stop and go driving characteristics as well. If you have any questions about the Spec feel free to ask as I will be able to let you know how it feels and grabs....
-------------------- Curtis Knops www.thefbody.com My website Stage II milled 6.0L heads Thunder Racing TR224 Cam LS6 Intake Jet Hot LT headers, no cats Magnaflow Exhaust 12.4@116.4mph on BFG G-force KD's 6spd, stock rear... Posts: 671 | From: Saskatoon SK Canada | Registered: Feb 2000
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Hotrod: yes, i agree with you in that i wasn't really going to consider the Centerforce or SLP clutches, but thought i would just throw them up there to see what other people thought. i am seriously looking at the Mcleod Twin setup. what rwhp rating do you have? and thanks for the info about the "puck" disks having a shorter lifespan, did not know that. if that is the case, maybe i should go with the SPEC Stage II setup. but how would that bode with a supercharger? would that be too much rwhp for that clutch?
Curtis: do you have any idea what you rwhp rating is? and yes, please do let me know how your SPEC clutch holds up after you break it in and really get up on it.
i do want to update my hydraulics to the adj. one, because i want to be able to adjust where it engages on the pedal. When i look at the HP rating of a particular clutch, i know they are mostl likely talking about flywheel HP. but i have been to several different websites looking at price comparisons, and i have had already three different HP ratings on the same clutch (Ex: Mcleod single disk). one site had "450hp" another had "500" and yet another had "400+". this becomes very confusing. so how much leeway in terms of HP do i have, up or down, when looking at a clutches particular rating?
Posts: 1579 | From: Portland, OR. | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Originally posted by DanPazich: Just so long as it's not my bank I work at
well, i too work at a bank.....hhmmmm......No, bad Nate. no, when i sell my motorcycle is when i might use some of that money for a new clutch. my SS is at the dealership right now going under the knife. getting a new clutch pedal, clutch assembly and speaker cover.
BTW, does anyone want to buy or know of anyone who would like to buy a 2002 Yamaha R-6 sport bike. 600cc, Blue/wht, only 375 miles, had 1st service, never down or in rain. comes with bike cover, lock, boots, gloves, and jacket. $7,200 obo.
Posts: 1579 | From: Portland, OR. | Registered: May 2001
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I can't speak for the other brands, but our McLeod is doing well.
p.s...which 7-11 or Bank do you plan on knocking over to pay for all those mods?
Make sure you hold out $35 and get it to Steve by tomorrow for http://www.portlandhistorics.com He's mailing the money in on Wednesday.
Sorry, Teri. don't think i can go, i have not been able to find another person. and i can't afford it on my own. Posts: 1579 | From: Portland, OR. | Registered: May 2001
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Oh yah, I forgot you worked at a bank as well Nate.
BTW, it might be too late, but I hang out over at ls1.com a lot and seems like quite a few are happy with the Cartek clutches. I dont know too many specifics on them, but your best bet is to drop over there and see. Posts: 2651 | From: Enola (Harrisburg Area), Pennsylvania | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
thanks Dan. maybe i'll check over there. BTW, we are within 1-2 posts of each other. Posts: 1579 | From: Portland, OR. | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Originally posted by NATESS: Sorry, Teri. don't think i can go, i have not been able to find another person. and i can't afford it on my own.
There's always next year.
Hey, it's a good thing ATI Prochargers and aftermarket clutches aren't expensive. Posts: 7198 | From: Near Portland, Oregon, USA | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by NATESS: Curtis: do you have any idea what you rwhp rating is? and yes, please do let me know how your SPEC clutch holds up after you break it in and really get up on it.
I am hoping for around the 410-425 rwhp.. The Spec stage 3 is rated for 680hp(Carbon) and 700hp(Ceramic)..
-------------------- Curtis Knops www.thefbody.com My website Stage II milled 6.0L heads Thunder Racing TR224 Cam LS6 Intake Jet Hot LT headers, no cats Magnaflow Exhaust 12.4@116.4mph on BFG G-force KD's 6spd, stock rear... Posts: 671 | From: Saskatoon SK Canada | Registered: Feb 2000
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quote:Originally posted by NATESS: Thanks for the input so far.
