MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

Well there is other tex thread but that poster wanted to keep his post clean so here is mine.
I have had the twin tex in for a few days. Its got think around 80 miles or so on it. Pedal pressure is good, getting into gears is good. Noise when clutch is pushed in is annoying a bit but dealing with it for now.
Clutch was nearly undrivable when first installed . But after 20 miles it improved and have taken it thru traffic. I rarely stall it now but it can grab and be very jerky if don't let it out just right. There is for sure chatter possiblity also depending on how you let it out. So hoping it gets better as many have said it would. I am not sure if should keep babying it for another few hundred miles or should start being a bit meaner to it. Is it hard on the clutch to do some full throttle runs to redline with only this few miles on it?
I have not been doing any high rpm dumps or slips. Just leaving around 2000 which is pretty much minimum right now and letting it out slow. If you let it out fast it jerks the car and if you are much under 2000 you get the chatter.

I can't dump it that easily in traffic either at even 2000 . My nitto drags mabye don't help the new clutch being pretty sticky. And my gears are only 3.42 currently. Going up to 3.54 or possibly 3.73. Currently have to say the clutch is barely streetable and not that enjoyable in traffic with the chatter or jerkiness. I am considering changing disc material as Peter said they have more street friendly twin disc discs. I won't do it likely until do engine swap next year. I could maybe have went down to the oz700 but am doing 408 or 427 twin turbo setup so wanted to make sure had strong strong clutch. This thing seems to grab really hard a bit worried about stock rear end and planning strange dana 60. Think going up to 3.73 would help leave the line in town with the big twin disc but 3.73 is not as good for turbos as 3.54.

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

Have a few more miles on it now but not a lot more. About 150 miles now. Its still not fun in heavy traffic and still hoping it gets better with more miles. The pedal pressure is decent enough though and this chatter or jerkiness off the line is only real annoyance. If it don't start behaving then will likely try the new more streetable discs that Peter mentioned. I think they should offer it two ways in the ads. Street version and race version. I have the race and it seems like it would work fine on the track but so far streetablility is not where I want it to be.

stevieturbo

There's a lot to be said for the OZ700....

I think far too many overlook this clutch, when in fact it would be ideal for them for daily use.

I also opted for the ExoSkel, but I was under no illusions that it would be a traffic friendly clutch.
Ive driven multiplate clutches before, and unless they use normal style organic linings, they havent been that nice.
My ExoSkel isnt that bad though. Although feel, and driveability are all relative. Some peoples nice, might be horrible to others.

The OZ700 for a paddle/puck style clutch really has outstanding driveability along with some serious grip.

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

Yes likley should have went oz700 but am worried be a bit above its power rating but not in daily driving just the odd time maybe at track or when doing serious grudge match stuff against few buddies that think 400 or 500 rwhp is a lot!

I hit close to 180miles today and it continues to improve I think. Still took car to muffler shop and trying to get on the drive on hoist and guys kept asking me why I was riding the clutch and revving it so high but really right now you have to.
I am wondering if I should be a bit mean to it at even 200 miles or 300 for sure but trying to do the easy 500 mile thing.
I bet having a bit more gear would really help things out..3.73 would be nice. 3.42 can't be helping much. And my sticky nittos think make things worse. Can't get much spin on them at all. Normally thats a good thing though but for break in a bit of spin would be maybe a good thing.

stevieturbo

During normal driving, you wouldnt be spinning the tyres anyway.

Im currently on 3.27 gears, and dont have any major issues driving off. I can pretty much pull away from idle, with no throttle in a lot of circumstances.

But I know what ya mean sometimes about having to rev a little higher than normal. It will just take practise.

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

More miles on there. Clutch is improving every time I drive it. I can do all but the heaviest traffic now with no problems at all. Not stalling it at all either. Just very little chatter and that might only be after drive it for a fairly long drive and it gets hot. I am trying not to abuse the clutch just yet but have done a few fairly brief wot sprints to near redline in 2nd and third. No hard launches off the line though or sustained high rpm stuff.
I was worried about streetability and it seems to be fine and after few hundred more should not be afraid to do really heavy traffic.
I dont seem to notice the floater plate noise much anymore maybe it go a bit quieter from break in also. And pedal pressure is great. I do have to say a few things about tex service and support. I did talk to the head guy and he was helpful thanks Peter but I never did recieve actual twin disc instructions and have emailed several times and will do so again I guess. The time change don't help but tex really needs to post instructions on their website. And even optional discs that Peter said I could get if didn't like these current ones. More streetable discs. But as said these are working out ok for me it seems anyway.I am not a hardcore guy but a slight bit of chatter or whatever is acceptable on a clutch of this level.

