SPEC Stage 3 Clutch

2243 Views 12 Replies 5 Participants Last post by unkachabull, Nov 21, 2006

DRW

Discussion Starter · Nov 18, 2005

I've had a SPEC Stage 3 clutch in my Talon for a couple months now. Yesterday I finally took it to the track to give it a real test.

For starters, the clutch is a sprung 6 puck disc. Pedal pressure is easier than an ACT2100. Engagement is usually smooth, but sometimes it will chatter, tho the chatter isn't harsh. Daily driving with it was no problem.

Launching at the track was inconsistant. Sometimes it would grab very well, sometimes it would slip. When it was grabbing, it grabbed very well. Twice when I hit the 1-2 shift it engaged so hard the windshield wipers came on. One time at the 1-2 shift it didn't catch hardly at all. I shifted, let out the clutch, and the revs hit the limiter. I eased off the throttle to get it to grab, but it kept reving up everytime I hit the gas. It grabbed again when I shifted into 3rd.

I have a feeling my car might have been overpowering the clutch since I hit a trap speed of 122-123 mph a few times. According to the HP calculator at DSM.org I was putting out somewhere around 450HP.

I experienced that wierd willingness to slip a few other times, but I just thought the clutch wasn't broken in yet. From my experience the clutch works best when it isn't slipped during engagement. Use it like an on/off switch and it'll hold the power. It seems like any attempt to ease into it's engagement while at WOT will temporarily overheat it and it'll keep slipping for a moment. I guess that's what it means when they say a puck style clutch doesn't like to be slipped.

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1439/2000

· #2 · Nov 24, 2005

My god 450 is definately overpowering that clutch. I would say 350 is pushing it. I had a spec 3 in my 240 and was putting down 350and it was going out fast. Same story with my friends sentra. His slipped all the time so he gave spec a call and they told him max torque was around 320!

With 123 traps its time for something else.

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DRW

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 25, 2005

Only 320? The place I bought it from said it was good for 415 ft-lbs. I thought it would be enough. Oh well, the season doesn't start for a few months, so I have time to find another clutch.

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DRW

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 15, 2006

SPEC Stage 3 Clutch UPDATE

Well I finally pulled the clutch out of the car. It was about 3/4 of the way worn out after nearly a year of hard launches. I'd say that's good durability considering the HP my car puts out and the number of 1.6 and low 1.7 60' times put through it.

Like I said in my original review, it still had a tendency to slip badly if it was engaged gently at WOT. I had to shift quickly and let the clutch pedal up quickly to get it to grab. Otherwise it tended to slip, and it slipped more when hot. I could count on a few good passes when I first got to the track, then as it heated up from hard launches it wouldn't hold the power after a shift. I was able to get a new personal best at 11.6 @124mph. I feel that's about the limit this clutch can handle.

For daily driving, engagement remained chatter free after about 1000 miles. Pedal pressure was still as light as stock, very nice to drive.

I also liked how quickly I could shift gears with this clutch. I think the puck type disc helped here.

Overall, I think this is a great clutch for any car with less than 400HP.

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fiveSFE

· #5 · Aug 16, 2006

i have this same clutch, it has about 3500 miles on it right now, it chatters a bit, and daily driving is kind of a pita, but i also blame that on the fidanza flywheel. i have done probably about 5 hard mountain runs with this clutch and recnetly went to the track, there was hardly anyone at the track so i was just hotlappin it over and over for about 10 times with studderbox launches and it still gripped great all of those times.

I like this clutch, but i think my next one is going to be the 2600, not because i think the spec is bad, i just want to try it out.

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DRW

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 16, 2006

That's funny, I had the ACT2600 before I got the spec stage 3. The act2600 held the power a little better than the spec clutch, but it was a bit hard on the leg. I liked that the act2600 could be slipped a bit when shifting gears and could handle the heat. I didn't like the high pressure it put on the clutch pedal pivot bushings and clutch fork. The pedal pressure was so high I felt like everytime I pushed in the clutch I slid back in my seat, but some of that was due to the leather seats I had at the time.

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fiveSFE

· #7 · Aug 16, 2006

ive felt one act2600 and the pedal pressure wasnt as bad as everyone makes it to be.

my spec stage 3 feels really light, my moms jetta has a lighter clutch.

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Chicago_DSM

· #8 · Aug 16, 2006

I was just about to go out and buy the Spec - 3...I hadnt heard a bad review yet, and I dont wanna follow the crowd into an ACT unit...I dont plan on making power than 300-350whp with my new setup, and basically 12's, so what do you think? Is this clutch still the best for the money, or is it a waste of time...

Keep in mind, daily driver, and I dont feel like going thru clutches all the time...I would like a long lasting clutch, with the occasional launch every week or so for a track race or...not

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DRW

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 16, 2006

I think you'll like the spec stage 3 clutch for that power level. The pedal pressure is light so it's nice for daily driving.

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Chicago_DSM

· #10 · Aug 16, 2006

Ya, based on your description tho, it doesnt seem to hold up as well as I thought it would...

I slip my stock clutch right now, but it always holds thru shifts...If I started slipping in the upper rpm's I would have to smack a bitch

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unkachabull

· #11 · Nov 20, 2006

Ya I used to slip in the upper rpms really bad but now that my turbo blew I don't have that problem anymore... I'm forcing my mom to buy me new clutch and I told her that I'm not moving my car till it gets fixed. so we will see how long my car will be out for soon. Probably getting spec stage 3 because some douche bag talked me out of a act 2600 lol. You know who you are.

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Chicago_DSM

· #12 · Nov 20, 2006

Guilty as charged....If you don't like it, then go ahead and complain, I'll be running the same clutch and I have way more mods...ANy problem you would have, I would have worse

The Spec clutches dont get a big reputation in the dsm world...Hopefully by more people experimenting with them we can provide some useful reviews

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unkachabull

· #13 · Nov 21, 2006

Im not blaming you yet lol. Your saving my a lot of money until we finally find out how this is really gonna work. So thanks for now ha ha.

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