Let's talk about clutch setups. RPS, Exedy, CM, Comp

[az_240]

I know it's been beat to death and total n00b post but I can't find much when it comes down to how each will perform on the street/track and how long they'll last.

These are my main options in order for an S14 SR running ~350-370whp max.... trying to keep torque as close to these numbers as possible. Trying to avoid a way heavy pedal feel but might be able to compensate with a nismo/z31 slave cylinder. I currently have a RPS sport with 6 puck clutch and ACT street 14lb flywheel and it ROCKS. Awesome almost stock feeing pedal, can be slipped slightly on the street, grabs hard when I need it, but is only rated to like 300wtq. I plan to keep the ACT flywheel.

RPS Street Max clutch
-heavy pedal feel
-~450 torque rating
-slippable on the street, is said to still said to work well for clutch kicks n such. Not many people using these it seems like. Seems like it will last forever.

Exedy Stage 2 thick disk clutch
-Moderate pedal feel
-seen anywhere from 290wtq to 360tq. This low torque number scares me. Wanting it to last a while.
-One of the most widely run clutches, seems to work well for street and track.

ClutchMasters FX400 clutch
-Heavy pedal feel
-~450 wtq rating
-Not much info on this one but people that do run seem to like them

Competition Stage 4
-Looks pretty much the same as the Clutchmasters

Any feedback from anyone who has actually ran any of these? Don't want xtd, or spec crap.. ACT clutches seem to not last long so gonna try to steer clear of those and don't want twin/triple disk or anything like that. This is for a weekend car with occasional drift events.

[omgRWDgoodness!]

I'm running a Nismo Super Coppermix, and absolutely love it. Stock pedal feel and they're rated at ≈380- and ≈400PS.

[az_240]

Yeah looked into those but trying to keep the clutch around $400-$500... that setup is like $1000+

[TheRealSy90]

I've had my ACT Xtreme sprung 6 puck since 2010 and it's still going, only recently stopped daily driving it. Planning to install my ORC 409D when it comes time.

[az_240]

I had a ACT heavy duty 6 puck but sold it after reading the discs usually last only a few events... it was brand new and sure didn't look like it had a lot of material on it.

[inopsey]

keep the clutch you have. not sure where you got the rating of 300wtq from but i make just under 500nm tq (350+ ft lbs) to the wheels and use the rps street 6 puck clutch. no issues with slipping at that power level.

[jr_ss]

I had the RPS MAX Street clutch for 2-3yrs. I put over 25k miles on it and beat the living piss out of it. When I pulled it, it looked fantastic and still had life left in it. I sold it to someone else, who I'm assuming ran it also. It was installed with my BPU'd S14 SR back in 07' and then used in my Z32 trans swap and built S14 SR making 360whp(only 13psi) in 09'. Slipped the crap out of it at the track multiple times, never had an issue. I'd buy another one any day for a street/daily car. The only reason it was swapped was because it wasn't going to handle what I plan to throw at the new Exedy Twin.

Just a heads up, Exedy underrates their clutches by a small percentage. I've seen people running at or over their rated capabilities multiple times.

[RalliartRsX]

Here is what I posted elsewhere on the FX400 Review

S15 turbo
S13 blacktop
Sheetmetal intake
Standalone
290WHP/270 ft lbs at the wheels
etc


I figure I will update this since not many people order up the FX400 or FX500 from Clutchmasters.

I procured the FX400:
Its a Cermaic button 6 puck sprung clutch and thier HD Pressure Plate. From my reading, the torque capacity is between 450 - 550 ft lbs (I have read more, but being more conservative) at the flywheel. So suspect about 400+ wheel torque rating (I have seen numerous ocassions of 420 wheel torque without slipping and severe drag launches. As far as drifting, the dorifto boys have thier own bangwagon clutch folks to follow, so not much review from that end. This is placed in a HPDE/weekend vehicle).

Impressions so far:
Pedal feel: Clutch pedal feel is only but barely (and I do mean BARELY) heavier than stock. The Comp.Clutch Stage 2 with full face organic disk had a much heavier/harder pedal feel and not nearly the amount of torque capacity of the FX400. If my memory is correct, the KA "white bunny" setup have a little more capacity before slippage occurs (and if they use the same PP across the board (they have an in house designed full crumb point, hence how they can have the holding capacity without the pain of a heavy PP) or something similar, which I think they do, expect the same or very similar pedal feel). The feel however could be tweeked slightly to get a better feel of engagement point, but I still have the stock clutch damper FWIW.

