Thinking about replacing your Clutch? LOOK HERE FIRST!! [Archive]

View Full Version : Thinking about replacing your Clutch? LOOK HERE FIRST!!

Bu11dogg2

10-02-2008, 03:04 PM

Just like suspension upgrades, clutch upgrades need to be chosen carefully.

Hopefully this write up will help you make an informed decision :)

There are a few reasons why SOA puts a certain type of clutch in your car:

1. Comfort. The clutch needs to be light on the left foot and needs to engage easily. Not everyone who drives a subaru wants a beefy clutch or knows how to handle one.
2. Reliability. The metals used in the OEM clutch are of decent qaulity are are cheap. Go figure.
3. Protection. These 2.0/2.5 turbo motors can pack a mighty punch. The OEM clutch will slip before casuing transmission damage (usually). The last thing SOA wants is owners breaking transmission gears. It's harder to prove negligence on a car with a busted tranny then a car with scorched flywheel.

With that being said....

If you drive your subaru in a conservative manner and operate the shifting correctly your clutch will most likely last the lifetime of your ownership, usually up to 70k or more.

For the rest of us who like to occasionally see how fast we can get to 60.... 80....(we won't go there) a clutch upgrade or replacement might be needed.

How does a clutch work?

Take a look at the picture below. It represents most clutches produced today
http://www.pacificdriveline.com/clutchcut.png

As you can see there are 6 distinct parts

1. Throw out fork
2. Throw out bearing
3. Clutch pressure plate assembly
4. Clutch disk
5. Flywheel
6. Pilot bushing

The majority of clutch problems come from the clutch disk and flywheel damaging each other.

The Flywheel is a metal plate that 3 main functions
1. It acts as balancing weight for the engine and reduces vibrations caused by the firing of the pistons
2. It acts as the connecting plate between the engine and the transmission
3. It also connects to the start motor (hence why your car needs to be in neutral when you start it!!)

The clutch plate has 4, 6 or 8 friction disks on that when depressed against the flywheel make the tansmission move, which in turn sends power to the wheels.

When you depress the clutch, the throw bearing releases the clutch plate from the flywheel and allows you change gears. When you engage the clutch it is pushed against the flywheel and the friction plates grab ahold of the already moving flywheel and sends power to the transmission.

Why do Clutches go bad?

There are few reasons why clutches go bad:

1. Aggressive driving. Constant launching, quick power shifting or excessive down shifting will wear out your OEM clutch faster then Murphy20212 can drink IPA.
2. Bad shifting habits. Riding the clutch, dogging the clutch, multiple bad uphill starts, teaching new drivers, ect ect.. All of these can cause a clutch to go bad.
3. You get a bad clutch. It happens.... not very often.... but it does. Maybe the mechanis at SOA was hungover and put a bent fork or a damaged throwout bearing in your car. Maybe the metal was bad in the flywheel. Either way SOA should cover this if your car is under warranty.

Generally... when a clutch slips it is caused by only a few things

1. Worn clutch plate friction disks. This will happen in high mileage cars or heavily modded cars with high low end torque.
2. Scorched Flywheel. This is caused by overheating the flywheel. This is usually accompanied with a worn clutch disk and is cause by aggressive driving. The intense heat changes the rigitity of the metal and renders the flywheel usless.
3. Warped Flywheel. This also caused by overheating. A warped flywheel will ruin your clutch disk.

In some cases, the flywheel and or the clutch plate can become so hot that they greande :eek: This can damage the engine,tranny or tranny casing.

What causes me to not be able to shift, or make shifting hard?

99.99% of the time it's a bad throw out bearing or fork. Both these parts are relatively cheap, but labor to install them will bite you in the arse.

When my clutch goes bad do I need to replace everything?

The easy answer to this is no. but... without opening up your clutch and actually looking at it there is no way to tell.

If the flywheel is scorched, then your clutch plate will be bad too. if your clutch plate is raw, then your flywheel will be bad too.
If you are a conservative driver you may get away with just replacing your clutch disk and having your flywheel resurfaced. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IF YOU GO THIS ROUTE YOU GET YOUR FLYWHEEL INSPECTED AND RESURFACED!!!!

If you upgrade your clutch to a non OEM version or size you will need:

1. Throw out fork
2. Throw out bearing
3. Clutch pressure plate assembly
4. Clutch disk
5. Flywheel
6. Pilot bushing

Your best bet is to ask the vendor who is supplying the product what you will need.

Ready to buy?

There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you upgrade your clutch. These are VERY important to ask yourself before you spend hundreds of dollars.

