2G Clutch options and basics

[jpmxrider489]

I am in need of a new clutch and I dont know much about them. Was hoping someone cam shed some light for me. Basically my goal will be 450hp. My clutch now is slipping at 15psi. My budget is 400. Twin disk is not a option. I want to buy from extremepsi since they have been very helpful in the past. A bunch of people are running the act clutches but I read that they are a hit and miss. So I was looking into the competition clutch street/strip. If I went with act i guess the 2600? I dont know enough to piece together my own kit which is what most people seem to do. Also I read a lot on jacks trans and they seem to favor act. Also is it necessary to replace the flywheel to? I don't know much about piecing together a kit so I prefer to buy a kit. Also I read good about southbend. But extreme don't sell them. I also see 6 puck and other ones but I dont know what that means. If someone can help me I want to get a clutch im the next week.

http://www.extremepsi.com/store/product.php?productid=24637&cat=1840&page=1

 

[jbeaton9292]

i had in my 1g the act 2600 and i loved it that thing grabbed hard and never had a problem it was the 6 puck option as well i would suggest it to anyone with around the 450whp goal that was my goal and thats why i bought it

 

[Size9Zombie]

6 puck describes the # of individual sections of the friction disc instead of having 1 360* disc, if u do decide on a puck disc for ur clutch u need to know that taking off from a stop it will "chatter" i have a 2600 in my 1g and it works great i love it, u need to atleast resurface the flywheel

 

[redi4axion]

First, clutches are one of those parts that are based on personal preference and brand loyalty really, that is until massive power is made and your choices become limited. My personal choice has always been Fidanza, reason being that they give you a clutch setup designed for your goals with a friction/clamping force combo that is sufficient, no street disks with a 29 or 3200 plate to destroy your thrust bearing. I've had 4-puck 6-puck (sprung and unsprung) and street disk Fidanza. If I were to do the same things as I did in the past I would choose the 6-puck unsprung Fidanza kit because it handled 17psi AWD launches for 2 years before giving up the ghost but the clutch was destroyed to the point where the car could not move (fingers missing pucks down to the rivets and puck material missing etc) All clutches fail and will fail so longevity is based on your driving.

 

[Size9Zombie]

This is what a 6 puck clutch disc looks like

 

[jpmxrider489]

Now who all is running the competition clutch? I heard the act clutches are real stiff? And is replacing the flywheel something I should consider?[DOUBLEPOST=1414454316][/DOUBLEPOST]Is it bad to run unsprung disks?

 

[redi4axion]

No, its not bad to run un-sprung you are just going to have a uneasy driving experience, sudden engagements and disengagements, chatter etc but isn't going to hurt the trans or motor or anything.

 

[Eddie Tsi]

No, its not bad to run un-sprung you are just going to have a uneasy driving experience, sudden engagements and disengagements, chatter etc but isn't going to hurt the trans or motor or anything.

I use to run 6 puck un-sprung act 2600 with fidanza flywheel and didn't like the chatter and very unfriendly DD. Currently running new act 2600 with street disc, fidanza flywheel, much friendlier for DD and holding over 560 whp just fine.

 

[mercaholik]

I ran a south bend Kevlar street disk sprung clutch with ss pressure plate and a alum fidanza flywheel and I love the engagement and feel for dd. It's not gonna hold a ton of torque but quite a few run decent power on them (not sure of each persons model and pp). But sbc is big in the diesel aftermarket too and those engines make massive torque. In the end clutch weight has an effect on shifting speed at high rpm, a lighter disc will shift easier than a heavy one.

 

[jpmxrider489]

Will I benifit from a flywheel? If so how so? Any of you running xtd? I heard good and bad.

 

[redi4axion]

You mean from a lightened flywheel or getting a stock one resurfaced or getting a new full weight one?

 

[jbeaton9292]

I ran a act streetlight flywheel and i liked it it felt a little more responsive and seemed to rev faster which i could understand as its less rotational mass if you need a new flywheel i would recomend it and if yours can just be resurfaced thats cool too just be sure the place that does it knows how to do a dsm flywheel if not take it elsewhere as the step needs to be right on it i believe its 3thousanths but no 100% on that number all i know is place that resurfaced my oem one messed it up and my clutch wouldnt engage because of it and what a nightmare had to pull trans and clutch again and buy new flywheel

 

[jpmxrider489]

So it's kind of one of those things since your in there replace it? I would get a aftermarket one. Also anyone use xtd clutch?

 

[mercaholik]

That xtd clutch was on the my car when I first got it. It was not as smooth as the sbc and it wasn't in the greatest shape. No idea how long or how it was treated.

 

[jpmxrider489]

I went with the xtd stage 4 got new. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips when replacing this? This will be the biggest job I have ever done.

 

[mowgli5555]

In for the results.. I am about to do the same thing.

Did you decide on a new flywheel or a resurface?? Josh

 

[jpmxrider489]

I actually think that im not gonna replace the flywheel yet. Although I should since im in there anyway. I watched all of jafromobile videos. They are very helpful.

 

[mercaholik]

It's important to make sure the flywheel surface is flat and true. You really should at least have it surfaced, it's just like brakes. You should always replace or resurface the rotors when replacing pads. The surfaces mate with each other during break in/bedding and doing a clutch is harder than brakes so I would do it right.

