Life of a stock clutch and how much power it can handle?
10-30-2007, 12:28 PM
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Life of a stock clutch and how much power it can handle? I am going to be buying myself an M6 LS1... be it a z28 or an SS or a WS6... whatever. I am wondering how long a stock clutch usually lasts, and under how much power? For example, I wanna know that if I am buying an SS with 78,000 miles on it... if I am going to probably need a new clutch or not? or if I buy a 98 or 99 z28 with 56k if I am going to... How much would the part cost? and how much on average can I expect to pay without surprises to have it installed? I don't plan on ever exceeding 400whp...
10-30-2007, 01:11 PM
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I am going to be buying myself an M6 LS1... be it a z28 or an SS or a WS6... whatever. I am wondering how long a stock clutch usually lasts, and under how much power? For example, I wanna know that if I am buying an SS with 78,000 miles on it... if I am going to probably need a new clutch or not? or if I buy a 98 or 99 z28 with 56k if I am going to... How much would the part cost? and how much on average can I expect to pay without surprises to have it installed? I don't plan on ever exceeding 400whp...
Clutch wear (prolonged or otherwise) is more so dependent on driving style, driving habits, etc.
If you're constantly launching the car, dont expect the clutch to last long either, as the heat caused is what kills them the most. If the person driving the car "rides" the clutch a lot, dont expect it to last to long either.
Your best bet is to just take it for a drive and see if you can feel it 'slip'. If it is moderately slipping when just cruising and shifting normally do NOT attempt to do any fast/hard shifting. You could lose a foot, damage the tranny or even crack the block and end up with a clutch disk in the dash (seriously).
If it holds fine under normal power good. If it slips a little when under WOT or right after you shift the revs stay a little high for a bit than come down without spinning the tires, the clutch cant hold the power the car is making.
General rule of thumb though, since M6 LS1's stock typically make between 300-330rwhp in stock form means you're not far off from the 400rwhp mark you never want to exceed. So, with a full bolt-ons car, (Headers, Exhaust, Lid, Gears, K&N, !FRA, !EGR, !AIR, !CAGS, LS6 Intake) you're looking to make between 340-370rwhp with a tune. If the clutch is not slipping by that point, why change it? Once you notice it start to slip, THATS when you replace it.
I highly recommend the LS7 Clutch Disc & Pressure plate with the LS2 Flywheel. Its a stock 'feel' clutch, great daily driving characteristics and can hold more than 500 ft.lbs of torque.
Hope this helps.
10-30-2007, 01:24 PM
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!FRA = Free Ram Air (You basically cut the crap out of the stock air box to allow more air flow)
!EGR = EGR delete
!AIR = AIR pump delete
!CAGS = Skip-shift delete
A slipping clutch can simulate wheel spin. Example, say you're in 2nd gear at about 40MPH and you were to floor it abruptly, the RPMS climb up but the car doesnt accelerate and you're NOT spinning the tires. The rpms can even fluctuate, meaning, you stab the throttle to the floor, the RPMS jump up and down for a bit without the car actually moving/accelerating faster than it should than the clutch just finally catches/grips and you start to accelerate, all this without spinning the tires.
Also when the clutch starts to spin/slip, you should notice either a faint or strong smell similar to that of 'brakes'.
10-30-2007, 07:20 PM
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I'm the original owner of an 2001 SS and have raced it since I had 500 miles on it. I hurt the stock clutch a few times while drag racing, slipping real bad one time but after cooling off made it home and did the fluid bleed. With regular fluid bleeds still works fine with street driving, but slipping worse at track with drag radials. This is not a daily driver only 22,000 miles. I will be upgrading to LS7 clutch kit before hitting the track again, only $420 shipped!!!
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10-30-2007, 08:14 PM
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My car has 44,000 last 3000 with turbo kit, She held till the last time i took it out last week I pulled in out yesterday night and the center broke out so i would say less then 602 ft#'s at the wheel