Engagement: The engagement is fairly pronounced and you know it's there (but not to the point of being intrusive). Its a sprung hub, so some of the engagement harshness/vibrations won't transfer over to the trust bearings or the inputshaft > gears>bearings either. Perfectly fine and took me two clutch pedal "pumps" to figure out engagement point. I have only driven it some 5 miles, so still have some breaking in to do.

Breaking in: It's a Ceramic hub and from my understanding, the break in mileage is around 80-100 miles or so according to clutchmasters (as compared to 500+ for thier Kevlar setup!) and then the clutch is ready to rock! On my old (Clutchmasters) FX500 setup, I broke it in for 50 or so miles (don't recommend, but for a point of reference) and it held up to several track days rock solid at 340 WHP and 280 ft lbs at the wheels.

Sounds: There is a slight chatter, but after a few hundred miles so far, it seems to be slowly subsiding (only chatters during take-off and idling). Also, the clutch is fairly new, and once the flywheel and disk are bedded in together, it's very likely the sound will subside even more.

Overall: Have now driven a total of about 200+ Miles and the clutch seems to have settled in. Made up a new Tune over the weekend and settled on 17psi and around 290 or so WHP and 260+ ft lbs of torque at the wheels (GT28R, Type X blacktop, Sheetmetal Manifold with stock runner lenght, etc). It seems to be holding up just fine. Haven't launched it yet (and do not plan to) and this will be on the HPDE vehicle. I haven't added timing, but will do in the boost transition zones, so we will see how the clutch holds up to the extra "umpphh" in the low-mid rpm range.

UPDATE: Launched on launch control ONCE and it held up extremely well! The tune is "progressive" so the power production is not harsh on the drivetrain so I felt safe "launching" it. This will be the one and only time launch it however as per my breakin and test process.

So far, LOVE it! Clutch feel is barely above stock, the engagement point is perfect and I can DD it in traffic all day (not that I do anyways, I have an Infiniti for those duties) and not feel a damn thing. Slight chatter noises, but for a non DD vehicle, it's very easily overlooked.

Would recommend!

[az_240]

keep the clutch you have. not sure where you got the rating of 300wtq from but i make just under 500nm tq (350+ ft lbs) to the wheels and use the rps street 6 puck clutch. no issues with slipping at that power level.

Got it from MVP motorsports' website.. I've seen this rating on other sites as well...

"The Sport series is the newest clutch in RPS' inventory. Sport Series Pressure Plates are similar to "HD" pressure from ACT. This clutch kit can hold up to 300 foot pounds of torque & is 15% stiffer than stock. They are intended for use in cars with mild modifications (exhaust, intake, boost controller, small turbo upgrade, etc). The Sprung Hub disc is a 6-puck design with alternating pucks of carbon & metal. It holds more power than the Street Disc yet is also very driveable & slippable. It will last longer than the Street Disc and requires a proper break-in."



I had the RPS MAX Street clutch for 2-3yrs.

Saw you mentioned this on Nico back in the day... really like my current RPS clutch which is why I want to stick with them, but I hear the MAX version is waay stiffer than the sport version, which makes sense given their 475ft lb with OEM style disc.

Just a heads up, Exedy underrates their clutches by a small percentage. I've seen people running at or over their rated capabilities multiple times.

Everyone loves their Exedy stage 2, which is another front runner and looks like it probably has a softer/better pedal feel than the RPS MAX... but I see torque ratings of 290 up to 360 on various sites. Anyone know their true rating? I'd like to get something that is more in the 400ft lb range just so I'm not at it's limit.... Nvm... Exedy website shows torque capacity at wheels is 275:/

[az_240]

Here is what I posted elsewhere on the FX400 Review

S15 turbo
S13 blacktop
Sheetmetal intake
Standalone
290WHP/270 ft lbs at the wheels
etc

Also saw this but was hoping for more feedback from people running higher torque and more use.

[l adam l]

i used a southbend 6puck rated for 530? tq in my evo and it felt like stock. being for an evo this could be no help for anyone, but that thing took way more abuse than the act and was still going strong when i sold it. i will be using a southbend in my rb project...whenever i start on it.

[inopsey]

Got it from MVP motorsports' website.. I've seen this rating on other sites as well...

"The Sport series is the newest clutch in RPS' inventory. Sport Series Pressure Plates are similar to "HD" pressure from ACT. This clutch kit can hold up to 300 foot pounds of torque & is 15% stiffer than stock. They are intended for use in cars with mild modifications (exhaust, intake, boost controller, small turbo upgrade, etc). The Sprung Hub disc is a 6-puck design with alternating pucks of carbon & metal. It holds more power than the Street Disc yet is also very driveable & slippable. It will last longer than the Street Disc and requires a proper break-in."