1. What kind of driver am I? Conservative, Average, Mildly Aggressive or Aggressive.

If you answered Conservative, then a OEM replacement is probaly your best bet. If you plan on making a monster build or competing in Rally/auto-x/drag then you will need to upgrade.

2. What is MY comfort level for a clutch.

Upgrading your clutch will COMPLETELY change the feeling of your clutch pedal, your launching (power or slow) and NVH (noise/vibration/hardening). If you go from an OEM 4 puck to a drag racing 6 puck you will have to relearn your clutch.
Clutch chatter, engine vibration and launch will be harder and the clutch engage faster and hold more power.

Upgrading your Transmission mounts and Engine mounts will reduce NVH and are generally inexpensive.

Many cluth packages offered are the virtualy the same as stock in weight and size but offer better metals and better qaulity. These are generally more expensive and will give you a closer to stock feel with added performance.

3. How many puck? your car comes with a 4 puck, sort of :lol: it more of a friction disk then anything. If you upgrade to 6, 8 or hardened 4 you will feel a big difference come game day. 6 or 8 puck is not the best choice for daily driving and requires bit more rpms to catch.
You will however gain a "sweet spot" that will be your bread and butter on race day :)

4 puck

http://media-images.rpmware.com/group-0cd612b0-4824-4731-be88-04fa2579baee-350.jpg

6 puck
http://www.aaroncake.net/misc/rebuild/155%20-%20New%206%20Puck%20Clutch.jpg

4. What weight flywheel? your stocker is between 19lbs and 32lbs :eek: Some places offer as light as 11lbs.
One thing to remember is that the flywheel acts a balance for your motor. If you go to light you throw off your engine and have a ton of problems. 14-20lbs should be fine. Remember also that a lighter flywheel = faster drop in RPM's between shifts.
Multi Puck or Full Face? Be it the multi puck or a full face (OEM style) you will feel a difference after install. The multi puck disc will usually be a high performance upgrade. They have a more aggressive friction material and will wear the flywheel faster. Below are a few examples.

4 puck
These two discs appear different? That is because they have a huge difference! The Left disc is an unsprung hub design. Simply put this clutch is not a street clutch. It is the strongest in design. Lightest weight and THE most aggressive engagement. I Would Not Recommend this design on a daily drive kind of car.

The disc to the right is a sprung hub. The design is a torsion damper. It absorbs twisting force from the engine and drivetrain during up shifting, down shifting, on to off throttle, take off etc. Pretty much any time you do anything, but don’t take that literal LOL.

6 puck
This Six puck below is just another example of a disc design. This clutch likely has a higher clamping load but really without being the manufacture I don’t know exactly why it is 6 puck vs 8 puck vs 4 puck.

The key thing to remember is comfort. If the weight in the pedal increases by 5 pounds with your new clutch will you be comfortable in traffic? Also remember that gas mileage will suffer to because your shifts become stiffer and at higher reps. Stickier clutch = More load on the motor AND transmission. With a 6 or 8 puck clutch you can easily grind your tranny teeth down to the nub.... so launch carefully :)

Installation

1. Can I do this on my own? The easy answer is no. This is not an easy task by any means. Even experienced techs can find themselves cursing and screaming well into the night. I recommend you seek a professional who will warranty their work.

2. Where's a good place to go? Your best bet is to have a professional do the install. A certified Subaru tech at a dealership or a certified tranny tech is your best bet.

3.How long will it take? I would plan on renting a car :( many shops charge it as an 8 hour or more job. Whether they complete it in 8 hours or not that's what you will pay for.

4. How much will it cost? Ever heard the old saying "you get what you pay for" well... you do. Expect to pay anywhere from $600-1600 for labor and anywhere from $100-$2000 for parts.

I hope this helps you out!

if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me or one our Vendors!

Bu11dogg2

10-09-2008, 07:16 PM

I welcome any additions to this thread :)

Jon

10-09-2008, 10:13 PM

3. How many puck? your car comes with a 4 puck, sort of :lol: it more of a friction disk then anything. If you upgrade to 6, 8 or hardened 4 you will feel a big difference come game day. 6 or 8 puck is not the best choice for daily driving and requires bit more rpms to catch.
You will however gain a "sweet spot" that will be your bread and butter on race day :)

the stock clutch i don't believe is a 4 puck, it's a full faced clutch. A 4 puck is a pretty aggressive race clutch if i'm not mistaken.

Nate8409

10-10-2008, 09:52 AM

The amount of pucks often times has to do with inertia of the disc. Less pucks less weight. Help with disc cooling a little too.

