How are your clutches doing??

I've heard some good and some bad things about these clutches...

I got the Star Spec Stage 3 kevlar and its holding its own pretty good....

It is a bit grabby on the street though...catches you off guard every once and a while...

<img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">

 

i got my SPECIII kevlar in about two mounths ago and haven't had any problems out of it so far.

 

Mine has been in about a year. Still grabbing hard But the pedal feels like A$$ now and Getting fourth is really getting difficult at the strip. Thinking its more of a hydraulic rather then a clutch problem, we'll see. Tranny is coming out here in a week or so for upgrade on hydraulic sys. will give an update at that point. Jason

[ December 11, 2001: Message edited by: SC 98 Mecham ]</p>

 

Im running a Spec Stage 3 Kevlar. 10,000miles flawless then I ran into a suspected 'heat soak' hydraulic problem when I added the TTS Longtubes, clutch operation was either on or almost completely off. I ended up glazing the clutch like 10 times but it still worked well enough, after pumping the pedal like 30times before staging, to break an axle and crack the torsen casing on a 4500rpm dump, on ET Streets, on the motor, w/ 4.10's LOL!. Its still even holding up to some 3rd gear (where the street tire traction starts) 526rwtq punches.

The only problem after glazing it, is that it chatter's like a **** sometimes but I figure I can wear it into submission. If the disc proves beat up to much I'm gonna resurface the flywheel and pressure plate, and then rebuild the friction plate with something that can handle a 2nd stage of 100shot wet, once I get the 9in rear and toss it all in off the line.

Anyways I made a heat shield for the mc line and I gravity bled/flushed the hydraulics but I won't be able to really find out if it works until I get the 9in.

 

You really wanna hear about my Spec clutch experience??? Sure......


I paid 500 bucks for the Stage 3 Carbon clutch, installed everything perfectly doing everything possible to keep the clutch working correctly.....loctites, correct tq specs, upgraded hydro's, etc....Well, after 2K miles of the most horrible chatter I have ever experienced, and ONE pass at the track, my almight Star clutch blows the **** up. And when I say blow up, I mean blow to peices inside my bellhousing. We are talking about a bolt on car that doesn't excede 350 rwhp, and I was on drag radials to boot.

Since you got me started, i'll go ahead and explain how much of a SHITTY company Spec is. They were not willing to help me at all with this, and guess what they had the nerve to tell me........."Sir, we are going to repare this clutch and send it back to you" What kind of ******* idiot is going to install a previously blown up clutch back in his car??? The disk flew to peices, and they're telling me that they just put it all back together and everything is fine and dandy. After several hours of talking of the phone with those morons, they still weren't going to help me at all, a paying customer. So, right now I am going through the steps of taking them to small claims court and getting back my 500 dollars. I didn't pay that kind of money to rattle the **** out of my car for 3 months and then leave me stranded at the track.

This isn't the first time either. About 8/10 Star clutch's blow up, slip, or don't perform as promised. You guys above are some of the VERY FEW. If LS1.com still had all their old posts in the drivetrain section, just about every Spec topic you pull up will be about someone raising hell because they're clutch just took a **** on them.

As you can tell, I hate that company and I would not recommend ANYONE buying anything from them. They have shitty customer service, and do NOT stand behind their product.


Josh

 

I remember those posts and they all started coming after I installed mine... <img src="graemlins/gr_guns.gif" border="0" alt="[guns]" />

 

Biggest POS I have ever had. Got less the 4k out of a Stage 3 Kevlar clutch! Only ran it at the track for around 10 passes total and it was shot after that! The track passes were made with BFG DR's and then we tried some ET Streets and the dam clutch wouldn't even hold to spin them. Worn down to the rivets in those 4,000 miles. Then to make matters worse, Spec's idea of customer service is to bend you over and screw you. I will never buy another Spec product nor can I recommend them!

 

SPEC III Kevlar's are great for those who use Street Tires. Mine has been holding AWESOME. Just broke my TQ Tube and Tranny blew out.

Will see if the shaft damaged my disc hub. I hope not. Was the best clutch I've had so far. I think it's ok after the breakage... will see. 2000+ Hydraulics are best. Also just added the M/C line mod. Will see how that helps the backed up Hyd on prog. redline shifts.

[ December 12, 2001: Message edited by: MelloYellow ]</p>

 

I've had my Stage III Kevlar in for about 6k miles and several dozen hard launches. Last time at the track I broke my left axle launching at 4k on DR's. Clutch has not slipped or chattered once since day one. Maybe I am lucky, but I also cleaned the flywheel, disc and pp REAL good to make sure it was free of contamination. I have my Moser 12b w/ 4.11's in now. Let's see if the Spec can hold higher rpm launches. <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[Burnout]" />

 

Back from the dead my spec stg 3 won't even work right out of the box it's at Spartan performance right now and he's exhausted all options it's got to be the clutch/ flywheel

 

To begin our Stage 3 uses a Carbon-Graphite-Semi-Metallic based disc material. We do offer a Kevlar option which is our Stage 2 and we also offer a hybrid unit that uses Kevlar on one side and a C-G-S-M puck on the other. I just want to insure that folks are on the same page relative to the stage they have and the materials used. We have sold over 20K clutches for the LS based application and there are countless members on this board that have had great experiences with our parts.

We provide very clear recommendations for break-in and offer a number of stages to fit your needs. Getting the clutch that best suits your torque output and planned usage are very important and you are welcome to contact us at any time if you have questions about what we would suggest for your application and needs. You can contact me with any questions you may have.

Stephen, I spoke with you about your issues this morning and asked for some measurments to insure that you flywheel was machined properly. I also offered an RMA so that we could assess the parts and determine if there is an issue. Yet, you post here on a 9 year old thread for what purpose. I am trying to work with you...

 

I know this thread is dead but i just wanted to add a little .02 on the matter. i had a spec2 in my 99 z28. 305whp 312rwtq. Clutch was put in the car with 60,000 on the clock, i totaled that car at 231,000miles. still had the same spec2 clutch in it and took all those miles of daily drivin tear round abuse and multiple track days a season. i will never install anything but a spec clutch in any of my cars. spec3+ is what will be going in my 84 z28 that will make a procharged 750rwtq ball park, and i bet it will hold to anything i throw at it. just my experience and opinion on specs products.

 

FYI 1999 FRC dyno 520 RW with the spec 3 clutch. Had the clutch in for couple years before seals went bad in my hydraulic release bearing. Soaked the clutch pad so swapped complete kit out for the same one and still going strong 30,000 so far. And yep I keep my foot in it. Thanks Spec for such a good product.

 

Spec only gets a bad rep here because so many people either run a shin when they shouldn't, or don't run one when they should. And it prematurely wears the clutch. I had a spec stage 3+ that I beat the ever living **** out of. 500whp on motor and 100 shot on top of that. Spraying out of the hole on slicks and a 3700lb car. Never missed a beat until I procharged it. Not sure exactly how much HP it was making, but on 9lbs it made 660 and did fine. Got the belt slip issue fixed and with 14lbs it started blowing through the clutch. Still held fine on the street. But the track and dyno in 4th it would slip.

 

I had the ST SuperTwin in my vette and was making 1050hp and never had a lick of issues.

 

Had a mini twin on my car and it always stood up

 

I have had three different spec's and everyone has been great. install and shim selection for slave is the key. I will buy a fourth for my next car. as far as customer service nothing but positive experience on my end.