clutch preference ?

Seems that an Act 2600 is the most popular for our application. (I have a 92 GSX). It runs around $390 new and a Centerforce clutch goes for $375. There is also I think a 2100 and 2900. I'm trying to plan ahead for a bigger setup later and wanted to know what you prefer, what will last longer, things I don't know about, etc. Thanks for the help.

Yes, the act 2600 LBS clutch is your best bet. I can't be so sure but All the big boys use it. GSXracer, at his POSracing.net site, they use em....Im planing on purchasing it too with all my other mods.

What is your HP rating. Under 270 go with the 2100 if you are above that than get the 2600. Little hard the left leg but worth the effort. Also look into clutchnet their pressure plate is stronger than act with better springs Believe me.

Still have a 14b. Until the engine is broken in I will not mess with boost. 3 inch exhaust, porting, filter, no big mods. I'm planning on putting a big turbo on next summer. I would rather have the 2600 then as I will definately be over 270. Is it going to drive rough until then if I get the 2600?

THe 2600 is great, my factory used to slip, but no more. ACT makes an awsome clutch!

If you have AWD always go for the 2600. The tires dont slip, so the clutch usually gives first. For a FWD, the 2100 sually makes more sense. The tires will give before a 2100 does, but at the same time long hard slipping is common on FWD launches. But thats more about friction material than clamping force. At any rate, try to stick to the brands that work well on dSMs. ACT, RPS, etc. Avoid most of the other ones. They just dont seem to hold up on AWD DSMs. Do some research on tuners and talk if anyone is considering another clutch brand. People there have tried just about every type of clutch. ;)

i was just wondering if there was an update to what you bought. I am doing a couple of clutch upgrades soon. I am using clutchnet on my car and was thinking using it for my friends DSM. I was hoping to see if you get a clutchnet disc?

I ended up going with an ACT 2600. I have some problems right now with the clutch not disengaging sometimes. The gears grind when I shift sometimes. Kind of a long explanation. Reverse and second seem to be the worst. If I start the car in reverse it will move backwards with the clutch 'supposidly' completely disengaged. I have been told it is the pressure plate falling apart. When the car is warm it doesn't act up as bad. I don't know if there is anything wrong with the ACT 2600 (defect) or if something needs adjusted. My tranny has always been harder than hell to shift (it is seriously a pain in the ass finding 1st) so maybe it is just a linkage!?! Anyway Act seems to be pretty reputable (according to other people) and I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying one at this point. I may have gotten a shyte one or it may be something else. I do not know anything about a clutchnet disc besides 'quicktsi' recommends it.

Good Luck
Nate

It needs to be adjusted. Always adjust everything after a clutch swap. Go to:

www.teamrip.com
www.taboospeedshop.com

For instructions...

Thanks for the links. If I have trouble I'll post... I took the car to a shop to see if they could adjust it 2 months ago and they swore the pressure plate was falling apart. Of course they wanted to take the tranny off and check things out. Yeah... Anyway, I was told there was no way to adjust it so I was just going to deal with it.

Thanks again
Nate

There are several adjustments. The cruise cut switch, push rod, and shimming the ball stud (the last one there requires the tranny to be removed, hopefully it doenst com to that). You also have to be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN its bleed completely. ;) Any air in the line with a heavy clutch will flush your ability to shift down the toilet, and any gers with less than perfect syncrhos will seem impossibleto get into. (second is the first to go typically, and reverse has no synchro, hence your trouble with those gears ;) )

Short of a transmission 101 lesson, what is the advantage of synchros? I haven't looked at what the technical definition of a synchro is, but I assume it's something that lets you get into a gear easier without rev-matching. Would upshifting without a synchro grind like reverse does if you try to shift in while moving? (tach at idle, reverse gear already moving)

EDIT>> On clutches, will a 2600 hold a 5500rpm dump, and how hard is that on the driveline, where my stock clutch just spins off the line (doh!)? Sorry about the OT :)

We have syncromesh transmissions, which basically means they are constant mess (the gears are all always engaged, you dont actually shift into or out of "gear") and it uses synchros. They do jsut what the name implies. They synchronize the speed of the gear you are selecting to the speed of the input and intermediate shafts, which is determined by rpm and road speed. So they do the revmatching for you, as you suspected. All modern produciton car manual trasmisions are the synchromesh type...

I use 2600s, and I do literally hundreds of drag passes a year, all ata 5500 rpm launch rpm with ~10 psi on the stutter. It holds it fine, except when i am getting gear oil on the disc, apparently ;) The driveline will take it if you launch appropriately. Even my 1.5s feel quite gentle compared to how I see some other people driving, or to how I used to drive. There was a time when I would put in a new 2600 and break the transmission within a few k miles. ;) Its all about proper technique, the proper amount of slipping. You would never "dump" the clutch. I get my best 60 foot times by FAR by slipping the clutch out quickly. Dumping it will bog even a small turbo setup and you'll be waiting for boost again in first. In my case I'll never see it again in first, I'll have to wait for the top of second. That makes a huge difference in your ET.

