Searched: Clutch and flywheel for KA

[OptionZero]

Clutch blew for my '97 KA, looking to get new clutch and flywheel.

I want a lightened flywheel, and previous threads brought up Fidanza and JUN.

Jun's pretty pricey, over 150 more than a Fidanza...but it is CHromoly, which i'm told is better than striaght aluminum.

Also, there's which clutch to pair with it...Will an eXedy OEM replacement match up with a Fidanza? There are EBay guys selling that as a combo, so it's convenient and relatively cheap.

Anyone running that combo?

Are there other flywheels out that have been released relatively recently that are similarly priced and good quality?

Clutches, thinking of:

RPS Street
ACt street/strip
Spec Stage 1
centerforce
blahblah blah normal brands

or
Exedy OEM

Has that Fidanza + Act/Centerforce issue been resolved?

My choice for now is
RPS Street from SPL + Fidanza.

[Phlip]

ACT stage 2 clutch, stock or Fidanza flywheeel

[fliprayzin240sx]

I havent heard of anything bad as far as RPS, think theyre one of those companies thats still trying to break into our market and make a good name for themselves. For KAs everybodys been going with ACT or SPEC. I had a stage 2 in my KA, it was decent, i can imagine it begin better with a lighter FW.

[kazuo]

SPEC is junk.

Get RPS/Exedy/Superior Clutch (from ILLEGAL GARAGE).

wewt.

[boost infested]

Rps! you will get a weird vibration with act, thats from my experience of every single 240sx with act(sr or ka).

[phrozen]

get d21 flywheel and have it "lightened" at a shop and get a 280zx clutch.

[max_misawa]

you gonna drift?
maybe try a clutch made specifically for drifting

Max

[chrisngo]

you gonna drift?
maybe try a clutch made specifically for drifting

Max

Is there such an animal??? I thought clutches only had one function, that was to hold a determined amount of power produced by the engine, regardless of the motorsport? I've never heard of a company that market's a clutch just for drifting. Got links?

I recommend Fidanza to all of my customers. Warren G (also on this forum) has had his clutch/fly combo for quite some time. Very "drift friendly" set up (and if you know Warren, he pounds on his car pretty hard). I'll link him to this thread, he should chime in tomorrow with his thoughts and some insight.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with going Fidanza. Make sure you have a competent installer/mechanic working on the car.

Chris

[OptionZero]

No drift action, no clutch kicking. Just daily driver + HPDE's or otehr track events every couple months. Maybe some auto-X again if I have time (doubtful!).

RPS seems like a good deal, it's $280-290 for their street level one.

I don't want to step up to more aggressive ones because this is a daily driver w/ stock KA power, afterall.

Fidanza seems the cheapest, best alternative, unless you can find me a JUN for under $400. I know that aluminum flywheels are subject to heat, but I don't think a stock KA could produce enough to damage it.

Checking out a couple sources to install these bitches.

[OdessaS13]

yup, im running the oem exedy with fidnaza on 92 s13, no problems so far.

[drift freaq]

get d21 flywheel and have it "lightened" at a shop and get a 280zx clutch.
yup I can attest to this one. I did it back in the day. In fact I was the first one to do it after T.Y. and I discussed it on FA. It works and the lightened D21 Flywheel is actually a better way to go, if your going to keep your KA and turbo it. It has a larger surface area than our stock flywheels, so you get more clamping force capability. On top of that if you go with a Fidanza or Jun flywheel they are ultralight which means you will lose a decent amount of the KA,s bottom end torque. Which translates to much slower off the line acceleration. If, you lighten the D21 Flywheel to 16lbs, which is what I did, it will still retain bottom end torque, while freeing up HP, you were losing parasatically.

[kaje36]

I am personaly a jun/act user.. I have just the lighweight jun(10.4lbs), and i want the ultra light(9.5lbs) ya it costs alot.. but the car feels so much nicer when its light.

also that vibration from act... is that like 4krpm and higher ?? couse I definitly feel some vibaration in my shifter I havent been able to figrue out.

