PHANTA-Z

This happened about a month ago. The shop I work at (used to work at now ) we have a very good customer with an '04 Cobra Vert. He's done quite a bit of work to the car: 2.3L Whipple, tons of suspension upgrades, lots of billet on the interior, etc. So anyhow, he decides he ready for a clutch, we do some looking, and he comes to the conclusion he wants a SPEC 3i w/ alum fly and a 26 spline input put in at the same time. Everything goes off according to plan, we get his clutch installed. Fast forward 2 weeks to a small track event we were hosting. He had put, by his account, 4-500 miles on the clutch. I told him that was right on the line for a break-in, to be easy on it. That was a laugh, this guy doesn't know easy. So anyhow we have said 3700+ lb '04 Cobra, 580 rwhp/550 rwtq, 315 Nitto drags. I guess you guys see where this is going....second pass I am right behind him in my car. As I finish my run and coming back the return road I see him pulled off the side. I knew it was either clutch or tranny. We get his car back to the shop, tore into it, and the clutch disk was MELTED to the flywheel. We had to get a cold chisel and tap it off. I called SPEC and informed them of the sitation, Steve said he had seen this a few times, and it is a result of not breaking in the clutch enough. So he said since it was brand new, send in all the parts and they would see what was going on. 1 week later, a brand new SPEC 3i and flywheel was sitting on the doorstep of the shop....FREE OF CHARGE. I was dumbfounded. In a business that, more than any other I know of, you get ZERO warranty on everything just due to the nature of the beast, here they come out of left field and save my customer $700. All this when they KNEW it was his fault, by our own admission. Very impressed to say the least. For all the crappy stories we hear, thought you guys might like to hear one with a happy ending.

PS...He's got almost 1000 mi on the new clutch, and refuses to get into it hard. Talk about gun shy.

Turo

iTrader: (23)

Glad to see they are taking care of their customers.

slow14U

I will never buy another spec. Their clutches are crap. I went thru 3 and only 1 worked. I just hope for you that you get one that works.


BTW: My second one did the same thing. Welded itself to the flywheel even after I broke it in for 500 miles. Their material they use is crap.

Steve Burger

iTrader: (33)

My 4F did thisand SPC took care of me. I broke this one in with over 1000 city miles. So far so good.

PHANTA-Z

The guy that owns the Cobra has 2 good friend in FL, both of whom own heavily modded 03/04 Cobras, and have used this clutch with great success. That was his reason for going with it in the first place. I have no doubt that this time around, with proper break in, it will do fine.

Slow14, I have seen instances, having worked in performance cars for a while, of virtually EVERY clutch type/brand failing at one point or another. This from cheap-*** off brand clutches, to $1800 Exedy twin disk. I come across gentlemen like you often. They have had X amount of trouble with Y brand clutch, and OVER THIER DEAD BODY will another of those pieces of **** grace their fine vehicle. Can't say as I blame ya'll though. My point being, you can find someone, somewhere (usually if you hunt, multiple someones and multiple somewheres) who has had a major issue with just about any car part/type/style/manufacturer. Once again, can't say as I blame you. I have a few of those little prejudices myself.

AINT SKEERED

iTrader: (2)

I just ordered another SPec3 clutch my self. 12,000 miles of abuse before it came apart. That does not sound like a lot of miles but I can Honestly say they are almost all 1/4 mile at a time. I beat the Hell out of it at the track with well over 100 6000 rpm launches and Many hard launches on the street where I leave at 4000 rpms. Most will say 12,000 is not good enough but That is racing and it just so happen to be the clutch and not the 12 bolt that went out. 6000 rpms , something will break . Not if but when.

Thats it, Chad.

Country Boy

iTrader: (24)

I still think Spec is ****, but to each their own. I still like my legs.... and it would be nice to actually take off from a light again.

HUGGER ORANGE SS

iTrader: (2)

Good Story...

The stage 3 is too small of a clutch for his near 600RWHP car...

Tell him not to be gun shy...
Hammer on it..

We just got done installing a Stage 5 in a 2002 SS with close to 600RWHP.. He loves it!! It did squeel a bit till he started getting on in and it's almost gone away.. No more missed shifts.. Another friend of ours installed his Stage 5 in his 2001 WS6.. Same story little bit of squeel but almost gone within 150 miles and the clutch is grabbing HARD for both of them.. The SS already took it to the track and stated this clutch is amazing...

Take care!!

Clint

2000blackSS

ive got a spec stage 3 in my car 2000 camaro SS basic mods w/ 100 shot and bfg radials i broke the clutch in for 500 miles before taking the car over 2500rpm's then took it to the beach (300miles total) before the car saw the track.......at the track the clutch just spins up the best ive seen with the new clutch is 12.0.........on the stock clutch with about 50k on it i went 11.63 w/ a 1.75 60' the best 60' ive pulled with this clutch is a 1.9......the car made 424hp and 568rwtq not very happy with its performance