Saw you mentioned this on Nico back in the day... really like my current RPS clutch which is why I want to stick with them, but I hear the MAX version is waay stiffer than the sport version, which makes sense given their 475ft lb with OEM style disc.



Everyone loves their Exedy stage 2, which is another front runner and looks like it probably has a softer/better pedal feel than the RPS MAX... but I see torque ratings of 290 up to 360 on various sites. Anyone know their true rating? I'd like to get something that is more in the 400ft lb range just so I'm not at it's limit.... Nvm... Exedy website shows torque capacity at wheels is 275:/

your looking at the wrong engine. the 300 rating is for the ka series. for the sr20 its rated at 340 but hold that plus a bit more (10%) to the wheels. take a closer look at mvp website

[az_240]

I see that now... listed as "240sx"... still a bit under what I'm wanting but I'll keep that in mind.

[Dboyizmlg]

I have an Exedy stage 2 clucth.
I made 295whp, and 332tq. I was surprised how much tq my motor made because exedy rated them at 290tq, lol

I daily drive my car and the pedal feel is not bad, I would say between a scale of 1-10 (10 being the stiffest), it's like a 5. It grabs pretty hard, and does not slip.
I would recommend this clucth for DD.

I plan to upgrade turbo, and injectors soon. That means I will need a new clucth, I might lean towards an RPS, or clutchmastes.

[EsChassisLove]

Ny Comp Stage 4 SR20 clutch is rated at 515tq. Made 410wtq and held fine. Didnt even do the "break in" on the clutch.

2 years, 1 broken stock rear end and 1 grenaded stock SR tranny later, still holding strong with an ACT Streetlite flywheel.

[jr_ss]

Saw you mentioned this on Nico back in the day... really like my current RPS clutch which is why I want to stick with them, but I hear the MAX version is waay stiffer than the sport version, which makes sense given their 475ft lb with OEM style disc

It honestly wasn't that bad. The first few days took some getting use to, but nothing insane. I don't know what the stock pedal feel was to compare because I went straight to the RPS when I received my swap.

I do know my Exedy Twin has a softer pedal feel than the RPS Max. I think if you were to get it, you'd be happy with it once use to it.

[abcdefg123]

Is it the pressure plate that needs to be heavy duty holding or the clutch disc?
Yes you can say both but still curious if you can upgrade just one or the other for time being

I recently purchased oe exedy replacement but would like to upgrade And since I haven't installed it yet I'd like to not purchase an entire second kit.
Maybe use something I've already got
My expected torque is 3/350 ka

[Shimadorisanni]

If i were to get anything it would be a nismo copper mix or orc 409d super single or hyper single. The nismo clutch has excellent torque ratings, long lasting and you can order the disks from nismo when they wear for around 300$

Orc is also really awesome, can handle around 400tq very reliably and has a long life and takes all the abuse you can give. Disks can be ordered for replacement at around 250$ so you can keep the thing operational for a while. I know OP said he wants a stock pedal feel, but with a bigger master i think that can be achieved

[abcdefg123]

Do you have a link to the disc only?

And are you agreeing that only the disc needs to be upgraded at this time? I can run oe exedy pressure plate with a high rated clutch disc?

Does the " harsh engagement " come from a heavy duty pressure plate or disc or both? Even down to sprung or solid

[Shimadorisanni]

Orc 409d replacement disk
http://www.rhdjapan.com/orc-409-single-plate-clutch-kit-replacement-disc.html

Nismo replacement disk
http://www.rhdjapan.com/nismo-super-coppermix-single-plate-clutch-replacement-disc.html

[abcdefg123]

Are you affiliated with them or is there a USA distributor? Their prices aren't US currency

[Shimadorisanni]

They can be changed to us currency. They are reliable and tend to ship quicker than most

Used clutches like orc and nismo can be had for around 400$ and then with a new disk its practically a brand new clutch

[abcdefg123]

Link to the US currency button, and thank you! Btw can you scroll up to my previous post? I added a few more questions :-)

[RalliartRsX]

Not be offensive, but can you two take the questions, etc. to PM? This is a thread about experience with various clutches and its going much better than expected so would prefer to not derail.

Thanks

[Dboyizmlg]

Has any one had bad experience with ACT 6 puck?

Disc wearing out fast, too soon, how many drift events....etc.

[Shimadorisanni]

Not be offensive, but can you two take the questions, etc. to PM? This is a thread about experience with various clutches and its going much better than expected so would prefer to not derail.

