Fidanza Twin 6.5 Review
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Fidanza Twin 6.5 Review
Just finished everything up today. We installed the UUC motor mounts and trans mounts that have been in my sig for almost a year and put in the Fidanza twin disk 6.5 kit from Adam at Performance LSX. Also got my new Yoko Advan Neova AD08s mounted.
As I said in an earlier post, the Fidanza looks like a quality piece. The shop "bench built" it ahead of time to make sure they understood everything fit wise. The install is pretty straight forward. The kit had everything required except the spacer bolts which I understand will be provided in the future kits. The jap trans fluid (Enos?) is good stuff and you can feel the difference with this synthetic. The remote bleeder valve is long enough to stretch around the world twice. I wound up tie straping it up top in the center of the fire wall near the intake manifold until I figure something out.
Now for the good part. The clutch is everything I expected. Pedal effort is only slightly stiffer than stock. There is absolutely no noise coming from the twin when the car is stationary at idle that I can hear at all (a previous trademark of a twin with a floater plate). The engagement seems to be a little lower than stock. When I first backed the car off the lift, I was trying to slip the clutch a bit to much not knowiing what to expect. Engagement is quick but the strange thing is that the lurch is not there. In 10 minutes I could drive this clutch without my passenger feeling the shifts if I chose to drive it smoothly. Shift it fast and it just grabs and hooks up smoothly and positive like a Porsche PDK set up. ( I drove the Audi version of this and they feel kind of similar engagement wise). Make no mistake this is a performance clutch and it will appeal to the more skillful, but it is completely accepatable as a daily driver in my opinion. This is what will feel strange at first.
1) With 40 lbs out of the drive train the car will bounce of the rev limiter in a flash. Watch the tach until you get used to it. The car feels 500 lbs lighter.
2) This clutch can be driven pretty smooth without slipping it. In fact I don't think it likes to be slipped that much The trick is to find the place and the speed to release the pedal. It takes only a short time to get used to it. You don't need to give it the beans to take off smoothly from a stop. I always wondered if this is because the first disk engages slightly faster than the second.
3) Engagement is quick and solid. Those pregnant pauses you used to do to wait for the revs to collapse so you can shift smoother are gone. You can shift faster not harder.
Since my V now has a more lighter and more solid drive train (thanks Luke and UUC), the car is really alot more fun to drive. The UUC mounts are awesome. I had some concerns about reports we were getting on vibration. I honestly cannot tell any difference from stock. Now, I am "weak sauce" because my motor mounts look perfect after 31k and my megadeath dual mass clutch looked like it could go another 30K easily, so I'm coming from a car that was pretty solid to begin with. All in all I am not disappointed so far with the Fidanza twin or the UUC mounts. If it stays like it was the first day I drove it, I would highly recommend it.
PS The Yokos are a game changer over my F1 runflats. The car rides like a dream. I haven't pushed them yet but I hope they are all that they say they are.
As I said in an earlier post, the Fidanza looks like a quality piece. The shop "bench built" it ahead of time to make sure they understood everything fit wise. The install is pretty straight forward. The kit had everything required except the spacer bolts which I understand will be provided in the future kits. The jap trans fluid (Enos?) is good stuff and you can feel the difference with this synthetic. The remote bleeder valve is long enough to stretch around the world twice. I wound up tie straping it up top in the center of the fire wall near the intake manifold until I figure something out.
Now for the good part. The clutch is everything I expected. Pedal effort is only slightly stiffer than stock. There is absolutely no noise coming from the twin when the car is stationary at idle that I can hear at all (a previous trademark of a twin with a floater plate). The engagement seems to be a little lower than stock. When I first backed the car off the lift, I was trying to slip the clutch a bit to much not knowiing what to expect. Engagement is quick but the strange thing is that the lurch is not there. In 10 minutes I could drive this clutch without my passenger feeling the shifts if I chose to drive it smoothly. Shift it fast and it just grabs and hooks up smoothly and positive like a Porsche PDK set up. ( I drove the Audi version of this and they feel kind of similar engagement wise). Make no mistake this is a performance clutch and it will appeal to the more skillful, but it is completely accepatable as a daily driver in my opinion. This is what will feel strange at first.
