mobythevan Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Yep, blew up my 2 month old act 6 puck clutch doing 3k rpm launches. Let it burn just a little too long getting boost up and bam. Clutch disc bye bye. Learned my lesson, no more stooopid stunts like that, cost me a quick $300. When I put it back together its normal take offs for me. I was only slipping it for a very small amount of time to build boost, but that was enough to heat it up too much. Gotta find the limits of parts I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gramercyjam Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 I love reading about stoopid stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperZ Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 Wow, I would not have thought they were so sensitive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobythevan Posted July 21, 2004 Author Share Posted July 21, 2004 my stock 225mm clutch held up to more abuse than the act clutch did. Kind of weird??? I think maybe I'll try a centerforce clutch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forrest Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 I can't swear to it but I know someone that was much rougher than you mentioned being on that exact setup, no problems, for months and months before he took his car down. I'm not hard on mine, but I did make like 14 passes at the drag strip in the space of 4 hours at SEZM4, many of them back to back. I launched at over 3.5k every time. You ought to talk to ACT, ask them what they think, it sounds like yours was defective. Maybe they will do you right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobythevan Posted July 21, 2004 Author Share Posted July 21, 2004 I contacted ACT about the clutch, now I am waiting to see if they respond. After looking back in the archives I think I will go with a Spec stage 3 clutch kit unless there was something wrong with the ACT clutch and they will make it good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyro Posted July 21, 2004 Share Posted July 21, 2004 I don't think those puck type clutches like slipping too much. Mostly because they are typically made of ceramic or metal materials. Maybe the stage 2 Spec clutch would be better. Stage two is a Kevlar disk made like the stock design. I have a stage 3 Spec 6 puck or my turbo 280Z and it chatters a lot and is super grippy. I can't image slipping that clutch. I guess talking to the spec tech guy would be helpfull. Keep us updated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug71zt Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 Do yourself a favor and don't waste the money on a Centerforce clutch. I have the heaviest 240mm DF in my turbo 240 and I'm not happy with it. It's OK under normal use, but even on street tires, sometimes it will slip when you have solid traction. I know that I'm not the only one who has experienced this. If I dump it at 4K, its alright on slicks, but if I try to walk it out on street tires, it won't hook up. I guess that it bites OK if you drop it, but if you slip it a bit, it won't hook up for a long time. That's the best way that I can explain it. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
510six Posted July 23, 2004 Share Posted July 23, 2004 I am using a Clutch Specialties Sintered Iron disc with a 2600lb pressure plate and it is holding over 500rwh and close to 500fpt with slicks on N20 and I have never had it fail. http://www.clutchspecialties.com/ When I had my Nitrous only car I was running a 6 puck clutch from Them and was very happy with the performance and price,although it may take a bit to get a clutch from them it is worth the wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clifton Posted July 25, 2004 Share Posted July 25, 2004 I also run a Clutch Specialties set up. 225mm, 6 puck. Way cheaper than ACT and CF, never had any slippage issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobythevan Posted August 3, 2004 Author Share Posted August 3, 2004 I just went ahead and ordered another ACT 6 puck like I had. This time I will break it in better and not set and burn the clutch at 4 grand. I would have bought the clutch specialties setup but they never returned my email. Their willingness to answer questions is just as important as their product to me, so I'll just stick with ACT and try round 2. Car should be back up this weekend and I can start the swap over to npr IC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffp Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 >Do yourself a favor and don't waste the money on a Centerforce clutch. I have the heaviest 240mm DF in my turbo 240 and I'm not happy with it. It's OK under normal use, but even on street tires, sometimes it will slip when you have solid traction. I know that I'm not the only one who has experienced this. If I dump it at 4K, its alright on slicks, but if I try to walk it out on street tires, it won't hook up. I guess that it bites OK if you drop it, but if you slip it a bit, it won't hook up for a long time. That's the best way that I can explain it. I could not agree more. I bought the CF DF unit and thought it would work, well it did for about 700 miles, 600 of which were on the highway. I ran the car on the dyno and it gave out at 380 foot pounds of torque. Not worth the powder to blow it away in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 I could not agree more. I bought the CF DF unit and thought it would work, well it did for about 700 miles, 600 of which were on the highway. I ran the car on the dyno and it gave out at 380 foot pounds of torque. Not worth the powder to blow it away in my opinion. First off the CFDF units require 500 miles of city driving without full power applied for break in. Break in is very important for any friction surface. 600 highway miles do almost NOTHING to break in a clutch. Second, the CFDF is rated for up to a 90% increase over stock power once properly broken in. If you expect more than that from it, then it won't last. If you are making more than 90% over stock power levels, buy a clutch rated accordingly. I love it when people buy the wrong product for the applicaiton/abuse it/install incorrectly/etc and then blame the product for failing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffp Posted August 4, 2004 Share Posted August 4, 2004 I had proper break in on the clutch just for your information. What I failed to mention in my post is that the first time I installed my clutch, the POS disc was hitting the flywheel bolts, where right on the spring retaining part of the disc. I put 600 miles on that thing normal driving, after I got it to go into gear right after I installed it. So I had to take it apart for something again and that is when I found out what really happened. I called CF and they had NO answer for me as to WHY their part was not configured to fit a STOCK setup on my turbo car. WHAT DID I DO??????????? I sent the whole assemblt to CF flywheel, pressure plate, disc and the flywheel bolts. I dont know what they did to the part, but it was not hitting when I got it back, BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONE THING. I paid for the shipping both ways on the parts and that cost me about 70.00 They did NOT replace the clutch and just made sure it would not hit on another install of the STOCK application. So NOW smartass, here is the story! 