 

[jpmxrider489]

I saw extreme was having a sale on there clutches but I didn't see the 2600 kit on the list. Can anyone tell me what kit on the list they recommend under 400?

 

[jpmxrider489]

I just picked up a act 2600 with a street disk. Now Im debating on replacing the flywheel. Now with all the debate about the light wheels, should I get a new flywheel or just have it resurfaced or just get it lighter?

 

[GST with PSI]

What's your budget allow? If you have the cash, a lightened flywheel is a good modification. However, a resurfaced flywheel will do the job just fine, and cost less. At minimum, get the flywheel resurfaced at the proper step height.

First, clutches are one of those parts that are based on personal preference and brand loyalty really, that is until massive power is made and your choices become limited. My personal choice has always been Fidanza, reason being that they give you a clutch setup designed for your goals with a friction/clamping force combo that is sufficient, no street disks with a 29 or 3200 plate to destroy your thrust bearing. I've had 4-puck 6-puck (sprung and unsprung) and street disk Fidanza. If I were to do the same things as I did in the past I would choose the 6-puck unsprung Fidanza kit because it handled 17psi AWD launches for 2 years before giving up the ghost but the clutch was destroyed to the point where the car could not move (fingers missing pucks down to the rivets and puck material missing etc) All clutches fail and will fail so longevity is based on your driving.

^There's a lot of good advice in this post. The 2600 is a great clutch IMO. I ran one in my old 1G Eclipse for damn near a decade with zero issues. In the world of DSM clutches, the ACT 2600 pressure plate is on the heavy side. Since the 7 bolt is notorious for developing thrust issues/crankwalk, you need to keep a close eye on your crankshaft end play. The 2600 will put a substantially higher load on the thrust surface, and could lead to accelerated bearing wear.

If you haven't already done so, I recommend adding a bypass switch in the clutch switch circuit so you are able to start the car without having to depress the clutch. At minimum, I would just unplug the clutch switch. Also, if you have any bad driving habits, like holding the clutch pedal in at stoplights and such, knock that shit off. If the thrust bearing is destine to fail, there's not much you can do to keep it from happening eventually. You can, however, prolong it's life by doing the few things I mentioned. If you notice the clutch feeling soft after making a hard left hand turn, get the dial indicator out and prepare for the worst.

 

[2ndGenOrDie]

I run a act street light fly wheel with a stage 2 comp clutch. Not really sure how well it would hold up at 400 hp, but for my build it's all i will need.

 

[Macspsi]

subscribed, I'm looking to get a clutch myself; want to make sure I'm getting the best for my money and also best for street driving while holding around 400tq.

 

[jpmxrider489]

RRE just got back to me. They no longer work on flywheels. All they do now is sell a chromoly one. I will look into getting it resurfaced but budget dont really allow for a new one. I was looking for a used one but if I do that I have to have it resurfaced anyway?

 

[bastarddsm]

I've had just about every type of clutch out there. Basically what I've seen is anything other than an ACT pressure plate is just a stock type plate without anymore clamp load.

I always use the ACT streetlite flywheel, and it is in my opinion the best flywheel made for a DSM. I'd assume the comp flywheel is good too. Don't waste your money on an aluminum or extreme light weight flywheel. All it will do is warp and make more driveline noise. Shep says that the street discs hold better with a fidanza or stock flywheel than a chrome-moly one.

My favorite clutch is an XTD stage 4 sprung. I went 11.0@130 in my car and it weighs 3300lbs. The only thing is that if you got it hot it would slip. I was beating it hard though, AWD smoking tires burnouts 1.6x 60's ect. It had a nice clean release at 8500RPM+. When I was at 450whp trapping 120, the sprung disc was fine.

The unsprung XTD 6 puck has a different friction material, and it holds better when it gets hot.

The XTD stage 4 I measured has basically stock clamp load, but the pedal pressure is high. Not sure why this is.

I have an XTD stage 4 pp in my galant with a stock disc, and it seems to have great holding power, but it doesn't realease well at all. No idea why.


I've ran a 2600 with an ACT 4 puck, and XTD solid 6 puck, and a sprun XTD 6 puck. They all held up to 133mph traps, and 10.80's passes on slicks. The sprung 6 puck would slip if I did burnouts.

The 2600 is kind of a piece of shit though. Revving it over 8500 and the cover flexes and it won't release for shit. With a new disc it is ok, but it gets worse as it wears.

I also had a 2900, and holy balls does that grab with an XTD sprung 6 puck, doesn't release at all though.

I have a piece of shit centerforce pp and it's less clamp than stock .

A stock mitsubishi pp is about 2100lbs.

End notes,

Get a chrome-moly flywheel. For 450whp you could run a stock pressure plate or an XTD stage 4, or an ACT2100 and any sprung 6 puck. Or you could run the ACT2600 and a street disc. If you want to shift hard and fast, I'd run a 6 puck.

Also keep in mind that you need clamp load to hold power, the only way you get clamp load and a light pedal is by altering the leverage ratios, and that gives up release travel and makes your car shift like shit.

I haven't ran an SBC pressure plate, but based on the fact they can't return an email, f*** them.