1) With 40 lbs out of the drive train the car will bounce of the rev limiter in a flash. Watch the tach until you get used to it. The car feels 500 lbs lighter.
2) This clutch can be driven pretty smooth without slipping it. In fact I don't think it likes to be slipped that much The trick is to find the place and the speed to release the pedal. It takes only a short time to get used to it. You don't need to give it the beans to take off smoothly from a stop. I always wondered if this is because the first disk engages slightly faster than the second.
3) Engagement is quick and solid. Those pregnant pauses you used to do to wait for the revs to collapse so you can shift smoother are gone. You can shift faster not harder.
Since my V now has a more lighter and more solid drive train (thanks Luke and UUC), the car is really alot more fun to drive. The UUC mounts are awesome. I had some concerns about reports we were getting on vibration. I honestly cannot tell any difference from stock. Now, I am "weak sauce" because my motor mounts look perfect after 31k and my megadeath dual mass clutch looked like it could go another 30K easily, so I'm coming from a car that was pretty solid to begin with. All in all I am not disappointed so far with the Fidanza twin or the UUC mounts. If it stays like it was the first day I drove it, I would highly recommend it.
PS The Yokos are a game changer over my F1 runflats. The car rides like a dream. I haven't pushed them yet but I hope they are all that they say they are.
Last edited by Big Bu Bu; 04-02-2010 at 07:55 PM.
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Awsome!
What made you go with the twin?
I have the fidanza twin 7.6 in my turbo camaro and its pretty awsome. It is a little chattery if your in stop and go traffic, but that one is supposed to be a little more intense then the 6.5. The "slipping" that you feel is the first disk activating, like you said. But once the second one catches it just holds! Your right it does take a little to get used to, because the activation windows are much smaller and instead of being able to slip the clutch until full engaugement, there is the first disk activating and then the second... not really any slipping. Which is very stange to get used to at the track doing burnouts and stuff. You'll spend the first couple times trying to slip it and only engauging the first disk and not spinning the tires. Theres no babying it, just gotta drop the clutch!
I also did the tick master with mine, and they compliment eachother well.... dunno if they have one for the V yet. I dont think so.
What made you go with the twin?
I have the fidanza twin 7.6 in my turbo camaro and its pretty awsome. It is a little chattery if your in stop and go traffic, but that one is supposed to be a little more intense then the 6.5. The "slipping" that you feel is the first disk activating, like you said. But once the second one catches it just holds! Your right it does take a little to get used to, because the activation windows are much smaller and instead of being able to slip the clutch until full engaugement, there is the first disk activating and then the second... not really any slipping. Which is very stange to get used to at the track doing burnouts and stuff. You'll spend the first couple times trying to slip it and only engauging the first disk and not spinning the tires. Theres no babying it, just gotta drop the clutch!
I also did the tick master with mine, and they compliment eachother well.... dunno if they have one for the V yet. I dont think so.
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Awsome!
What made you go with the twin?
I have the fidanza twin 7.6 in my turbo camaro and its pretty awsome. It is a little chattery if your in stop and go traffic, but that one is supposed to be a little more intense then the 6.5. The "slipping" that you feel is the first disk activating, like you said. But once the second one catches it just holds! Your right it does take a little to get used to, because the activation windows are much smaller and instead of being able to slip the clutch until full engaugement, there is the first disk activating and then the second... not really any slipping. Which is very stange to get used to at the track doing burnouts and stuff. You'll spend the first couple times trying to slip it and only engauging the first disk and not spinning the tires. Theres no babying it, just gotta drop the clutch!
I also did the tick master with mine, and they compliment eachother well.... dunno if they have one for the V yet. I dont think so.
What made you go with the twin?
