What clutch would guys recommend?

[jpilcher]

Hi Guys

I have dropped my motor and tranny to get the transmission rebuilt.
I would like to get some recommendations on a new clutch setup.
I have around $1000 to $1200 in my budget. I'm looking for a good reliable street setup. The occational track day.
Let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance.

John

[mark houghton]

I've been quite happy with my KEP (Kennedy Engineered Products) stage 1 pressure plate with Sachs disc. Good clamping force, pedal feel really not much different than a stock clutch, and the PP is rebuildable by KEP. A fine street setup, fits my needs anyway.
http://www.kennedyenginc.com/Pages/default.aspx

[jpilcher]

Thanks Mark

[fredmeister]

I kept my stock PP and flywheel since I did not have the funds to spend on a lightened set up which is ideal.
However I did replace the disk with a Sachs performance disc and it is great.

Holds up well to my mods so far with no slipping and fine on the track too.

I am guessing minimum 350hp at the wheels-- no problem so far with the clutch described.

Fred

[mark houghton]

Originally Posted by mark houghton

I've been quite happy with my KEP (Kennedy Engineered Products) stage 1 pressure plate with Sachs disc. Good clamping force, pedal feel really not much different than a stock clutch, and the PP is rebuildable by KEP. A fine street setup, fits my needs anyway.
Home

Just to add: I kept my stock flywheel and had it re-surfaced "while I was in there". If I recall, the KEP PP weighed something like 12 or 14 pounds less than the stock one.

[spuggy]

Stock 930 clutch should hold well north of 400 ft/lbs at the wheels. I believe they're good to 500, 550 ft/lbs (quoted at the flywheel, like the factory and Sachs quote their specs).

Heck, a 915 sport clutch will hold 370 at the rollers.

[Tippy]

Might be apples/oranges comparison but my KEP stg II was $750 and Kevlar disc was $250 for my G50. No worries of slippage with ~500 hp.

[pdqcarrera]

Originally Posted by Tippy

Might be apples/oranges comparison but my KEP stg II was $750 and Kevlar disc was $250 for my G50. No worries of slippage with ~500 hp.

How's the clutch engagement? Rather heavy and touchy I imagine ... even with hydraulic action.

[Tippy]

Heavy but not touchy. Nice and smooth.

[iamchappy]

If your willing to suffer through the break-in period, the Kevlar clutch is super nice, great hold even if used with a lighter pressure plate.

[jpilcher]

How do I know if I need to replace the pressure plate? Throw out bearing or Flywheel? I haven't disassembled the clutch yet. I have been busy getting the tranny cleanup ready for the rebuild.
I plan on disassembly Thrusday night. I'll try and get some pictures up of the clutch disk. Try and mesure thickness. How much of difference does a lightened flywheel make?

[jpilcher]

Before Cleaning

After Cleaning

[jpilcher]

Well I pulled the clutch apart tonight. Measured the clutch disk at 10.4mm.
Wear limit is 8.5mm according to manual. Should I replace the clutch disk?
I was planning on resurfacing the flywheel. How does the pressure plate
look? I was also planning on replacing the throwout bearing and the flywheel
thrust bearing. Here are some pics any advice would be appreciated.

[mark houghton]

Those are all really good questions. One approach would be 'while you're in there' replace it all. But if your clutch hasn't been giving you any trouble at all, and it does appear you've got a lot left in the disc anyway, then you can go the cheapo route and bolt it all back together and wait for failure some 1000's of miles later and do it all over again. Then do the thrust bearing (and the crank seal behind the flywheel) and the TOB, and the flywheel surfacing.

Hard to say from the pictures, but looks like some heat marks on the PP, which is probably normal depending on miles etc.

Me, I started modding my car until it became too much for the clutch (started slipping) then replaced everything with KEP, etc. The sticker shock hurt a bit, but it's done hopefully for a long time to come.

[jpilcher]

Thanks Mark. Clutch was working well before the drop. What is thickness of a new disk? I on the fence. I know I probably should replace everything. Was thinking of going with a KEP Stage 1 setup. Future goals are to go EFI within the year, hopefully attain 450 hp.

[mark houghton]

I don't know the new disc thickness; check out Sachs somewhere to find out I would guess.

Maybe just replace the disc since it's the least expensive part, and assume everything else is ok. Run with that and go from there, if you don't mind pulling the engine out again a year or so from now when you discover that 450hp is too much for the stock (and old....how old, by the way?) setup.

[jpilcher]

Not sure how old the clutch setup is. I bought the car last year, very little history on the car. I am having a great time working on the car. I think I will just bite the bullet and replace everything. Thanks for the advice.

[JFairman]

That clutch is hardly worn at all. It looks like it only has a few thousand lightly driven miles on it.
I would reuse it becasue there is probably another 60 - 70,000 miles of life to go on that clutch.

[jpilcher]

Maybe I'll just do the tob and thrust bearing. How does pressure plate look?
I am going to machine the flywheel. I can always drop motor again next year, after I get my lift.

[JFairman]

It all looks good. It looks like there are little circular scuff marks on the flywheel surface from a mechanic recently scuffing it lightly by hand with sandpaper before putting it all together.
The throw out bearing looks like it was recently greased. It looks real good and if it feels good I'd reuse it. They are easy to take apart, clean, and inject swepco moly grease into the ball bearings with a grease needle.

I was wondering if maybe you just bought this car. To me it looks like the previous owner just put in that clutch shortly before selling it. The disc thickness is very close to a new disc and the inner edge of the disc has hardly started to be used yet. They start to be squeezed and wear in at the outer edge first.

930 clutch parts are expensive. Those look good.