Most clutchs have a full face. You should make a little write up on here about sprung and unsprung hubs. THAT is my opinion is the biggest deal breaker of anything. Unsprung hubs are a ***** to drive in most cases. They are either ON or OFF. For a daily drive an unsprung hub is crazy to have I think.

Bu11dogg2

10-10-2008, 03:18 PM

Bu11dogg2

10-10-2008, 03:21 PM

Jon

10-11-2008, 01:36 AM

Randy, are you saying that my car comes stock with a 4 puck? It sounds like thats what your saying. You might want to reword the post to make it more noob friendly so they don't go running around telling everyone there car comes stock with a 4 puck race clutch. The stock clutch is a full face disk.

Nate8409

10-11-2008, 01:38 PM

Just like suspension upgrades, clutch upgrades need to be chosen carefully.

Hopefully this write up will help you make an informed decision

There are a few reasons why SOA puts a certain type of clutch in your car:

1. Comfort. The clutch needs to be light on the left foot and needs to engage easily. Not everyone who drives a subaru wants a beefy clutch or knows how to handle one.
2. Reliability. The metals used in the OEM clutch are of decent quality arecheap. Go figure.
3. Protection. These 2.0/2.5 turbo motors can pack a mighty punch. The OEM clutch will slip before causing transmission damage (usually). The last thing SOA wants is owners breaking transmission gears. It's harder to prove negligence on a car with a busted tranny then a car with scorched flywheel.

With that being said....

If you drive your subaru in a conservative manner and operate the shifting correctly your clutch will most likely last the lifetime of your ownership, usually up to 70k or more.

For the rest of us who like to occasionally see how fast we can get to 60.... 80....(we won't go there) a clutch upgrade or replacement might be needed.

How does a clutch work?

Take a look at the picture below. It represents most clutches produced today

As you can see there are 6 distinct parts

1. Throw out fork
2. Throw out bearing
3. Clutch pressure plate assembly
4. Clutch disk
5. Flywheel
6. Pilot bushing

The majority of clutch problems come from the clutch disk and flywheel damaging each other.

The Flywheel is a metal plate that 3 main functions
1. It acts as balancing weight for the engine and reduces vibrations caused by the firing of the pistons
2. It acts as the connecting plate between the engine and the transmission
3. It also connects to the start motor (hence why your car needs to be in neutral when you start it!!)

The clutch disc is a friction disk/s that when depressed against the flywheel connect make the tansmission move, which in turn sends power to the wheels.

When you depress the clutch, the release bearing releases the clutch disc from the flywheel and allows you change gears. When you engage the clutch it is pushed against the flywheel and the friction plates grab ahold of the already moving flywheel and sends power to the transmission.

Why do Clutches go bad?

There are few reasons why clutches go bad:

1. Aggressive driving. Constant launching, quick power shifting or excessive down shifting will wear out your OEM clutch faster then Murphy20212 can drink IPA.

2. Bad shifting habits. Riding the clutch, dogging the clutch, multiple bad uphill starts, teaching new drivers, ect ect.. All of these can cause a clutch to go bad.

3. You get a bad clutch. It happens.... not very often.... but it does. Maybe the mechanic at SOA was hungover and put a bent fork or a damaged release bearing in your car. Maybe the metal was bad in the flywheel. Either way SOA should cover this if your car is under warranty.

Generally... when a clutch slips it is rarely a defect but just common wear.

1. Worn clutch plate friction disk/s. This will happen in high mileage cars or heavily modded cars with torque exceeding the pressure plates clamping load. As the disc wears the clamping load decreases.
2. Scorched Flywheel. This is caused by overheating the flywheel. This is usually accompanied with a worn clutch disk and is caused by aggressive driving. The intense heat changes the rigidity of the metal and renders the flywheel useless without resurfacing.
3. Warped Flywheel. This also caused by overheating. A warped flywheel will ruin your clutch disk.

In some cases, the flywheel and or the clutch plate can become so hot that they explode This will damage the engine, tranny or You. Just imagine something metal spinning at a few thousand revolutions a minute. Tie a little rock to the end of a string and spin it as fast as you can. You might be able to spin it a few hundred revolutions per minute. Now stop the rock with your hand. Exactly.

What causes me to not be able to shift, or make shifting hard?

99.99% of the time it's a bad throw out bearing or fork. Both these parts are relatively cheap, but labor to install them will bite you in the arse.

When my clutch goes bad do I need to replace everything?

The easy answer to this is no. but... without opening up your clutch and actually looking at it there is no way to tell.