I have the fidanza twin 7.6 in my turbo camaro and its pretty awsome. It is a little chattery if your in stop and go traffic, but that one is supposed to be a little more intense then the 6.5. The "slipping" that you feel is the first disk activating, like you said. But once the second one catches it just holds! Your right it does take a little to get used to, because the activation windows are much smaller and instead of being able to slip the clutch until full engaugement, there is the first disk activating and then the second... not really any slipping. Which is very stange to get used to at the track doing burnouts and stuff. You'll spend the first couple times trying to slip it and only engauging the first disk and not spinning the tires. Theres no babying it, just gotta drop the clutch!
I also did the tick master with mine, and they compliment eachother well.... dunno if they have one for the V yet. I dont think so.
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Twins are the hot lick right now. Standard on the Viper and ZR1 because they have been refined to be quite streetable. Fidanza's edge is the weight.
See this link
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...cing-info.html
See this link
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...cing-info.html
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Max, if you decide to give up that Spec 3+, this is the way to go. Adams car picked up 20 rwhp when he lost the 40lbs. He has posted a dyno sheet before and after. I'm going to dyno today or tuesday.
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http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...cing-info.html
There is only one guy who makes the kit for the V (Performance LSX). It's a modification of the application for the new Camaro. He sells the kits with everything needed, including the spacer. I went with the 6.5 kit. The bigger kit has a puck style clutch which I don't need.
There is only one guy who makes the kit for the V (Performance LSX). It's a modification of the application for the new Camaro. He sells the kits with everything needed, including the spacer. I went with the 6.5 kit. The bigger kit has a puck style clutch which I don't need.
#12
haha there is a product out for the V that isn't out for the GTo .. finally the tables have turned.. well for one part
btw thank for the CLEAR feedback.. when my stock one goes this will be going in
btw thank for the CLEAR feedback.. when my stock one goes this will be going in
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Just a couple more updates from driving it more today. I can move the car forward up my slight incline drive way with absolutely no throttle. No chatter or rattle either. Also, with the windows up and all the accessories off and running the car inside the garage you can hear a very faint mechanical whirring sound coming from the clutch. I have headers and Corsa so this clutch would probably be louder on a completely stock car. Which BTW why would you put this clutch in a stock car anyway?
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Adam, the guy from Perforamnce LSX owns a V so he was the beta for the first one. I am the second guy. Adam sold a ton of these to guys with the new Camaros. I suppose any T56 can possibly hook this kit up with the right supporting parts.
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Ok im really interested. When i dabbled with hondas for a year or two the choice for this kind of stuff was huge and the gains from stock to any reputable clutch and flywheel were immense. One of the best mods for the money if not the most noticable "bolt on".
My current GTO wont be needing a clutch for a while but after i sell it if i get another one it will be purely to build and this would be a definite on the list of mods. Hell i got a bunch of friends with M6 GTOs that i know will follow suite if i have a positive experiance with it and from your input on it it seems like a definite.
My current GTO wont be needing a clutch for a while but after i sell it if i get another one it will be purely to build and this would be a definite on the list of mods. Hell i got a bunch of friends with M6 GTOs that i know will follow suite if i have a positive experiance with it and from your input on it it seems like a definite.
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I love the clutch. I was really debating the Monster M5 and almost went with that because there was NO information about the Fidanza. No one had really heard anything about them and everyone is on the Monster kick now. Atleast no one in the domestic world. A lot of import talk tho. But I decided to try the fidanza anyway.
I had problems with my spec 3 slipping at about 400hp/500trq, then the cenerforce dual friction at around 450hp/550trq. With the Fidanza, there is no slipping, no sticking clutch, no problems shifting at any RPM (even with about 530hp/640trq). Its great. I can actually shift it fast enough ive been blowing the older rubber turbo piping because i couldnt get on it in 1st or 2nd with any of the other clutches... now i can. Yeah i understand i was on the edge of what those clutches were rated for, but its still night and day.
The only thing i still have to see before i do my full report is how long its going to last. As the Mcleods offer rebuilds for cheap (compared to a new clutch) so if this one doesnt last long enough ill probably try going that route. But as its going now everything seems to be holding very well. Ive got about another 100hp/trq to increase on this setup, im very confident it will hold.