I have had trouble shifting even before I changed the clutch. I changed the clutch when I pulled the engine to have it rebuilt. When I put it all back together, the shift linkages were all messed up and I couldn't find anything but 4th if I remember (not drivable at all). So I screwed around with these adjustments and had to cut part of the threads on the linkage for more room. Then it seemed to shift fine. I was told the car had a 'high performance clutch' when I bought it but I wouldn't bet on it. It has always kind of been a pos (Kevin- you should be able to appreciate that). I will bleed the system and look into the cruise cut switch and pushrod. Thanks again for getting me on the right track

Nate

I bleed the clutch with the help of an 'experienced, weekend warrior' type of friend. We also adjusted the cruise cut switch and the push rod. The car is still difficult to shift especially to find first. Still harder than any car I have ever driven but at early diagnosis it seems better than it was. When the car is parked I can find all gears with ease w/o using the clutch pedal. It shifts beautifully. But when I am driving it seems to get caught up on the gears a little like getting into the gears is a two step process...first it goes half way and then it goes in properly. Sounds like I need to do some more work on the shifter itself and/or the transmission linkages. I don't intend to be a nuissance but do these new details sound like I'll have to have the tranny pulled? Do you think the synchros are going out? I was told they were replaced recently but everything I was told had been replaced before I bought the car, I have since replaced myself. AHHHHHHHHHHH!

When the motor is running, clutch in, car in gear, at what point roughly does the clutch engage? 1" off the floor, 2 inches, at the top, etc.

My car is very inconsistant. I used to notice more trouble when the car was cold. Today I go out and start it up. The clutch lever was off the floor an inch or two and the car goes in reverse. Reverse still grinds after adjusting cruise switch and push rod and bleeding the system. I am also having an idle surge problem right now and I am waiting on parts for that. Anyways I drove for ten minutes and parked the car. It seemed to shift marginal. I get back in the car after 5 mins and put the car in reverse and start it. Clutch pedal fully depressed and the little shit starts going in reverse about 1 or 2 mph. I go out and drive around for an hour and the thing just gets progressively worse to the point it's embarrasing sitting at every stop light because the idle surge is constant and when it turns green I can't find first. When I down shift from 5th to 2nd about 30 mph (to avoid the anoying idle surge) I can't find second. I might as well be driving some NASA space ship- I could probably figure out one of those quicker than I can find my own gears. The linkages suck because I have adjusted them and I know that I am out of adjustment room on them. But remember the car shifts great when it is not hot and shut off. Since this acts up so much when it is hot it makes me think it is the tranny, but I dunno.

Nate

Any ideas?

i got problems like that [i just posted a thread about it] and i found out it had tons to do with the master cylinder. inconsistency was the most prevailant thing with my clutch, untill today when i found the pedal on the floor and was forced to take it in to be looked at. check the rod under the dash for leakage [ = bad master]

I saw your thread earlier and I almost posted... My master cylinder went out approx 5k miles ago and I also replaced the slave cylinder at the same time. I too had fluid leaking out of the cylinder on the firewall. Actually the dealership did this work because it was cold and I didn't feel like doing it myself. Anyways I almost posted on your's but you mentioned that they had the cap off or something- sounded like maybe they had neglected your clutch system somehow. My clutch system was flushed the other night and some adjustments were made with the cruise cut switch and the pushrod. Both cylinders should be fine- no fluid leaks. Mine has shifted bad since I bought it though. Before the ACT 2600, before replacing the cylinders, and before and after any adjustments were made. If I wasn't $7000+ in the hole in 1 year on my 92 eclipse, I would be getting a newer one. After all the work I have done to it we are kind of inseperable. I just need to find out why it shifts so rough.

If its only while hot perhaps its the fluid in the tranny. Whats in there and how old is it.

I filled it with some stuff from GM about 5k miles ago. I think it was syncroshift or syncromesh. I had my oil changed about 2k miles ago and I told the guy at the dealership to check the fluid... He said he checked all fluids but he didn't charge me. Kind of makes me wonder but the tranny doesn't seem to be leaking. Could tranny fluid burn? I don't see how.

Nah, youre probably all set with fluid. SOunds like the clutch is engaging a bit low. That can make shifting a pain in the ass, epsecially on a tranny/linkages that arent exactly known for super smooth BMW style shifting... :D Try adjusting the rod "out" or away from the pedal so the clutch pedal does more. If it pumps up after driving a bit you went too far. But it should quickly tell you if the disc is dragging and causing your shyte shifting.

Are you talking about the push rod or adjusting the transmission linkage? Sounds like you mean the linkage. Thanks, Nate

So I am out driving around for the last couple days which have been warmer here and my car seemed to shift ALOT better. Today I go out there and it got down to the upper 20's last night and the thing is grinding again. It does however seem easier to find first, usually and when the engine warms up and I have been driving awhile the damn thing is impossible to find first (usually not always). If I take this to be diagnosed by some mechanic I am going to spend a lot of $$$. Kevin- are you suggesting I adjust the push rod or the transmission linkage? Thanks in advance-Nate

THe rod from the pedal. Nothing at the linkages are adjustable at the tranny end on 1gs, and nothing on a 2g is adjustable in the shifter linkages.