Thanks


None taken man, i was gonna take it to pm anyway! Sorry for the clutter!

[derass]

I have an Exedy Stage 2 in my 320 WHP SR20DET track only drift car, have about 20 events on it. I chose it because of Exedy's experience as an OEM. It has a stiff/springy pedal feel but is very streetable. It has held up very well after hundreds of clutch kicks. It has only slipped once, but that was my fault trying to bring the revs up by clutching kicking at low speed in third gear. The only thing that I am dissapointed with, is that if I make the push to 400WHP, the Stage 2 will not be sufficient. Ideally, I would choose a Hyper Single for the same reason listed above, but the aluminum pressure plate cover and included flywheel, drive the price up considerably, making it cost prohibitive. Therefore I would be looking into options similar to the ones listed in the first post. My first thought would have been an ACT 6 Puck Xtreme, but the rumors posted here have me thinking twice.

[Shimadorisanni]

Has any one had bad experience with ACT 6 puck?

Disc wearing out fast, too soon, how many drift events....etc.


I personally love act, for the price they cant be beat. However i found my ACT to have a low life, 2 drift events and it wasnt doing so hot

[Dboyizmlg]

I had the RPS MAX Street clutch for 2-3yrs. I put over 25k miles on it and beat the living piss out of it. When I pulled it, it looked fantastic and still had life left in it. I sold it to someone else, who I'm assuming ran it also. It was installed with my BPU'd S14 SR back in 07' and then used in my Z32 trans swap and built S14 SR making 360whp(only 13psi) in 09'. Slipped the crap out of it at the track multiple times, never had an issue. I'd buy another one any day for a street/daily car. The only reason it was swapped was because it wasn't going to handle what I plan to throw at the new Exedy Twin.

Just a heads up, Exedy underrates their clutches by a small percentage. I've seen people running at or over their rated capabilities multiple times.

Was you're set up used for drag racing, or drifting?

I also had an RPS clutch back in 2004, it was a stage one I believe, Had it for 2. Years till I pulled it off to swap in a blitz active clucth.
There was still a shit load of life left on the RPS clutch (which I was really surprised).

So I'm leaning towards RPS now, but i was wondering if you used it for drifting?
Curious how good this Max street clutch is for clutch kicking on the weekends.

[jr_ss]

Was you're set up used for drag racing, or drifting?

I used mine primarily for drag racing. I'm not a drifter, but I did do the occasional power slide. Tons of slips and drops from a dig though and it never missed a beat.

I don't think you'll have a issue when it comes to clutch kicking, especially if it's a weekend thing.

[az_240]

Yeah really leaning toward the RPS sport with 6 puck or RPS max street.
Wish I knew just how stiff the pedal is with the max pressure plate or how long the RPS sport 6 puck will last with clutch kicks @~350wtq. Might just get the max street and go with a larger z31/nismo slave cylinder if the pedal is too much.

[e1_griego]

My RPS max street didn't have super stiff pedal.

My South Bend clutches now have lighter pedal than Exedy Stage 2.

[az_240]

How does the south bend clutch compare to RPS max street and what kind of power do you put down? I imagine the RPS will probably last longer.

Someone is selling a new south bend stage 3 that I'm kinda interested in...

[abcdefg123]

What would a heavy duty pressure plate with a bad clutch disc feel like VS a stock old pressure plate and a new stage 5 clutch disc

[Dboyizmlg]

I might jump the boat and grab the Clutchmaster FX400.

I'm doing this for 2 reasons:
-clutch masters facility is 5 minutes drive from me.
(I'm lucky they are local).
-to give brief feedback on how long, and well the clutch performs under abusive clutch kicks, and daily driving.

It will be in a couple months from now, (2-3).
I will be getting a GT2871r next week, and still need bigger injectors thus the long wait for the clutch.

It will be on a set up aroun 350-380whp. FYI

[az_240]

Any other thoughts on using a full face clutch disc with occasional clutch kicks/drift events @350whtq?... will also be driven on the street.

Basically about to pull the trigger on either a RPS street max or RPS 6 puck max.

Street max is said to last longer and is over $100 cheaper.... but some say to just go with the 6 puck since it will hold up to the abuse on the track... not sure how streetable it is though compared to the RPS sport 6 puck I currently have. Also not sure the RPS sport 6 puck will last long at those levels which is why I'm considering the Max pp.

[badbob2121]

I’ve always had good experiences with Competition Clutches, had 2+ years of track abuse and still felt perfect on my 300+whp SR setup.


I have a “crap” Spec stage 3 on my LS and I am very satisfied as well… but that’s just me.