I had problems with my spec 3 slipping at about 400hp/500trq, then the cenerforce dual friction at around 450hp/550trq. With the Fidanza, there is no slipping, no sticking clutch, no problems shifting at any RPM (even with about 530hp/640trq). Its great. I can actually shift it fast enough ive been blowing the older rubber turbo piping because i couldnt get on it in 1st or 2nd with any of the other clutches... now i can. Yeah i understand i was on the edge of what those clutches were rated for, but its still night and day.
The only thing i still have to see before i do my full report is how long its going to last. As the Mcleods offer rebuilds for cheap (compared to a new clutch) so if this one doesnt last long enough ill probably try going that route. But as its going now everything seems to be holding very well. Ive got about another 100hp/trq to increase on this setup, im very confident it will hold.
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I love the clutch. I was really debating the Monster M5 and almost went with that because there was NO information about the Fidanza. No one had really heard anything about them and everyone is on the Monster kick now. Atleast no one in the domestic world. A lot of import talk tho. But I decided to try the fidanza anyway.
I had problems with my spec 3 slipping at about 400hp/500trq, then the cenerforce dual friction at around 450hp/550trq. With the Fidanza, there is no slipping, no sticking clutch, no problems shifting at any RPM (even with about 530hp/640trq). Its great. I can actually shift it fast enough ive been blowing the older rubber turbo piping because i couldnt get on it in 1st or 2nd with any of the other clutches... now i can. Yeah i understand i was on the edge of what those clutches were rated for, but its still night and day.
The only thing i still have to see before i do my full report is how long its going to last. As the Mcleods offer rebuilds for cheap (compared to a new clutch) so if this one doesnt last long enough ill probably try going that route. But as its going now everything seems to be holding very well. Ive got about another 100hp/trq to increase on this setup, im very confident it will hold.
I had problems with my spec 3 slipping at about 400hp/500trq, then the cenerforce dual friction at around 450hp/550trq. With the Fidanza, there is no slipping, no sticking clutch, no problems shifting at any RPM (even with about 530hp/640trq). Its great. I can actually shift it fast enough ive been blowing the older rubber turbo piping because i couldnt get on it in 1st or 2nd with any of the other clutches... now i can. Yeah i understand i was on the edge of what those clutches were rated for, but its still night and day.
The only thing i still have to see before i do my full report is how long its going to last. As the Mcleods offer rebuilds for cheap (compared to a new clutch) so if this one doesnt last long enough ill probably try going that route. But as its going now everything seems to be holding very well. Ive got about another 100hp/trq to increase on this setup, im very confident it will hold.
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Thanks for the good review, I think you might be confusing some people with the MAPerformance/PerformanceLSX jazz. We are the same company and I am the same person and work for both of the companies.
I am the first to install this twin in the CTS-V and a special spacer was required, so it is NOT the same as the rest of the spacers on the market. I had to get them machined for this twin, however I measured other twin's stack heights on the market and they were similar the pressure plate "fingers" have more of a taper on the Fidanza twin for easy engagement by supplying a greater fulcrum.
This is truly the best street twin on the market. Comparing it to other clutches I have driven in a wide range of different vehicles, I have never driven a clutch that was pucked that drove this well. Including single disk clutches, this clutch setup blows everything out of the water.
I'll start checking in here more often, I will email the forum moderator and get setup as a vendor here shortly.
I am the first to install this twin in the CTS-V and a special spacer was required, so it is NOT the same as the rest of the spacers on the market. I had to get them machined for this twin, however I measured other twin's stack heights on the market and they were similar the pressure plate "fingers" have more of a taper on the Fidanza twin for easy engagement by supplying a greater fulcrum.
This is truly the best street twin on the market. Comparing it to other clutches I have driven in a wide range of different vehicles, I have never driven a clutch that was pucked that drove this well. Including single disk clutches, this clutch setup blows everything out of the water.
I'll start checking in here more often, I will email the forum moderator and get setup as a vendor here shortly.