185Hp stock, let me see 90% more holding so that is 185 X .90=166.5 so you add that together and you get 351Hp I was running 15psi of boost on a stock 200K engine. Think smarty I was making the poor little CF clutch work to hard, I dont, and if that clutch can hold 15psi of boost then I revert back to my first post, the clutch is not worth the powder to blow it away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got MUCH better results with a stock Nissan clutch in the first place. I would suggest to you that you state your comments and forgo the smartass comments. Rest assured, I know how to put power to the ground and what it takes to do so. Had Center Force represented their product in the first place I would have NEVER considered utilizing their product in the first place. Additionally, I called CF customer service when the clutch started slipping, and the comment I got from the guy there was that they could only handle about 250Hp and I did mention the fact that they stated they held 90% more power and called him on it. He had NO answer for me, so again I revert back to my first post, the CENTER FORCE CLUTCH IS NOT WORTH THE POWDER TO BLOW IT AWAY! so put that in yoyur pipe and smoke it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 So if the actual circumstances are completely different than what you first post, why falsefy your facts with lies? Hey man, I can't read your mind and reply to what you are thinking, I can just make my reply to what is actually posted here on this board, for all to read... and I did so accordingly! Not sure what is up with your clutch hitting the bolts. All I can go on is the 3 CFDF's I've installed have all fit fine with stock nissan bolts, 240mm nissan flywheels. Sorry to hear you got shafted by CF for shipping, but that in itself doesn't have much to do with the performance of the clutch, but I can understand your frustration with the company because of that ordeal. I'd be pissed too. Rather than revert to namecalling, state your opinions and back them up with facts. If you had stated up front that you had properly broken in the clutch, and you had more than the 700 total miles (600 being on the highway) that you indicated in your first post, then I don't think my post would have ever been written. Anyway, can the smartass attitude and post the facts. If you don't, then don't get all bent out of shape when someone calls you on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffp Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 I can see your point and would agree. However I still revert back to what I stated in the first place. The Center Force clutch is not worth the 252.00 out the door for a disc and pressure plate. The clutch gave out at 380 dfoot pounds of torque, end of discussion. The stock Nissan 240mm unit is as good if not better then what Center Force sells. And as for the 90% over stock claim, I would really question that statement. My stock clutch that was on the car for 200K, and I installed the new disc(which I will add didnt need replacing) held the power just fine, in fact I sold the assembly to a guy on zcar forum, and when I took the clutch out of the car, the engraved writing on the disc was 95% intact. I was running the car the same way as the center Force unit. Do what you want, but for me to take a tranny out of my car for a slipping clutch, it better have some significant miles on the unit. NOT 1500-or whatever. So its your choice, and if you go with Center Force I really hope it weorks out for you, but for me I hate taking the tranny out of my car and to do it just after I bought the thing is totally unacceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 So Jeff, in the end what did you find that would work for your setup without slipping? (and hopefully without breaking the bank) Sounding like the Clutch Specialties unit is the way to go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffp Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 I knew I was a gonner for any kind of standard clutch material after my first dyno pull. So I started calling around and found Superior Friction at the recommendation of Dave Robello. I spoke to Robin there and told him how much power I was putting to the clutch, he was a little unbelieving at that point. He said he would give me a discount if I provided him with a dyno pull to use as advertising for his setups I said ok. He was a believer after that. He recommended a Kevlar and matallic disc and made the pressure plate himself to go with the disc. That thing was a pain in the butt when I first installed it. I drove it on the dir and could not get the car going without doing a burnout, and it was not much better on the street, but I got the unit broke in and am able to slip it somewhat to get the car moving. It's not to bad to drive now. The clutch held 475 foot pounds of torque on the dyno and I was happy with that, but when I finally get the engine to whare I want it, the torque will be really pushing it with this setup as well. Robin does have a solution for me, but I dont think I am going to like it LOL. There is one area where you CANT have your cake and eat it to, and that is the clutch. Oh well the price of going fast right? I have a picture of the clutch on my web page under the custom stuff thumbnail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted August 5, 2004 Share Posted August 5, 2004 I'm assuming your pressure plate is ungodly stiff... how do the stock hydraulics hold up to those kind of loads? Have you had to upgrade clutch fork, slave cylinder, etc. in order to run this? I'm getting all paranoid about my CFDF now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug71zt Posted August 7, 2004 Share Posted August 7, 2004 Hey Jeff - Similar story on the disc hub/ flywheel bolts interference here. They sent you a 300ZX turbo disc. The offset of the hub is different than the 280zx turbo disc. The damper springs touch the flywheel bolts on the L6 flywheel. The V6 flywheel has a deep depressed area in the center of the flywheel, so it will work with a center-hung damper assy, whereas the L6 flywheel is quite flat and requires an offset damper assy on the clutch disc. I also was quite careful on my break-in of the clutch, as I put probably 1500 miles on the car doing EFI tuning, etc before taking it to the strip for the first time. The flywheel was in excellent shape and freshly ground and balanced when the clutch was installed. I have had 2 other CF clutches with the similar story, I just thought that I was over-powering them, but I suspect that they don't live up to their rating system. I'll be looking elsewere for my next clutch. Right now I just dump it at 4K and deal with the bog and 1.9-2.2 60 ft times. It probably has 200 passes on it like this, and seems to work OK in this manner. But if you try to slip it to maintain traction, it will NEVER hook up when the engine starts making good power. I've been through the T/O system and nothing is sticking there. I've just come to the (justifiable) conclusion that they don't work as advertised. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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