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Since I did my first swap,
nearly seven years ago, I've experienced a
few different clutches and I wanted to share my thoughts on each.
ACT, 6-puck with Extreme
pressure plate
This was definitely an "extreme" setup.
Engagement was extremely harsh. When trying to slip this
clutch, it chatters horribly. Daily driving with this clutch
was nearly impossible. I damaged axels and transmission
bearings. Along with the harsh engagement, the clutch pedal
became stiffer than the brake pedal.
Trying to launch with this clutch is also very
difficult. Unless you are willing to launch at extremely high
rpms, with slicks, this is not a drag racer's clutch.
Driving at the limits, this clutch is awesome!
Quick shifts are very smooth and very precise. However, who
drives "all out" all the time? Try getting stuck in a traffic
jam with this one...
These pics show 14,000 miles of use. There is
an obvious grove worn into the pressure plate and flywheel.
Also, the clutch was completely worn out. Again, this is a
race track clutch
ACT, organic disk w/extreme pressure plate
This is the clutch setup I installed after the
6-puck. It is the same pressure plate but with an organic
disk.
As far as engagement is concerned, this is a
much more forgiving setup. However, the pressure plate is still
entirely too stiff. Because of the pedal pressure, it can be
difficult to smoothly engage the clutch. This setup also
caused bearing failure.
ACT, organic w/heavy duty pressure plate
I've experienced this setup in a few different
vehicles. This is a much more forgiving setup. My only issue
with this setup, is that the pedal pressure, and engagement point
feel odd. It feels as if the pressure plate springs are not
linear. It doesn't take long to get used to it.
Clutchmasters Stage 1
After having dealt with ACT, and deciding that
I would never run one again, I took a recommendation and installed
Clutchmasters stage one clutch in my civic. The pedal pressure
is extremely light. It is actually lighter than stock for the
stage one setup. Clutchmasters was able to increase claming
force while reducing pedal effort by relocating the pivot point of
the springs.
The one drawback to this clutch is that the
disk is very grabby. Organic materials can be grabby (as
compared to Kevlar disks). I had a great deal of difficulty
with chatter with this clutch. I experienced the same issue
with another vehicle equipped with the same clutch.
Bottom line, you can do better for the money.
Clutchmasters Stage 3
I installed this on my brother's turbo integra
after we rebuilt the transmission (bearing failure due to the ACT
extreme pressure plate). The carbon kevlar disk engages very
smoothly. Pedal pressure is only slightly heavier than stock.
The clamping force is also the same as the extreme pressure plate
from ACT but without the required massive pedal effort.
The only real drawback with this clutch is the
cost. It is one of the more expensive street clutches out
there. If you don't mind spending the money, this is a great clutch!
OEM
I had to rebuild my trans do to an unrelated
issue, but rather than continue to use my Clutchmasters Stage 1, I
picked up a stock Honda clutch. Logically, my all motor setup
does not need much more than a stock clutch since torque output
hasn't increased by much. The stock clutch engages very well
and has light pedal pressure.
There are two drawbacks. Honda does not
sell a clutch "kit". You have to buy a pressure plate, disk,
release bearing, and pilot bearing separately. If you can't
find a cheap plastic centering tool, you'll have to buy the one from
Honda for $50 or so. Using a stock clutch is an expensive
solution.
The second issue is more important. The
stock clutch was known to lose it's springs. I thought this
was an old issue that had been resolved, but at 37,000 miles, a lost
a spring.
Since the clutch is still fragile, and the
cost is high, using a stock clutch is not smart. I just wish I
had realized that ahead of time!
NOTE: Since I
used this clutch, it appears that Honda has changed suppliers for
their OEM clutches. The cost is considerably lower and I would
certainly hope the broken spring issue has been addressed. The
new price is low enough that it makes it the cheapest alternative
Exedy Stage 1
Bang for the buck, best clutch I've ever used. For
a reasonable price, you get a clutch with very
smooth engagement, only slightly higher than stock pedal pressure
and reliability you can count on. I've experienced this clutch
in more than one case and I'm very pleased. The cost is lower
than any variation of the Clutchmasters clutch and it includes the
pressure plate, disk, release bearing, pilot bearing and clutch
centering tool. Unless you need a dedicated racing clutch,
there is no reason to use anything other than the Exedy clutch.
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