Dr.Huxtable

Hey All,

Bout to pull the trigger and order the clutch for my 396! But i need alittle advice. I called Jim and he recommended i goes with the Spec 3+ kit, which i agree. Both kits have sprung hubs

Stage 3 kit Will hold up to 762 ft lbs of torque according to spec. Carbon semi-metallic 6 puck or 3 puck disc style.
Cost: $485.99

Stage 3+ kit will hold up to 845 ft lbs of torque according to spec. Carbon semi-metallic full faced material clutch disc
Cost $619.99

http://www.specclutchsuperstore.com/..._623_1103.html

http://www.specclutch.com/cars/Chevy...te/1989/Single

We're thinking that i will be around 500+ ft lbs of torque N/A. Check my threads for full build detail if your not familiar with my build already.

So the Stage 3 Kit will be good enough for me now but i did mention that i might spray a 100 - 150 shot on the car which will put me over what the stage 3 can handle. But I'm not sure how soon i would be adding a nitrous kit. It wont be for quite awhile i think, spent enough already besides i know my IRS wont take that hit. I might end up doing a solid rear end conversion before i do that.

So here's my question. Should i get the stage 3 and save the $135 that i could really use for other parts or pony up and get the stage 3+ now? Any experience you guys could offer with either setups would be much appreciated!

Thanks
-Caleb

Kubs

I would go with the Stage 3 and save the extra money. To be honest, it will probably hold even with the spray, but it sounds like it will be some time before you would need the 3+ anyway.

Dr.Huxtable

Gottcha, kinda what I was thinkin also. Was about to get the 3+ and saw it was the most expensive, of course it will be a good amount of time before I can put anymore money in this car. Would you do the 3 puck or the 6 puck?

Bump for more help!

Kubs

The 6 puck is going to be a little easier to engage in street driving. Other than that I dont think you will notice a difference at the track.

rklessdriver

I have a SPEC Stage 3 in my 92.

It is a bit grabby around town but you get use to it quickly. You can expect a small amount of chatter when it gets hot.

I drive mine in the worst traffic in the US (Wash DC) once a week. I have no complaints with mine.

Keep in mind at the drag strip you have to really DRIVE it off the line. If you just drop it - it hits hard enough to break the rear end at will. Keep in mind I have a Fidanza Alum FW as well.

Luckily you can slip it abusively on launch and it will lock up tight on the gear change (no slip at all). I have even hot lapped my car at the track with no problem.

I have no doubt I could add one gun to mine without any clutch problems. My motor and rear end wouldn't like it thou....

Will

Dr.Huxtable

Ah cool. Yeah I keep watchin your videos at the track over and over lol. I have the exact same goals. Trap over 130 or dip into the 10's. How much torque is your 383 putting out at the flywheel? not sure if my 396 will be much higher than yours. And I think you went with the 6 puck right? I remember seeing a thread on your opinion of it. You get a good amount of miles out of it?

I'm using a SPEC Alum SM flywheel

856SPEED

I know one thing, I had a RAM 6 puck style disc and the chatter was so bad in reverse gear, it shook the whole car violently.......had to pull it back out.....I am now running the Spec Stage 2 which is friendlier in reverse gear especially......Carolina Clutch will set you up with your torque levels and type of drivng you have in mind.....they seem to embrace the ZF C4 clutch system a little better than others...

Shock96

Not a big fan of the 6 puck discs. I would step up to the 3+ with the full face clutch. Same material but more surface. It should engage better on the street.

It is only 135 bucks more for the extra piece of mind and drivability.

Dr.Huxtable

See that right there is enough to make me want to go with the 3+. I've had a clutch that was pucked and it chattered and i HATE HATE HATE that. I've only used full faced since.

rkless: does yours chatter at all?

LD85

I had this sprung puc clutch below in my ZF, drove it @ 15 miles and took it out. Chatter on a hill was ridiculous,,, you have to engage the clutch sharply to eliminate the chatter...

Dr.Huxtable

Ok yup thats it. Def not going with a puck style clutch then. Might as well get the full faced now since i may need it in the future and i do not want to have to worry about hard engagements on the street or chatter at all. Don't wanna go anywhere near that. 3 people is enought to convince me. Thanks for all the help

rklessdriver

Mine does not chatter at all unless you really slip it a bunch and get it hot. Then it has a small amount of chatter... hardly noticeable.

As for mileage I currently have about 8K miles on the clutch in my car.

When I still had the stock engine I had the same Fidanza FW and a SPEC Stage 3 clutch that I put over 25K miles on. Daily driven and raced on weekends with MT ET Streets 26X11.5 and a Top Gun 150HP single stage fogger.

Pics and a write up are here:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...utch-pics.html

I want to say that the first clutch was a bit more prone to chatter than the current one. You can see the heat spots in the PP. I think that I did not give it enough break in time before I went to the track and that was the cause.

BTW I still have that clutch in my shop as a backup, should something bad happen to the new one. I honestly don't expect to EVER need it.

My car makes 415RWTQ. Trying to get/convert FW numbers off a chassis dyno is not an accurate meaure.

IF I had to do this again I would like to try 2 things.

1st - I would try and use LESS clutch.... Like the SPEC Stage 2+. Yes I would have to replace it more often due to the less holding power but it would hit much softer and break less rear end parts. Wether I moved on to number 2 or not depends on how long the SPEC Stage 2 lasted.

2nd - Maybe I could get our Stock Elim clutch builder Rob Youngblood to build me an adjustable pull style... OF course they require a fair amount of maintenance (compared to the install and forget about it until it breaks I have now) and are not very fesible for a real street car.
Will

856SPEED

Well again,

I can tell you from personal experience and learning the hard way....the RAM (now I have to be fair and say I had the RAM brand variety; never ran a SPEC 6 puck)....but it was so bad (in reverse gear in particular) that you had to completely disengage the clutch completely and quickly to avoid it and then be traveling at a 20 mph reverse pace to eliminate it........that's not my idea of street friendly......I am sure it was a great race clutch......never gave it enough time to figure it out before I completely shook the aluminum/figerglass/plastic car completely apart.........

we actually put the car on a lift to make sure the pinion/driveshaft was properly aligned because no one ever saw clutch chatter that bad....now my aluminum FW and ZZ9 cam 10.6:1 compression motor did not help it much....but man....yea take our word for it.........go with the full face disc unless the car is strickly track.....JMHO..

88BlackZ-51

Dr.Huxtable

Advice taken, i ordered the Stage 3+ today I feel like it's the much more comfortable decision. I know that if i did the other one i would be havin that little thing in the back of my mind CONSTANTLY bothering me. I don't want to go anywhere near chatter. Plus this will give me a good amount of head room for future modding!

Thanks again all
-Caleb

88BlackZ-51

I might be looking at that one as well. Where did you find the lowest price?

Dr.Huxtable

Hey Bud how's the car runnin?

Found the best price here:
http://www.specclutchsuperstore.com/..._623_1103.html

Comes from a company named enjuku racing something. Got free shipping too! Would that be enough for you with the 421? Thing that stinks about going above the 3+ is you loose the sprung hub which can absorb some of that driveline shock and ZF classic rattle

856SPEED

good choice

Shock96

What flywheel are you using?

Dr.Huxtable

Went with a spec single mass flywheel. Got the steel one, not light weight alum