spec clutches junk? pix of mine inside.....
05-10-2005, 08:07 PM
#1
spec clutches junk? pix of mine inside..... As you may have read in my other thread last week, my clutch started slipping normal driving to work and by the time i got it home it couldn't even move up the driveway. I have a spec 3I w/ the spec steel flywheel. well pulled the trans today....took some pics. after roughly 8-9,000 miles the flywheel has bad heat marks on it and so does the pressure plate. the clutch disk looks pretty trashed also. the car only was raced a couple times last summer and now my flywheel and whole clutch kit is junk. are these spec clutches just junk or is this normal? look at the pics and let me know what you think guys.
clutch disk
close up
pressure plate
flywheel
clutch disk
close up
pressure plate
flywheel
05-10-2005, 09:14 PM
#2
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DAMN!!! It looks like all the newer SPEC clutches are junk. I've got one of the older kevlar units and its been holding up marvelously for the past 2 years. But when it comes time to replace it, looks like I'll be going elsewhere. How many hard runs did you actually get out of it before it gave up the ghost?
05-10-2005, 09:57 PM
#4
were the pressure plate bolts loose?
once any clutch starts slipping it will burn up as you continue to drive it (as everydone does) you have to find out what caused it to start slipping.. i would definitely send the pressure plate in for them to test and the disc for them to measure.
if the clamping pressure is there and the disc is still the right thickness then there really isnt any explanation other than you managed to burn it up somewhere, somehow.. unless you just flat out overpowered it.. in which case i would again follow up with spec on your application
once any clutch starts slipping it will burn up as you continue to drive it (as everydone does) you have to find out what caused it to start slipping.. i would definitely send the pressure plate in for them to test and the disc for them to measure.
if the clamping pressure is there and the disc is still the right thickness then there really isnt any explanation other than you managed to burn it up somewhere, somehow.. unless you just flat out overpowered it.. in which case i would again follow up with spec on your application
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05-11-2005, 06:57 AM
#9
I have a 4I in my car... and I bought it because I figured it would be overkill and last. I have about 900 miles on it, and wanna take my car to the track, see how the cam and 4.10's helped... but I am afraid of this happening. All I can say is that when it does happen, as it seems to be a matter of when, not if, it wil be time for this guy to go to an automatic.... I for one am tired of the entire clutch game with these cars, damn hydraulics, clutches going up in smoke or exploding ( seen that too many times on here as well ). I guess the 2.66 first gear is probably the real culprit, what they were thinking when they put a 1st gear in a 3500 plus lb car with driver... really makes me wonder.
200-R4 here I come, then none of the clutch companies will get any of my $$.
200-R4 here I come, then none of the clutch companies will get any of my $$.
05-11-2005, 07:42 AM
#10
Originally Posted by MIGHTYMOUSE
were the pressure plate bolts loose?
those bolts were very tight, had to muscle it a bit to even get them loose.
the flywheel and pressure plate have waves in them i noticed. i dont think i can even machine this flywheel. so there goes another $200-$300 on a flywheel.
05-11-2005, 09:23 AM
#11
Originally Posted by JL ws-6
I guess the 2.66 first gear is probably the real culprit, what they were thinking when they put a 1st gear in a 3500 plus lb car with driver... really makes me wonder.
200-R4 here I come, then none of the clutch companies will get any of my $$.
200-R4 here I come, then none of the clutch companies will get any of my $$.
05-11-2005, 09:47 AM
#12
If the first gear wasn't so low, then the car would not require as much slippage to get it moving.. which is where I suspect most of the clutch wear is occuring. A higher gear ratio would allow the car to accelerate from a stop more easily, and clutches wouldn't need to be slipped as much as they do now. the car would be easier on the clutch. Think of it like this, how does a car accelerate from a stop with 3.42's.. now go to 4.10's.. that change alone allows alot quicker clutch engagement.... a gear change in teh tranny would have the same effect, and with teh rear ratio added in as well, would have a large impact.. probably increasing clutch life considerably.
A 200R4 swap.... well, I think that is pretty strait foreward.. that's the auto that a GN came with.
A 200R4 swap.... well, I think that is pretty strait foreward.. that's the auto that a GN came with.
05-11-2005, 10:13 AM
#13
Wide ratio trannys are not normally very good for drag racing. If you had a first gear ratio of over 3:1, you would barely launch the car then have to shift to second. Also, the transmission is stronger with the 2.66 ratio than it would be with a 3:1. But I agree, these cars should have had 4.11 rearend gears from the factory, though.
05-11-2005, 10:35 AM
#15
If the tranny gears were a little lower in 1st and 2nd, we could probably live with the 3.42's though. Or, 4.10's should have been the factory installed gear, either would solve 1/2 the clutch problems out there, but either way you look at it, the cars out of the factory were not geared all to great.. and are clutch abusers right from the get go.
GM probably should have stuck something other then the junk 4l60 tranny in the cars too, but that's a whole other topic.
GM probably should have stuck something other then the junk 4l60 tranny in the cars too, but that's a whole other topic.
05-11-2005, 12:46 PM
#17
the flywheel is out at the shop as we speak getting machined. talked to spec this morning and they said it's normal that my 3I only lasted 8,000 miles. they said the material wears faster than the normal stage 3 clutch disk. didn't get much resolved, they definelty didn't want to give me anything for free. just offered a small discount on a clutch kit. they recomended a stage 5 w/ my new motor set up. $500 for that kit. but i'm not sure i'll ever use a spec clutch again.
05-11-2005, 02:22 PM
#19
aggressive clutches meant to hold 500-600 hp aren't going to last OEM amounts of time... they're gonna wear faster. Not saying it shouldn't last longer than 8k, but I probably wouldn't expect much more than 20k miles, especially with aggressive driving. I certainly don't expect my RAM clutch to last but maybe 10-15k miles because of the amount of racing I do... but then again, I've only put 24k miles on my car in almost 4 years of ownership, so if I get 2-3 years of use out of this clutch I'll be more than happy.
Just like buying drag radials to drive on the street... more aggressive, suits a high hp car fine, but last 5-6k miles. Unlike OEM tires that last 40k miles but suck for traction.
Just like buying drag radials to drive on the street... more aggressive, suits a high hp car fine, but last 5-6k miles. Unlike OEM tires that last 40k miles but suck for traction.
05-11-2005, 03:54 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by Tranzor_Z28
aggressive clutches meant to hold 500-600 hp aren't going to last OEM amounts of time... they're gonna wear faster.
of course, if your car has more power than a stage II can hold, of course you need a higher-end clutch. i still have yet to figure out why so many people are told to get "at least a stage III" even with their near-stock car when the stage II lasts longer and grips well also.