[S14DB]

Helps to tell us what you are doing with the car and what kind of power you are making.

[OptionZero]

S14DB: about 4 posts up, I mention that I do not drift but go to occasional track events/HPDE's...and making stock KA power.

drift freaq:
I'm new at this. Please explain how I "lose torque" with a lighter flywheel?
The engine is still making whatever power it's making, except it becomes easier to transmit that power because there is less mass (weight...) to overcome.
I'm not a physics major, and I certainly don't know everything about cars, but that is my understanding at this point.

Also: does the D21 flywheel go with any aftermarket 240sx clutch?
EDIT: searched...apparently d21 flywheel goes with 280zx clutches or z32 clutches? But do you use z32 turbo or nonturbo clutch, any difference?

This is referred to as the "white bunny special", named after 240sx guru from FreshAlloy, who sadly doesn't post much, and i've never seen his whole car.

It'd be cool because I also have a '97 white s14

[max_misawa]

Is there such an animal??? I thought clutches only had one function, that was to hold a determined amount of power produced by the engine, regardless of the motorsport? I've never heard of a company that market's a clutch just for drifting. Got links?

I recommend Fidanza to all of my customers. Warren G (also on this forum) has had his clutch/fly combo for quite some time. Very "drift friendly" set up (and if you know Warren, he pounds on his car pretty hard). I'll link him to this thread, he should chime in tomorrow with his thoughts and some insight.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with going Fidanza. Make sure you have a competent installer/mechanic working on the car.

Chris

I guess you never saw the arcticle on illegal garage (my buisness) in import racer (Feb 2005 issue)
Started in 2000 to build a drift specific clutch finished the first proto type in 2001
took a few tries but we got it right
zero mile break in to boot!

Max

[Phlip]

drift freaq:
I'm new at this. Please explain how I "lose torque" with a lighter flywheel?
The engine is still making whatever power it's making, except it becomes easier to transmit that power because there is less mass (weight...) to overcome.
I'm not a physics major, and I certainly don't know everything about cars, but that is my understanding at this point.

This will boil down to the analogy of the 170 lb guy who can run a 4.7-second 40 yard... Now take a 50 lb flak jacket and have him try it again, now it is a 5.0 or something like that... The engine is not "losing torque" as much as it is the drivetrain is TAKING less of it. That being said, lighter components (lightweight flywheel, lighter driveshaft, etc...) and keeping good fluid in your tranny and diff will see the wheel HP a lot better than otherwise... On the other hand, the "fresh off of idle" transmission of said power will be lessened by lightweight components. Again, the engine is making no less, but the manner in which is communicated to the wheels is changed, this has been discussed before, a couple years back...

**EDIT** found the discussion:
http://www.zilvia.net/f/showthread.php?t=23694

[S14DB]

I've seen a JUN flywheel warp hardcore before on a SR. There is less material in the JUN to absorb and distribute the heat. so it warps worse than the alum.

[chrisngo]

I guess you never saw the arcticle on illegal garage (my buisness) in import racer (Feb 2005 issue)
Started in 2000 to build a drift specific clutch finished the first proto type in 2001
took a few tries but we got it right
zero mile break in to boot!

Max

That's news to me. What are the differences? Materials? I think it's awesome to make a drift spec clutch. I just have a hard time knowing what you are doing different.

I'll check it out on your website.

Chris

[019]

Also: does the D21 flywheel go with any aftermarket 240sx clutch?
EDIT: searched...apparently d21 flywheel goes with 280zx clutches or z32 clutches? But do you use z32 turbo or nonturbo clutch, any difference?
z32 na clutch is used with the d21 flywheel

[max_misawa]

That's news to me. What are the differences? Materials? I think it's awesome to make a drift spec clutch. I just have a hard time knowing what you are doing different.

I'll check it out on your website.

