Clutch for AU3 220

Sox · 11-09-2011, 08:56 AM

Howdy gents,

What clutch kits have you used in your 220's?
Mine hasn't failed yet, however we're about to do a 3500k trip towing a caravan in October.

The current clutch is as far as I'm aware the original unit, and the car has done a frag over 120,000k's.
It is weak as it as one good hard launch has it slipping and smelling somewhat.
Just reversing the caravan into it's carport has it smoking as it's slightly uphill.

So, I'd like something which doesn't have much more pedal pressure, as it's a pleasure to drive with such a light clutch, however I know it may need to be a little heavier due to extra clamping force.

I also don't want to spend a bomb on fancy branded units, when well designed conventional units will likely do the job just fine.

Proper experience would be good, not just a 3 second burnout in your mates sisters uncles neighbors yada yada yada.

CRAIGAU3220 · 11-09-2011, 11:13 AM

Hello Sox, anything HD organic will do the job fine, in the past Ive used Exedy and Extreme heavy duty organic with lots of drag racing they have held up well, currently the 220 has a ACE clutch from Mal Wood Automotive and i think from memory its a 3300lb clamp load which cost me about seven hundred bucks..............All three mentioned had lighter than stock pedal pressure.

Cheers, Craig.

Beer Baron · 11-09-2011, 11:52 AM

Although mine isn't a V8 my experience may not help but it might also so....

I bought a Clutch industries clutch new for my AU when i converted it to manual and i regret it every time i drive it. Poor pedal feel, Slips if i drop the clutch on grass, Slips if i shift to 2nd and give it a bit and CI tell me this is normal so i don't crack the pedal box or firewall. I'm not game to try and tow an empty box trailer with it. Not happy.

Mal Wood Automotive lined up a ACE clutch/flywheel combo and hydraulic conversion kit for me a while ago. The ACE kit was rated to 400rwhp i think.

Sox · 11-09-2011, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRAIGAU3220

Hello Sox, anything HD organic will do the job fine, in the past Ive used Exedy and Extreme heavy duty organic with lots of drag racing they have held up well, currently the 220 has a ACE clutch from Mal Wood Automotive and i think from memory its a 3300lb clamp load which cost me about seven hundred bucks..............All three mentioned had lighter than stock pedal pressure.

Cheers, Craig.

Hooly freakin dooly!
$700 is way to rich for my blood, how much were the other 2, and how comparable were they to the one made from gold?
And how much better than standard?

Last couple kits i bought were $350 and $450, and were perfecto.

CRAIGAU3220 · 11-09-2011, 01:55 PM

The ACE clutch was built to order as i told them i need a clutch with organic plate that will be street drive friendly, handle 390 odd rwhp and lots of drag racing...............If i don't get three seasons out of the single disc ACE I'm going to have to spend over $1000 for a twin plate...............Sorry but i cant remember how much the other two cost me but i doubt they were under $450.

**Whoosha** · 11-09-2011, 02:05 PM

I run Extreme HD Organic was under $400 Trade been great

Sox · 11-09-2011, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whoosha

I run Extreme HD Organic was under $400 Trade been great

Any chance of scoring another one of these, trade...........

**Whoosha** · 11-09-2011, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sox

Any chance of scoring another one of these, trade...........

http://www.xtremeclutch.com.au/
Just give them a call they were site sponsors for a while and they will look after you

Day-mow · 12-09-2011, 08:14 AM

i run an Exeedy HD clutch in my XR6 i thin it cost me about $400 trade. when i put it in it was amazingly lighter then my dead clutch i pulled out. feels pretty good all round. i've had it in for bout a year now i think and its still going good and i give it a reasonable amount of crap thru hills driving.

SLO AU XR8 · 12-09-2011, 08:39 PM

I had a Clutch Industries clutch in my 185kw AU. It lasted a year. The last clutch was an Exedy HD Organic that was $460 trade price. This clutch was in the car for 2 years, didn't miss a beat or slip once. I did tow a bit and also did a bit of racing. The car was written off, and the clutch still had 80% remaining after a solid 25000k's of a hard life.

Sox · 12-09-2011, 09:07 PM

I got a quote today for an Xtreme KFD27001HD which seems ok enough.

Thanks lads.

Sox · 13-09-2011, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sox

I got a quote today for an Xtreme KFD27001HD which seems ok enough.

Thanks lads.

Ordered today, should arrive Friday, might plonk it in on Saturday.

Sox · 15-09-2011, 08:33 PM

I have it in my hands, and it doesn't appear to be balanced.

The last couple I bought were.

Did you lads have your pressure plate balanced?

**Whoosha** · 15-09-2011, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sox

I have it in my hands, and it doesn't appear to be balanced.

The last couple I bought were.

Did you lads have your pressure plate balanced?

No not mine straight out of the box and in

SLO AU XR8 · 15-09-2011, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whoosha

No not mine straight out of the box and in

+1. My Exedy went from the box into the car.

Day-mow · 15-09-2011, 11:33 PM

as above.

Sox · 16-09-2011, 06:57 AM

Alright, I guess it should be ok.
None of you noticed any extra vibes or tingles up high in the rev range?

**Whoosha** · 16-09-2011, 08:46 AM

Never had to have a plate balanced from a kit yet but if your concerned about it give Extreme a ring and check...13.7 102 mph shifting at 6000rpm no issues 4 years on.