If the flywheel is scorched, then your clutch plate will be bad too. They wear to each others shapes. If you smoke you clutch while beating the car you might as well expect a toasted flywheel. Most normal driving will not wear a flywheel out. Yes it wears but typically will not fail unless something has made it fail such as an oil or something leaking into the housing. Driving you car hard will not smoke a clutch. Poor shifting technique will make both the clutch and flywheels lives short. Combined with poor technique and hard driving. Get your wallet out.

If you upgrade your clutch to a non-OEM version or you usually need:

1. Alignment Tool
2. Release bearing
3. Clutch pressure plate assembly
4. Clutch disk
5. Pilot bushing

Your best bet is to ask the vendor who is supplying the product what you will need although most aftermarket clutch kits have all these in them anyway. The cases where this is wrong are with special clutches. Like compact multi disc clutches that have an intergrated flywheel for super low inertia and super high clamping loads.

Ready to buy?

There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you upgrade your clutch. These are VERY important to ask yourself before you spend hundreds of dollars.

1. What kind of driver am I? Conservative, Average, Mildly Aggressive or Aggressive.

If you answered Conservative, then an OEM replacement is probably your best bet. If you plan on making a monster build or competing in Rally/auto-x/drag then you should upgrade.

2. What is MY comfort level for a Clutch.
Some clutches can down right suck to drive normally on the street. These usually are not really street daily driver clutches anyway. For the comfort level you can usually determine it by a couple of things. The design of the clutch disc and the clamping load that the manufacturer specifies for that “kit.” As the clamping load gets higher the clutch will get harder to depress with your foot and likely harder to control the engagement.

Multi Puck or Full Face? Be it the multi puck or a full face (OEM style) you will feel a difference after install. The multi puck disc will usually be a high performance upgrade. They have a more aggressive friction material and will wear the flywheel faster. Below are a few examples.

4 puck
These two discs appear different? That is because they have a huge difference! The Left disc is an unsprung hub design. Simply put this clutch is not a street clutch. It is the strongest in design. Lightest weight and THE most aggressive engagement. I Would Not Recommend this design on a daily drive kind of car.

The disc to the right is a sprung hub. The design is a torsion damper. It absorbs twisting force from the engine and drivetrain during up shifting, down shifting, on to off throttle, take off etc. Pretty much any time you do anything, but don’t take that literal LOL.

6 puck
This Six puck below is just another example of a disc design. This clutch likely has a higher clamping load but really without being the manufacture I don’t know exactly why it is 6 puck vs 8 puck vs 4 puck.

4. What weight flywheel? your stocker is between 19lbs and 32lbs Some places offer as light as 11lbs.
One thing to remember is that the flywheel acts a balance for your motor. If you go to light you throw off your engine and have a ton of problems. 14-20lbs should be fine. Remember also that a lighter flywheel = faster drop in RPM's between shifts.

The key thing to remember is comfort. If the weight in the pedal increases by 5 pounds with your new clutch will you be comfortable in traffic? Also remember that gas mileage will suffer to because your shifts become stiffer and at higher reps. Stickier clutch = More load on the motor AND transmission. With a 6 or 8 puck clutch you can easily grind your tranny teeth down to the nub.... so launch carefully

Installation

1. Can I do this on my own? The easy answer in no. This is not an easy task by any means. Even experienced techs can find themselves cursing and screaming well into the night. I recommend you seek a professional who will warranty their work.

2. Where's a good place to go? Your best bet is to have a professional do the install. A certified Subaru tech at a dealership or a certified tranny tech is your best bet.

3.How long will it take? I would plan on renting a car many shops charge it as an 8 hour or more job. Whether they complete it in 8 hours or not that's what you will pay for.

4. How much will it cost? Ever heard the old saying "you get what you pay for" well... you do. Expect to pay anywhere from $600-1600 for labor and anywhere from $100-$2000 for parts.

I hope this helps you out!

if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me or one our Vendors!

Nate8409

10-11-2008, 01:39 PM

I changed some stuff but that is all I have time for right now.

Bu11dogg2

10-15-2008, 07:15 PM

thanks nate!

Nick S.

10-16-2008, 08:02 PM

Its good to see posts like this on the site. I have some comments.

-Lots of aggressive driving and slipping the clutch at high RPM launchs can cause the clutch to heat glaze. Basically it makes the surface of the friction disk glazed over and it will cause the clutch to slip. (dumping the clutch at high RPMs breaks drivetrain parts so take you pick.)