Hotrod: yes, i agree with you in that i wasn't really going to consider the Centerforce or SLP clutches, but thought i would just throw them up there to see what other people thought. i am seriously looking at the Mcleod Twin setup. what rwhp rating do you have? and thanks for the info about the "puck" disks having a shorter lifespan, did not know that. if that is the case, maybe i should go with the SPEC Stage II setup. but how would that bode with a supercharger? would that be too much rwhp for that clutch?
I haven't dynoed my car but the street twin is rated at 1200hp. I had a CC306 with ported LT4 heads and other various mods including a 12 bolt. I only took the car down to the track once, ran several times consistantly running 12.5 @ 113-114mph w/ 2.1 60's. I don't have that much power, I would say around 350rwhp would be an educated guess I could be wrong. But the gripping force of the McLeod is unparalleled to any other clutch I've seen. When I first put the clutch in, just screwing around on the street with everything else on the car being stock I shattered the rear on a 1-2 shift. It definitely slams together when letting out. I've taken the clutch out 2 times so far other than a few hot spots on the flywheel there appears to be no wear in it yet. I only have about 1000 miles on the clutch though but I do drive my car very hard.
As far as spec goes, a supercharged car would burn up a Stage II rather quickly, IMO. I haven't heard much of the stage IIIs on power adder cars (personal experience I should say), most of the ones I've seen were on hypo N/A cars and they've worked pretty good on those but the stage II I've seen burn up on N/A cars putting approx 350+rwhp down. I only bought the street twin cuz I figured if I'm gonna buy something might as well buy what I want rather than settle for something. At least this way I won't be complaining about slippage Its a very good clutch and I'd recommend it to everyone but the price is rather high so I usually give a thumbs up to spec stage III.
Though power adders and N/A aren't the same in comparision to product use. I don't know why, but cars with the same HP rating and power band but one is power adder and the other N/A they seem to react completely different to certain variables.
[ 20. May 2003, 09:30 PM: Message edited by: Hot Rod ]
Posts: 47 | From: Cincy | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Thanks, hotrod. i will not be putting on the procharger for a long time. wait 'till warranty is up and the car is pretty much paid off. but i might as well get a clutch that will eventually hold that kind of pwr.
Posts: 1579 | From: Portland, OR. | Registered: May 2001
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But the gripping force of the McLeod is unparalleled to any other clutch I've seen. When I first put the clutch in, just screwing around on the street with everything else on the car being stock I shattered the rear on a 1-2 shift. It definitely slams together when letting out. [/QUOTE]
You broke your rear end due to the clutch?
Posts: 1579 | From: Portland, OR. | Registered: May 2001
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quote:Originally posted by NATESS: You broke your rear end due to the clutch?
I'm gonna assume that was the cause. Only thing different that I've changed on the car from when I bought it. The car could EASILY chirp 3rd gear with minimal effort and 9 times outta 10 bark 4th. I only had the clutch in 3 days before my rear end gave. My buddy just got his LS1 done and we were clowning around on the street and I said "what the heck" at about a 20mph roll I hit, shifted, and heard something similar to a shotgun go off under my car. Some how I managed to drive the car 5 miles home without the rear end locking. I took the rear end out and took off the service cover, spider gears, ring and pinion, etc just fell out of it like a childs box full of legos.
I'm sure you've heard of the infamous "restictor" in the clutch hydraulic system. Most people will tell you to remove it to allow the fluid in the lines to move more freely to give a stronger disengage on the clutch when pressing the pedal. I removed it when I installed the clutch and contrary to popular belief this is no true and I'll argue it to my death. Indeed the hydraulic restrictor is just that a restrictor, however it works both ways. The new McLeod master cylinder will more than enough put ample amount of pressure to the pressure plate to disengage the clutch setup but on the return the restrictor DOES restrict the flow of the hydraulic fluid being pushed back up through the lines, very minimal but its there. There is absolutely no need to do this "mod," cuz IMHO I think the rear end would have survived the street tire abuse I've dealt to it. I can't think of any reason why the rear would brake while all these high HP guys are running 12s and even some hi 11s on their stock rear ends.
Posts: 47 | From: Cincy | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Thanks Hot Rod. so basically, your telling me that if you did not do this mod, then the rear would not have broke, right? just want to make sure i understand. Posts: 1579 | From: Portland, OR. | Registered: May 2001
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