Which clutch?

[Hardwyre]

I'm going to be bolting a '94 300ZX NA 5-speed to the back of that Infiniti VH45DE

 

Stock torque is about 330 ft.lbs.

 

I've read that XTD(XTR?) and F1 pressure plates are pretty much crap; but I'm curious what people have heard regarding FI friction discs.

 

I'm looking at these two packages:

F1 Racing 6-puck, 512 ft.lb disc, ACT pressure plate: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/F1-HDG6-RACE-CLUTCH-KIT-w-ACT-PP-90-96-NISSAN-300ZX-NT-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZModelQ3a300Q5AXQQhashZitem5ad4cd8e15QQitemZ390117297685QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_2620wt_933

 

$348 shipped.

 

 

F1 Racing full, 400 ft.lb disc, ACT pressure plate: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/F1-HDSS-CLUTCH-KIT-w-ACT-90-96-NISSAN-300ZX-3-0L-V6-N-T-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQfitsZModelQ3a300Q5AXQQhashZitem5ad0e41247QQitemZ390051664455QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_2630wt_933

 

$327 shipped.

 

The seller is GripForce, who seems to be doing pretty good with a rating of 99.9% on 87.6K reviews.

 

.....

 

Okay, think this is a much better deal:

$354, ACT 6-puck sprung disc, ACT heavy duty pressure plate. 525 ft/lb rated

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ACT-CLUTCH-KIT-HD-6-PUCK-90-94-95-96-NISSAN-300ZX-NA-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5ae15dd29fQQitemZ390328079007QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_4679wt_1032

 

$379, ACT full sprung disc, ACT heavy duty pressure place. 410 ft.lb

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ACT-CLUTCH-KIT-HD-STREET-90-94-95-96-NISSAN-300ZX-NA-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem4aac8f7802QQitemZ320722663426QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_4785wt_1031

 

Anyone have experience with the full disc vs 6-puck clutch discs? Its interesting that the 6-puck is less expensive than the weaker full disc.

 

Opinions? Suggestions for alternatives?

[datzenmike]

Esoteric stuff.

[banzai510(hainz)]

Daiken/Exedy stage clutches.

SPEC Clutch

 

importrp.com

 

i think full disc is best for the street.

Puck is more ON/OFF

[Sealik]

Yes...Daiken/Exedy...made in Japan

 

Impressed with mine so far

 

[Hardwyre]

Daiken/Exedy stage clutches.

SPEC Clutch

 

importrp.com

 

i think full disc is best for the street.

Puck is more ON/OFF

 

I couldn't find a 300ZX Exedy kit that was rated for the torque the VH45 will put out. So I looked at Spec and found this:

SPEC Stage 2+ Kevlar/Carbon full disc., 460 ft lb.

http://www.clutchcityonline.com/products/SPEC/SN453H.shtml

 

$370 shipped on ebay.

 

Mike, you really think ACT is an odd ball? They seem to have a lot of glowing reviews.

 

ImportRP has a duel friction centerforce clutch, but I can't find a torque rating for it. :/

http://performance.importrp.com/centerforce/centerforce_clutch_kit_dualfriction/df534007/i-305416.aspx

[521Dave]

Use to work for ACT good stuff just as good if not better than (exedy/daikin same stuff), so to add my 2 cents don't get a puck disc for street use. Unless you like wearing out flywheels and causing undue strain on your driveline components. Those are just for track use get the street disc they are tuff and allow you to slip so engagement is smoother ...better for street. Annnnnnnnnnnnd if your worried it wont be able to hold that "50 shot of naws dude" it will. 8sec john shepherd ran a street disc!

[ggzilla]

Clutches are usually rated in pounds of clamping force.

[metalmonkey47]

i think full disc is best for the street.

Puck is more ON/OFF

 

^^This.

 

 

I drove a blown Hyundai with a 6 puck, and I hated it. It would have been great on the track, but that thing was grabby as hell.

[Sealik]

Clutches are usually rated in pounds of clamping force.

 

 

Whoops...hit the 'reputation button' instead of the reply....freebie for you :D

Would assume clamping force is relative to the amount of ft/lbs of torque....?

Mine was rated at 310....more than adequate for my app..

Probably hold that VH45DE.... ;)

[Hardwyre]

Use to work for ACT good stuff just as good if not better than (exedy/daikin same stuff), so to add my 2 cents don't get a puck disc for street use. Unless you like wearing out flywheels and causing undue strain on your driveline components. Those are just for track use get the street disc they are tuff and allow you to slip so engagement is smoother ...better for street. Annnnnnnnnnnnd if your worried it wont be able to hold that "50 shot of naws dude" it will. 8sec john shepherd ran a street disc!

 

Cool, thank you.

 

It looks like both ACT and SPEC are engineered and built in the USA.

 

ACT has a nice video of their facility:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V53BsTaUSHA&feature=player_embedded

 

I just shot off an email to EXEDY to see if they have any suggestions for a 300ZX clutch with 400+ ft.lb capacity. I have to stop myself from being drawn biased towards SPEC just because it's blue.

 

It's going to be inside the damn transmission, it doesn't matter if it's farking PINK!

[Hardwyre]

Whoops...hit the 'reputation button' instead of the reply....freebie for you :D

Would assume clamping force is relative to the amount of ft/lbs of torque....?

Mine was rated at 310....more than adequate for my app..

Probably hold that VH45DE.... ;)

 

That's sort of what I'm assuming. It makes it easier for people like me to get an idea which clutch I need if I know what torque ratings a disc can hold vs trying to calculate clamping force into holding force. Partially because clamping force is only one part of the formula; the disc material/design is another.

 

It sounds like XTR, XTD, F1, GripForce, and other "ebay" clutches might be decent for some applications, but the warranty/customer service quality is crap and thus not worth relying on.

 

Looks like I can use the TT flywheel and clutch by simply shimming out the starter with some washer. 250mm (TT) vs 240mm (NA). Just need to track down a TT flywheel.

 

Using the 250mm flywheel gives me the ability to use higher surface area clutches. I should do that. :)

[Hardwyre]

Was looking for reviews on LUK clutches, but I think any automotive parts website that makes admissions to their sexual practices on their corporate website is probably one to avoid:

 

In the upper right hand corner on LUK's front page:

 

http://www.lukclutch.com/content.schaeffler_as.us/us/index.jsp

 

 

Really? Your marketing team failed to see any, oh, potential LOLZ issues when acronizing Foreign Auto Group?

 

Then, without obviously asking ONE SINGLE ENGLISH SPEAKER if F.A.G. might cause some strange looks, your same marketing team decided to put ALL of your corporate logos right in a fucking row?

LUK sounds like LOOK

INA sounds like IMMA

FAG sounds like ... no, I'm done at this point. *walks away*