-Sometimes you can clean the glaze off with some mild daily driving for about 100 miles.

-Sometimes people try just replacing the friction disk but that is a horrible idea because if you heat glaze the disk the flywheel and pressure plate are probably warped.

-Nobody has mentioned that a warped pressure plate, broken pressure plate fingers, backed out flywheel bolts, worn or leaking master and slave cylinders, and misadjusted clutch rods can also be to blame.

1. Can I do this on my own? The easy answer in no.

Expect to pay anywhere from $600-1600 for labor
I disagree. I've done four clutchs on my race car this year and one on my buddy's for only $100 and an reverse HJ.:D

The Flywheel is a metal plate that 3 main functions
1. It acts as balancing weight for the engine and reduces vibrations caused by the firing of the pistons
2. It acts as the connecting plate between the engine and the transmission
3. It also connects to the start motor (hence why your car needs to be in neutral when you start it!!)-The flywheel doesn't balance your engine. The crank is suppost to be balanced by it self. The weight of the flywheel keeps the engine rotating easier because of the momentum of the flywheel. Thus the heavier the flywheel the greater the momentum.

-The car doesn't have to be in neutral but it is a good idea to have the clutch disengaged if it isn't

-As far as a clutch recommendation. Nobody on this forum should get an unsprung disk. I would recommend everybody on the forum to find something that has a full face disk. They are good places to spend money and dump places to spend money. Spend you money on a pressure plate with a lot of clamping force not on these crazy ass puck clutches!

-Puck clutches are like on/off switches if you drive your car on the street than this is not the clutch for you.

-I went 10.8 sec. in the 1/4 mile at trap speeds of over 133MPH on a full face disk with a 2600 pound pressure plate and a bone stock drivetrain. Until you have an mid 11 second heavy ass car stay with a full face disk and a sprung hub!

Kevin

10-16-2008, 09:52 PM

yup I'm going with an act full face disk with the heaviest pressure plate they make.
when that doesn't work I will step to a dual or triple plate carbon exedy or tilton clutch.

Nick S.

10-17-2008, 12:45 AM

yup I'm going with an act full face disk with the heaviest pressure plate they make.
when that doesn't work I will step to a dual or triple plate carbon exedy or tilton clutch.

Spoken like a champion!

-I also forgot to mention that you can have a flywheel resurfaced for around $60 it you are replacing the clutch but don't have money for a new flywheel its not a bad idea.

exedy and tilton are serious money but they don't make better clutches.

Bu11dogg2

10-17-2008, 07:03 AM

I mentioned that.

It's not very often that you see a slipping clutch that has a flywheel that nots either glazed, warped or to thin.

Bu11dogg2

11-20-2008, 04:53 PM

bump

kgj996

02-22-2009, 06:54 PM

If any one is looking to replace their clutch and flywheel, Range Automotive charges $390 in labor, which I think is the best deal around by far!

Seraphinwolf

02-22-2009, 07:39 PM

Well I'll be doing mine all together with everything out of the car before installing. The whole thing will go in as one(engine and trans). Getting a V6 RA DCCD custom FD to 3.54 or 3.9 using a 13.8lb flywheel. Any good options to match fo rthe clutch?
-Gaddis

Kevin

02-22-2009, 07:50 PM

I'm gonna be running a exedy hyper sinlge plate 6 puck.

I'm having range do it for sure.

CTATV

02-22-2009, 07:52 PM

Wow that's a great writeup. Going to def re-read that when I do my clutch...

Bu11dogg2

02-23-2009, 01:15 PM

kgj996

02-24-2009, 09:15 PM

I know Street Burner(Brian) just had Range install an Exedy clutch and act flywheel. Maybe he can chime in and let us know how it is.:D

Robk0000

02-24-2009, 09:51 PM

did you leave to quatar yet?

kgj996

02-25-2009, 07:12 AM

I leave in the end of March. :D

Bu11dogg2

02-26-2009, 01:48 PM

Qatar you say?

Been there.... stayed at the Ritz in Doha for a week... I didn't want to come back to the states :mad:

kgj996

02-26-2009, 07:28 PM

Qatar you say?

Been there.... stayed at the Ritz in Doha for a week... I didn't want to come back to the states :mad:

There is no Ritz on the air base, but my "trailer" I will live in should be very similar.:lol:

Murphy2012

02-26-2009, 08:02 PM

"1. Aggressive driving. Constant launching, quick power shifting or excessive down shifting will wear out your OEM clutch faster then Murphy20212 can drink IPA."

LMAO I just read this whole thread at work today. I never knew I was in there!