I won't be tracking the car this year and only a couple of times tops next year likely.
Car is street car plain and simple. Also won't be testing the clutch power handling till get my aps twins installed.Hopefully this fall. And new engine hopefully next spring.
427 baby!!

Murdock

iTrader: (2)

In my experience with street/strip puck clutches, it's seems best to limit the amount of time spent slipping the disk(s) across the flywheel(s). I took it easy on my exo-skel for the first 4-5 heat cycles, driving in city traffic then letting it cool overnight. After that, I drove it "normally."

"Normal" launching for me is a moderately fast release. My passengers tell me I launch smooth, but I push them back in the seat even during 2,000 rpm launches. You definately do NOT want to be drinking hot coffee unless you like burnt nuts! This can be a pain in rush hour, freeway stop-and-go, but it keeps the clutch alive. In stop-and-go traffic, I'll bump the clutch then back off instead of slipping it.

If I'm in a situation like you describe above, I'll try and bump-bump-bump the clutch. I don't let it rev/slip for very long, instead I'll give it a bump, then back off and bump it again. I don't mean this as a flame against you at all, pulling onto a set of ramps or drive-on hoist is a pain!

I had one of the original cartek clutches with a pretty heavy pressure plate and bronze-ceramic pucks. I broke it in and drove it like I described and got 40k miles on it with about 100 drag passes. It still had meat on it when I took it out, and I'll probably put it into my '63 project.

I see a lot of posts on here where people burn up clutches in 10-15k miles. Usually when they post pictures, you can tell the clutch was scorched. Whether it was bad parts, bad install, or a lot of slipping while driving, they fried the **** out of it.

Anyway, that's my take. The less time your foot spends on the clutch pedal, the better. My 4.56 gears help, but I'll also be going to 3.42 next year for a turbo build, so I will feel your pain!

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

Yeah I posted pics of a cartech that was killed by bad adjustable hydraulics. Killed in only a few thousand miles. Heat damaged and worn down to nothing,grooved flywheel and pressure plate. Fubar. Ajustable master that didn't hold its setting took it out apparently. No track launches and and handful of street launches.
I think the drill mod might help the clutches last. lets them engage faster not slip as much.
I also think clutches were meant to be dumped more than slipped but you usually do have to slip normal ls1 clutches trying to avoid the bog and spin that ls1 are famous for.And wimpy gears don't help much either. 3.42 are great turbo gears and I should also stick around that range on my twin turbo build. But might go to 3.73 as while they might not be perfect turbo track gears they help get the car moving and also are a bit more fun off boost. 3.54 is my other option since going dana 60.

As said there are other install problems to watch out for. Not using arp on the twin discs is one of them.And cleaning the flywheel and pressure plate. I also thnk some clutches in ls1 die from leaking behind the pilot bushing ,engine oil can come thru there if you push in that piece behind the pilot bushing. And main seal leaks can also take out clutches. Loctite even red the pressure plate and flywheel. Torque them in star patterns to spec with torque wrench. Clean everything with brake cleaner.
And try not to slip the heck out of the clutches too. As said though in heavy bumper to bumper its hard not to do some slipping and its hard trying to get on hoists and stuff.
But my twin disc at around 200 miles has become a lot more streetable than it was first 20 miles! And figure another couple hundred it will be really streetable. Just hope it lasts longer than 15,000 miles especially since won't be tracking it more than once or twice and won't be racing buddies on sunday mornings near as much as I used to. My stock clutch died in maybe 5000 miles. I slipped it all the time to try to get best 60fts against buddies.At least you could smell that one burning. The metallic ones really don't smell so even though my hydraulics were forced in to continuously slip with my cartech I didn't smell a thing. Actually here are the cartech pics to compare to the exoskel pics. The cartech maybe had 5000 miles on it..








Pretty similar carnage. Disc totally gone warped really bad too. Pressure plate badly heat scored and grooved. Flywheel lizard skinned cracked and grooved. Fubar.
And all at 5000 or so miles no track runs.500 mile break in followed.

stevieturbo

To get a clutch into that state, the driver must share a massive part of the blame.

That sort of thing doesnt happen in a few seconds.

Why do people continue to drive their cars, until the clutch gets to that state ? Why dont they investigate when there is a problem ?

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

Problem with my cartech is its also metallic not organic. So never smelled it dragging and only at the end when it was pretty much totally gone did it start slipping super bad. Even then didn't really hear too much even when the rivets were grooving the flywheel and pressure plate. An organic you can easily smell slipping.

MY99TAWS6

iTrader: (3)

A bit weird,drove the car after a few days sitting and seems to be a bit touchy again. Guess just have to drive it more and only just coming up to half of 500 miles that wanted to break it in.

Maybe I should start being meaner to it now. Also today seemed a bit notchy and did have synchromesh in there. Maybe a rebleed would be a good thing.