Sox · 16-09-2011, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whoosha

Never had to have a plate balanced from a kit yet but if your concerned about it give Extreme a ring and check...13.7 102 mph shifting at 6000rpm no issues 4 years on.

I spoke to Xtreme, they said it will be fine, but I was pretty much expecting they'd say that.

I've always had the pressure plate balanced over the years, I guess it comes back to the days I was in the trade, we always checked them, and 9 times out of 10, they needed balancing.

Don't get me wrong, they're not usually out by much, but....

Day-mow · 16-09-2011, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whoosha

Never had to have a plate balanced from a kit yet but if your concerned about it give Extreme a ring and check...13.7 102 mph shifting at 6000rpm no issues 4 years on.

i want to be able to change at 6,000rpm

mik · 17-09-2011, 01:51 AM

it probably would`nt cost much to get it balanced if you feel that way inclined, i had mine balanced years ago, piece of mind is good.

Sox · 17-09-2011, 06:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mik

it probably would`nt cost much to get it balanced if you feel that way inclined, i had mine balanced years ago, piece of mind is good.

Normally I would, but I'm pretty sstrapped fro time at the moment.
I also have to rip off the flywheel, an then the shop I have it done at has to set up a crank in his machine, etc, because they're externally balanced.

It won't be any worse than what came from the factory, so I'm not gonna bother.
Some day the whole donk will come out to fit a stroker kit anyhow, so the whole bottom end can be balanced then.

I was just a little shocked to see that this supposed big name kit wasn't balanced, yet some of the the generic kits I've bought in the past were balanced.
Anyway, it's going in today, will give feedback later.

Donny · 17-09-2011, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sox

I was just a little shocked to see that this supposed big name kit wasn't balanced, yet some of the the generic kits I've bought in the past were balanced..

Maybe its a case of the big name ones being made well enough to not need balancing and the generic ones needing balancing as they werent as well made and required some tweeking balance wise..

GK · 17-09-2011, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sox

Normally I would, but I'm pretty sstrapped fro time at the moment.
I also have to rip off the flywheel, an then the shop I have it done at has to set up a crank in his machine, etc, because they're externally balanced.

It won't be any worse than what came from the factory, so I'm not gonna bother.
Some day the whole donk will come out to fit a stroker kit anyhow, so the whole bottom end can be balanced then.

I was just a little shocked to see that this supposed big name kit wasn't balanced, yet some of the the generic kits I've bought in the past were balanced.
Anyway, it's going in today, will give feedback later.

Hope it's a ripper.

GK

Sox · 17-09-2011, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donny

Maybe its a case of the big name ones being made well enough to not need balancing and the generic ones needing balancing as they werent as well made and required some tweeking balance wise..

That's possible, the pressure is a slighty different design to the original.
Unlikey though, I spoke to my old boss yesterday and he said they're much the same as any other pressure plate when spun up.
Anyway, I'm not balancing it, so we'll see.

The clutch plate has come out looking like new BTW, I have a feeling someone may have just slipped a new plate in at some stage, but maybe left the old pressure plate.

The clutch plate is pretty much identical to the Xtreme.
The pressure plate is more substantial, with thicker fingers, and extra plates on the outer.
The original has some tags welded to the outer, so it was balanced.

I've just removed the spigot bearing and whacked a new one in.

Having lunch now, will throw it all back together in the next hour or so.

Oh, I also replaced the front and rear g'box seal.

Sox · 17-09-2011, 04:32 PM

Jobs complete, there's nothing unusual under there, so went back together easy enough.

Test drive showed a little more travel, and a slightly heavier pedal.
It's good enough, but nothing special.
I'm surprised at the pedal feel, considering Craig said his was lighter than standard. This is not heavy as such, but it is heavier than standard.

The big test will be the caravan behind it in 3 weeks for a 3000k jaunt around Vic.
I haven't it any real stick yet as the clutch plate will need a little bit of time to mate with the flywheel.

CRAIGAU3220 · 17-09-2011, 04:40 PM

Good work Sox..............Surprised your pedal impression is different.

Have a nice trip, jeez 3000km in Victoria...........How many laps is that?

Sox · 17-09-2011, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRAIGAU3220

Good work Sox..............Surprised your pedal impression is different.

Have a nice trip, jeez 3000km in Victoria...........How many laps is that?

Perhaps they've changed the spec a little, who knows.

Coming from Sydney, so approx 2000k's just getting there and back, I'm just estimating another 1000k's or tootling around in Vic.

We're going down the coast to Phillip Island for the GP, staying on site for 4 nights, then down the GOR, up to Ballarat, then stay at Werribee for another 4 nights and do hi-fi show in the Melbourne CBD.
The run home will be a leisurely stint up the Hume with plenty of stops and touristy stuff along the way, probably another 4 or so days.

It was originally just going to be a business trip (the hi-fi show), but the dates worked out well with the GP being the weekend prior to the show.

So, 1+1=2 in my book.

CRAIGAU3220 · 17-09-2011, 05:01 PM

Sounds like a nice leisurely fortnight off from the hustle and bussel of daily life.........Enjoy.

Cheers, Craig.

Sox · 17-09-2011, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRAIGAU3220

Sounds like a nice leisurely fortnight off from the hustle and bussel of daily life.........Enjoy.

Cheers, Craig.

It's actually closer to 3 weeks, 4 days getting there, 2 weekends in Vic, then another 4 or so days getting home.

Bet yeh thanks, should be a good run.