No Boost

06-20-2009, 11:10 PM

anybody ever try a "clutch masters" clutch? I really wanted to hold out for an ACT but it looks like i'm going to need a clutch way sooner than i thought. my rear main seal went on the way to WBM and i'm pretty sure its managed to spoil what was left of my oem clutch... the clutch masters clutch is rated for the same power as the ACT but cost a third as much....

25rSTI

06-21-2009, 10:15 AM

if you had a wrx i would say i have a brand new clutch and flywheel for sale but it looks like you own a gc8 sorry....act and exedy by the way

No Boost

06-21-2009, 01:38 PM

if you had a wrx i would say i have a brand new clutch and flywheel for sale but it looks like you own a gc8 sorry....act and exedy by the way

ya act was my first choice but i'm worried the car is going to become undrivable before i have an extra $500 for a clutch . The Clutch Masters is like $200 and change and says it does the same thing. i just wondered if anybody has had any experience with them...

Bu11dogg2

06-25-2009, 01:51 AM

well... you can replace clutch plate, turn the flywheel for around $200...

No Boost

06-25-2009, 01:54 PM

Bu11dogg2

06-25-2009, 03:00 PM

you're gonna want to do the throwout bearing too. Especially if you fried your old clutchplate/flywheel.

a stock one can be bought cheap from SubaruWRXparts.com and it will save you from opening the tranny back up down the road.

IIRC a stock one will work with the ACT

-=The Boss=-

06-25-2009, 03:05 PM

oh...im running a WRX clutch and Flywheel. I like it :)

No Boost

06-25-2009, 07:30 PM

ya i'm probably going to go with the exedy ebay deal... it's the whole kit. clutch throwout bearing, pressure plate and alignment tool....

GC4-RS

06-30-2009, 02:18 PM

how much monies?

Bu11dogg2

06-30-2009, 02:23 PM

I paid under 1k installed for my full ACT 2.5rs set up installed

I think the grand total was mid-high 800's, $500 of which was parts

No Boost

07-01-2009, 01:41 PM

how much monies?

its like 200 and change for the exedy oem replacement

Bu11dogg2

07-01-2009, 02:28 PM

^easy money considering!

No Boost

07-03-2009, 03:53 PM

exactly :up:

Bu11dogg2

07-07-2009, 05:05 PM

Decide yet?

No Boost

07-07-2009, 08:40 PM

im going with the exedy oem replacement

JNA Performance

07-13-2009, 11:04 PM

i've already got a lightweight flywheel. it came with a parts car i bought a few yrs back. I found an exedy oem replacement clutch on ebay for like $250 so i may go that route...
The only reason i was thinking about going with the "Clutch Masters" setup was that it said it was good for 300hp. that way i wouldnt have to change it again after i finish my motor build...

When buying a clutch, keep in mind that clutches hold Torque, not horsepower.
---------------
Great info guys, keep up the great work! If anyone has any quesions on clutches or prices, feel free to PM us.

Alan
-JNA Performance-

No Boost

07-14-2009, 08:15 PM

true.... i guess the 300hp rating (as silly as that seems now) caught my attention because thats my goal for the NA build.

thanks for the reality check!

Jon

07-14-2009, 11:15 PM

do a search on amazon for the exedy clutch. I got my stock replacement for 150 shipped from there!

Bu11dogg2

09-03-2009, 01:09 PM

do a search on amazon for the exedy clutch. I got my stock replacement for 150 shipped from there!

who did you go with for install?

Bu11dogg2

10-14-2009, 04:31 PM

who did you go with for install?

Bu11dogg2

12-07-2009, 12:11 PM

bump

Bu11dogg2

02-26-2010, 11:49 AM

I have a ACT HDMM Yellow Clutch kit in my 04 WRX and I love it :)

I think it's way better than the ACT 2.5rs clutch I had in my legacy

axis

03-01-2010, 12:31 PM

This is a great write up and I'll deffinately be using it as a source when I start to build my motor.

SicRedGt

03-15-2010, 05:31 PM

Anyone here run a Spec clutch? Your thoughts/experiences? Thinking of getting the stage 2 Spec set up since my motor is in the reassembly stage.

CTATV

03-15-2010, 05:37 PM

Im getting an ACT clutc for mine i believe...

Bu11dogg2

03-16-2010, 10:51 AM

Anyone here run a Spec clutch? Your thoughts/experiences? Thinking of getting the stage 2 Spec set up since my motor is in the reassembly stage.

Legacy's come with heavy, heavy dual mass flywheels.