Chris

I have the builder make clutches specifically for each application
just turns out we got the right mix of parts to work for drifting
it has turned out really well
sold about 200 clutches for AE86's zero worn out and zero defects to date (feb 2002 first clutch was sold)
and i have sold about 5~10 for S chassis
best part is the zero mile break in

usually if a customer has doubts
after i do an install i start whipping donuts in thier ride
should see the look on peoples faces when i do that LOL

BTW my site has no real content becuase my buddy who is doing the site is an ass hat (been over a year since he was supposed to be done)

Max

[Sideways_In_SD]

Ok, I've been driving the CRAP out of my ACT HD/SS (Stage2)/Fidanza for about the past 3-4 years. And I still love it to this day.

NOBODY yes I said it, NOBODY drives their car harder than I do!!

I pull every gear to redline everytime I get on the freeway, drift days, street drifting (just about everyday of the week, clutch kick through the intersection ok, 3rd gear clutch kick on the on ramp np).
I heel-toe every down shift, everytime, it's just the way I drive.
I used to street race quite often (especially right after I picked up this combo, because I was so impressed with the difference in my car). This clutch has never faultered, went soft, or slipped.

I've never had any odd vibrations with this setup either, if that happens it was probably and installation error, or you just don't understand the trade-off between performance, and stock, which sometimes means a little more noise, etc.

I don't know about "drift-specific" clutches, or how they differ from "heavy-duty" clutches, except maybe "drift-specific" marketing, but that no break-in period is pretty neat.

I don't know if my clutch is an exception, or maybe I know how to make a clutch last (putting the car in N when stopped instead of sitting at a light with the clutch in, rev-matchin every shift, etc.) but I've had no problems with this set up at all.

I did have a customer buy the same set up a while back, one of the springs on the hub broke about a year and a half after he purchased it. He's a technician at Lexus and installed it himself, and allowed it to break in properly, etc. Maybe a random thing, I don't know, ACT wouldn't warranty the clutch after a year so he had to eat another disc, kinda lame. But I also can't attest to his driving practices. I know he works with some fellas that like to run, and I know he likes to take his car to the limit in the mountains, so who knows.

I'd say for price, availability, and performance ACT/Fidanza rocks the Kasbah :aw:

[max_misawa]

Ok, I've been driving the CRAP out of my ACT HD/SS (Stage2)/Fidanza for about the past 3-4 years. And I still love it to this day.

NOBODY yes I said it, NOBODY drives their car harder than I do!!

I pull every gear to redline everytime I get on the freeway, drift days, street drifting (just about everyday of the week, clutch kick through the intersection ok, 3rd gear clutch kick on the on ramp np).
I heel-toe every down shift, everytime, it's just the way I drive.
I used to street race quite often (especially right after I picked up this combo, because I was so impressed with the difference in my car). This clutch has never faultered, went soft, or slipped.

I've never had any odd vibrations with this setup either, if that happens it was probably and installation error, or you just don't understand the trade-off between performance, and stock, which sometimes means a little more noise, etc.

I don't know about "drift-specific" clutches, or how they differ from "heavy-duty" clutches, except maybe "drift-specific" marketing, but that no break-in period is pretty neat.

I don't know if my clutch is an exception, or maybe I know how to make a clutch last (putting the car in N when stopped instead of sitting at a light with the clutch in, rev-matchin every shift, etc.) but I've had no problems with this set up at all.

I did have a customer buy the same set up a while back, one of the springs on the hub broke about a year and a half after he purchased it. He's a technician at Lexus and installed it himself, and allowed it to break in properly, etc. Maybe a random thing, I don't know, ACT wouldn't warranty the clutch after a year so he had to eat another disc, kinda lame. But I also can't attest to his driving practices. I know he works with some fellas that like to run, and I know he likes to take his car to the limit in the mountains, so who knows.