IIRC when I weighed my stock one it was around 29lbs :eek:

Any clutch you get is gonna feel a lot different

SicRedGt

03-16-2010, 03:52 PM

Legacy's come with heavy, heavy dual mass flywheels.

IIRC when I weighed my stock one it was around 29lbs :eek:

Any clutch you get is gonna feel a lot different

Yeah I know, I want to keep the DM unit for NVH issues. The ACT causes a freaking gear rattle when on decell. No way I will deal with that.

Thanks for your input.

Bu11dogg2

03-16-2010, 04:03 PM

The NVH isn't bad if you go with a 15-20lbs flywheel and srung 4 puck ;)

I'd DEF suggest tranny mounts too.

SicRedGt

03-16-2010, 05:25 PM

The NVH isn't bad if you go with a 15-20lbs flywheel and srung 4 puck ;)

I'd DEF suggest tranny mounts too.

Budget constriction, I have a NIB DM flywheel for my car that I got for the big "0". That said, I had my share of cars with NVH issues, done with it , getting too old for it. :D

83,000 hard miles and never had an issue with the tranny mount. What will that improve? Everyone does them but never mention what they are trying to accomplish. Yeah, it's squishy but it has held up to over one hundred 1/4 mile runs.

ridered777

03-24-2010, 11:56 PM

Anyone here run a Spec clutch? Your thoughts/experiences? Thinking of getting the stage 2 Spec set up since my motor is in the reassembly stage.

I'm not happy with my Spec stage 2 clutch. I heard they were the name to go for Suby clutches (from NastiCoc, go figure)...

Drives beautiful when cold. Doesn't like to be shifted above 3k more than once. Gets all mushy if you do, even with crisp shifts. Forget about down-shifting. Ever. If you're braking, you get to put the car in neutral, or you can FEEL the heat on your legs after a few downshifts. No matter how close you get the revs. I would never be able to run this clutch on a real track without worries.

I replaced everything when I did my tranny swap, so I know it isn't "some" other part that's making me think this clutch sucks... the clutch plain sucks.

This is the first clutch I've had issues with. For comparison, my Duster had 189,000 miles on it when I sold it - with the stock clutch. AND I taught my buddy to drive stick on it. I'm not rough on clutches by any means.

They're made by Exedy if I recall correctly, but are cheaper. I should have just gone with the Exedy, or bitten the bullet and paid for the ACT.

In a stock impreza that makes no torque, or even a WRX, this would probably fine. But it does NOT like the torque of the H6. I've had the clutch for about 3k miles. Had issues with it since... well since the clutch had about 700 miles on it, since I never took the car above 2.8k before that (I'm a strictler for break-in periods).

Bu11dogg2

08-05-2010, 02:32 PM

bump

apkarian100

12-26-2010, 08:55 PM

A question about clutch replace I have. Can I install an upgraded clutch disk, same brand, into my car?

I have the OEM Exedy clutch in my car. My disk is slipping, so I want to replace the disk and resurface the flywheel (checked for precise balance). I need to know if I can install an Exedy stage 1 disk and install it with the rest of my Exedy OEM components.

jwebsta32

12-26-2010, 09:50 PM

apkarian100

12-26-2010, 09:55 PM

Very nice! So you are running an Exedy OEM plate with an ACT stage 1 disk, correct?I have stock pressure plate and an upgraded clutch disk. You should be fine.

My Name

12-26-2010, 10:37 PM

i would just do a full exedy stage 1 clutch kit and resurface the flywheel.

jwebsta32

12-26-2010, 10:47 PM

Very nice! So you are running an Exedy OEM plate with an ACT stage 1 disk, correct?

Yup

apkarian100

12-26-2010, 10:50 PM

The issues right now are limited funds and time. Call it the easy way out, but I just want something easier on the wallet for now. i would just do a full exedy stage 1 clutch kit and resurface the flywheel.

My Name

12-26-2010, 10:56 PM

my thing is for how much work it is to do a clutch should get it done right the 1st time.

apkarian100

12-26-2010, 11:01 PM

This is a good point, so I'm going to have to think about it for a couple days. Have to weight out the pros and cons of the situation.my thing is for how much work it is to do a clutch should get it done right the 1st time.

Bu11dogg2

05-03-2011, 01:17 PM

ACT HDMM Yellow Clutch kit = Best clutch i've ever owned

edwin2403

11-04-2011, 03:02 PM

Berge56

11-04-2011, 03:06 PM

hi guys so im new to this i have a 2005 legacy gt and i been driving it for about 3 months now and out of no were my clutch went out on me so i went to change it.
but i found out that my tranny is not the legacy gt one but a 2006 wrx one i went to the dealer and they told me that if i keep it how it was its just guna keep going out on me cuz its a diffident transmission would a after marker transmission or stage 2 clutch would fix this problem ?

Welcome to NES.

If you are sure you have an 06 WRX transmission, get the stock flywheel, and clutch kit for an 06 WRX and install it in the car. Exedy makes the factory one, so you could go that route or ACT. Those are the 2 brands I have had experience with and had great results.

bmx045

11-04-2011, 03:06 PM

yes.

06ImprezaWRXSTi

11-04-2011, 04:28 PM

hi guys so im new to this i have a 2005 legacy gt and i been driving it for about 3 months now and out of no were my clutch went out on me so i went to change it.
but i found out that my tranny is not the legacy gt one but a 2006 wrx one i went to the dealer and they told me that if i keep it how it was its just guna keep going out on me cuz its a diffident transmission would a after marker transmission or stage 2 clutch would fix this problem ?

You have the Silver LGT? If so its me Esteban (Blue RS). I am not sure how you would deal with this problem. But if you need anything let me know I have a Shop in Lawrence.

06ImprezaWRXSTi

11-04-2011, 04:30 PM

One question to you fella's

Some of you may know I recently bought an 03 WRX, and it has an Exedy Stage 2 Clutch with only 2K miles. I was doing some reasearch and this clutch seems to be too aggressive for DD. I am not sure what to do, I wa swondering if any of you have experience with this clutch and what you reccommend me ? (Keep in mind am tight on cash).

edwin2403

11-05-2011, 12:07 AM

Lol ya i have the silver gt

edwin2403

11-05-2011, 12:15 AM

Welcome to NES.

If you are sure you have an 06 WRX transmission, get the stock flywheel, and clutch kit for an 06 WRX and install it in the car. Exedy makes the factory one, so you could go that route or ACT. Those are the 2 brands I have had experience with and had great results.

Thats what im doing now but they told me it would only last like 6 month idk why at first i though i just burn it but when they took it off the disk still had alot of meat on it aka it still was in good conditions so i was a lil baffled about what really happen

Shiux

11-05-2011, 09:42 AM

My clutch setup was fairly aggressive, and on a cold start... good luck not stalling at take off. That said, mine put the power down every time, WOT, up hill, with passengers no sweat. If it wasn't for what I believe to be a junk pressure plate, I wouldn't be in the market for a new one.

Boosted SUV

11-05-2011, 11:59 AM

-As far as a clutch recommendation. Nobody on this forum should get an unsprung disk. !

Maybe this should say no one with a subaru should get a unsprung disk? There are many cars that are stock unsprung. They have a dual mass flywheel so there is no need for the sprung disk as the dual mass takes the vibrations. My girls M3 is currently unsprung disk (new oem sachs clutch) on a 18lb lighter then stock single mass (10lb aluminum) and she loves it .

I am new to subaru so I don't know if any of them have a dual mass FW's . But I'm sure plenty of people on here have more then one car or have friends and family with none subarus. Someone could read that and think that there girlfriends jetta (cause only girls drive jetta's..lol) needs a clutch with a sprung disk .

edwin2403

11-05-2011, 11:21 PM

ya i need to get the flywheel for the new clutch i got i put it in but it still the same as before so hopefully this will change it if not i have no idea what to do

Berge56

11-07-2011, 10:04 AM

Maybe you had a bad pressure plate? I put in an ACT stage 1 clutch this summer and it is awesome! slight increase in pedal pressure and holds power all day long no problem.

edwin2403

11-07-2011, 10:35 AM

i change the plate and disk and still does the samething idk if changeing the flywheel would do the trick

Berge56

11-07-2011, 10:37 AM

When you replaced those parts did you resurface your flywheel?

edwin2403

11-07-2011, 10:57 AM

no i need to find someone that does that

Berge56

11-07-2011, 12:03 PM

That is part of your problem then. Anytime you change your clutch you must at the very least resurface the flywheel.

06ImprezaWRXSTi

11-16-2011, 12:47 PM

Hey guys I have a question and I don't know what to do. Some of you know I recently bought an 03 WRX and it has some mods (All in my journal). The car currently has an Exedy Stage 2 clutch (3 Puck) with 2k miles. I have the engine out now and I was doing some homework on the clutch and I keep reading its not the best for daily driving. Since I have the engine out I don't know If I should replace the clutch disc with a full face style one or keep the exedy stage 2 3 puck.