I'd say for price, availability, and performance ACT/Fidanza rocks the Kasbah :aw:

Nobody driver harder than you?
i guess, you compete?
i see Calvin Wan, Alex P, Ken Gushi, Conrad G and those guys drive pretty hard (only a joke hahaha)

Well you know they make clutches for drag racing yes?
and for mud bogging (off roading)
road racing yes?
tracktor pulls/ towing right?

so why would some one not be able to make a clutch specifically for drifting?
it all comes down to material design

Yea pretty much in the aftermarket community sees parts as "race" parts
that means there is no waaranty implied (other than manufacture defrects)

Max

[OptionZero]

RPS Sport/Street = $245
Fidanza Flywheel = $299
Drift freaq mounts = $160 (shipped)

[atom]

I think what he's getting at is what exactly makes a clutch drift specific. You say it's a different material, but what does that different material do that makes it better suited for drift than say, road racing. I don't drift but I'd like to know out of curiosity's sake.

Oh yeah, I have act stg. 2 and lightened stock flywheel and I have no problem with it. Next clutch I'll probably try is RPS street, my friend has it (altough different car) and it's damn near stock feeling.

[Siizzzoooo]

let us know how u like the setup

[Yoshi]

I guess you never saw the arcticle on illegal garage (my buisness) in import racer (Feb 2005 issue)
Started in 2000 to build a drift specific clutch finished the first proto type in 2001
took a few tries but we got it right
zero mile break in to boot!

Max

Same Max Misawa from the Velocity board back in the day?

Kazuo: how is SPEC crap? I have a stage2, it's lasted for 2 years so far, no signs of slippage. I like it a lot in fact. Have u heard something I've not?

[Siizzzoooo]

how hard do you drive?

when i had the stage 3 and it tended to slip after getting hot, mainly from abuse from drifting and drag racing

[OptionZero]

does anyone have any adavice for break in procedure (though the car won't be done for another couple weeks)?
I hear 2-300 miles of non-hard driving, what exactly does that mean? I won't be at a track, i won't rev the car to redline (shift at around 3xxxk usually).

Rev-match saves the synchros and clutch right? Shifter to neutral on stops, no hard launching ( dont drag at all anyways)...anything else?

[Siizzzoooo]

i would go for about 500 miles just to be safe

[SlowCoupe]

300 mile of stop and go driving...

[Phlip]

*back when I went to shops* they always told me at least 500 miles of non-abusive driving

[S14DB]

450-500miles for mine:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/S14DB/240sx/Tranny/CFDF3.jpg
/whore my parts

[BigVinnie]

I got my fidanza flywheel and a whole clutch kit from NIZZX for $520... Pretty good deal, if you ask me......
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9089/aluminumflywheelandstage2clutc.jpg

[OptionZero]

so just be easy on the clutch, no stress on it for 500 miles

given that its a 20 mile commute to and from work Mon-Fri, then 160 miles on the weekend, i can kill that in less than a month

[S14DB]

All Centerforce clutches require a break-in period of 450-500 miles of stop-and-go street driving before applying full engine power. This period is required to properly seat the disc with the pressure plate and flywheel.
So, no Highway miles for joo!

[WONTONnPHO]

Actually stop and go driving=highway driving for us that live in Cali :-/

[max_misawa]

yea i used to be on VRT way back when

To break in a clutch properly is not too hard
clutches break in by heat cycles

drive for at least 20~25 minutes to get the clutch to operating tempature
do that for 10 days and you should be good

Max

[OptionZero]

crap, its like a short 10 min highway drive to sac, then another 10 minutes bumper to bumper in morning gridlock

[Yoshi]

how hard do you drive?

when i had the stage 3 and it tended to slip after getting hot, mainly from abuse from drifting and drag racing

wow, apparently not hard enuff LOL!
I don't drag, and most any drift I do is feint or sometimes powerover, hardly ever do I clutch kick, so maybe I just concentrate on the smooth thing more than the power thing :/

[kazuo]

Yoshi: I've read nothing but bad things on this forum, and FA (which I tend to trust more when it comes to things like this) about SPEC clutches slipping, premature death, etc etc etc

Most people I've talked to tell me to stay away from SPEC. YMMV, as always there is good and bad.