[Guest]

Hey Fellers,

Is it normal for a freakin $519 clutch setup to fall apart so quickly. I've drag race with street tires a hand full of times plus a couple road races in the last 18 months. Other than normal road warrior wear and tear from a N/A torquey 383, I'm thinking WTF? Doug Wood also encountered the Spec disk failure. Is this a know quality issue?

When I pulled the pressure plate off, I found EVERY spring still in the disk cracked. Parts of springs everywhere with one spring completely ejected from the disk.

I bought it about 18 months ago. Was there a recall? If not, what is a good alternative to handled about 370 RWD HP and 400+ Torque.

Many thanks...again.

Mark

 

[Guest]

Save your pennies and buy the McLeod Street Twin. From what I have heard and read on other forums, they seem to be the best. Of course at $800, its a little pricey.

 

[Guest]

I have the stage 2 and it is holding up good. I suggest that you contact SPEC. I think that Doug drove over and picked up a new one. I am not sure if he got warranty or what but he seemed satisfied. I am not sure where you are but SPEC is located slightly south of Birmingham.

 

[Guest]

Lots of guys on the Z28 board have had the same problems with SPEC. It seems that they will help you out if you call the company. I considered Spec when I first started researching the swap, but quickly decided to go elsewhere after reading the huge amount of bad press that they have received.

Keep us posted...

 

[Guest]

For what it's worth department:

Once I got mine apart I called Dave at Spec. He said the only thing that causes that is too much movement of the hub. This movement is caused by tailshaft lateral preload.

I hear this and my forehead wrinkles. Say what?

Dave goes: "Check your pilot bushing, I'll bet is all worn out." Sure enough, I went back and checked and the bushing center was all worn out.

Tailshaft sideload can do this? We are not talking about that much misalignment in my case; maybe 1/2 a bolt hole. So during reassembly I simply drop the tailshaft down on the crossmember. Sure enough, holes were not aligned. Xmember had to move towards the passenger side. So I loosened the xmember, tightened up the tail mount, then tightened the xmember bolts to the frame.

Time will tell. Another culprit could have been when I blew the rear gears in November 02 - I may have inflicted initial damage to the disk hub that didn't show itself until the morning of Day 1 @ Tulsa 7 months later. Either way, I think I caused the damage. I have no complaints with SPEC.

 

[Guest]

I like and use Spec clutches, but I heard that the springs in the hub are the same ones they put in their 4 cylinder clutches eg: they are SMALL.

If you compare even a stock clutch to a spec clutch you will see what I mean. A stock clutch's springs are twice as big. Maybe I can get them to make one with bigger springs or I will be going with a stage 4 clutch next time. I am not looking forward to a non-sprung full race clutch but what else short of a McCleod is gonna hold 500 hp behind a 4000 lb car on Slicks?

I'm gone.

 

[Guest]

Hey Nab...make sure you have a good dentist...or big tire budget if you go fixed disk..you'll need it !!!! On the other hand...it should hook

SSee ya, Scott ( still..and always..."slushbox"!!!!!)

 

[Guest]

Appreciate the feedback. I bought the clutch through BBHP and contacted Josh. I've been very pleased with Josh's responsiveness and commitment to get the issue resolved. He contacted Spec and we'll be going through the options.

Got the same response from Spec that Doug did. Find it hard to comprehend how lateral movement would crack springs within the hub. Sounds more like a heat/materials issue. Clutch was purchased 18 months ago. Hope an updated engineering process has been adopted. I'll give Spec another chance if they back their product...we'll see.

Unfortunately, other damage has been done. I may need a new fly wheel. Pilot bearing became black powder and it appears the shaft started to eat into the flywheel. Will know for sure once I can break the bolts loose. Any suggestions?

Used T56 is getting refurbished and hope to have a new input shaft installed. In addition, in my effort to limp the car home, I instinctively pressed down harder on the clutch pedal and went beyond the stopper to disengage and managed to bend the slave plunger...SOB.

Oh well, once I get this mess cleaned up, CC875 lifters will go in under the Rev Kit (that will take a while), 6pt Racing Harness, and rear axles. Got 167K on the OEMs. Good thing I have some time off.

Mark...thanks again guys.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by faSSt94Impala:
In addition, in my effort to limp the car home, I instinctively pressed down harder on the clutch pedal and went beyond the stopper to disengage and managed to bend the slave plunger...SOB.

How did you manage to do this? Sounds to me like your pedal geometry is wrong. What pedal are you running?

 

[Guest]

I always mention it, but yet to have seen anybody besides myself run this clutch. The Mcleod "street" clutch from thunder racing. Not the street twin. just single disk.

They claim good for 5-600hp, and 7500rpm launches with the pressureplate.

My car is not a daily driven car but when it does get driven, its beaten, basicly as hard as possible,(40mph 4500rpm double clutches are quite routine in 2nd and sometimes in 3rd, just for fun)

Oh its definitely not a stock engined car too.

Cost was as close to spec (550 or so) and nobody uses it, they all get the spec that can have simular "chatter problems" as well.

 

[Guest]

The Mcleod "street" clutch from thunder racing. Not the street twin. just single disk.

Troy Clark out here in ROD just installed this clutch. He ALSO has 500 flywheel HP.....off the bottle

....from his 396.

I think we'll soon find out how well this clutch stands up to real abuse in a B-body!

 

[Guest]

Mike,

Got F-Body pedals and setup with Mcleod master. Needed custom Billet adapters that I got from ? in IL. It was a while back. Got his name from this forum. Plunger is adjustable on Master...recon I was a hair off. Only bent the rod slightly.

Mark

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by AutocroSSer:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />The Mcleod "street" clutch from thunder racing. Not the street twin. just single disk.

Troy Clark out here in ROD just installed this clutch. He ALSO has 500 flywheel HP.....off the bottle

....from his 396.

I think we'll soon find out how well this clutch stands up to real abuse in a B-body! </font>[/QUOTE]Ed, ever find out how his clutch has performed?

 

[Guest]

Troy had no clutch issues, but did have the motor go belly up on him not long after the T56 swap. Currently his car temporarily has a stock motor in it.....one that sure as hell ain't stressing the street twin.

Refer again to my PM to you on this. I'm dead serious when I said that for YOUR app (stock motor), I'd go with the LT4 clutch and press plate.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by AutocroSSer:
Troy had no clutch issues, but did have the motor go belly up on him not long after the T56 swap. Currently his car temporarily has a stock motor in it.....one that sure as hell ain't stressing the street twin.

Refer again to my PM to you on this. I'm dead serious when I said that for YOUR app (stock motor), I'd go with the LT4 clutch and press plate.

Oh, I thought he had the single disk McLeod. I was thinking of going with LT4 PP and the McLeod Performance single disk.

 

[Guest]

I'll steal a phrase from Doug. In the for what its worth department.... just yet another opinion, and I know the LT4 dual mass setup is working well for Ed and most everyone. BUT.... an LT4 dual mass setup will run you about $1000-1200 new, less depending on where you find parts. And you will still have a tin-can thin GM f-body bellhousing, and a 10.5 clutch setup.

For the same $1200 you can have the Weir Hot Rod bellhousing, master cylinder, hydraulic TB, and a 12 inch Mcleod big block clutch setup. Once you SEE the Weir housing and TB you will get over the $685 price tag. And it comes with a Tilton 1 inch bore master, that is easily adaptable to the BBHP pedal assy.

Then you get a 11 or 12 inch Mcleod flywheel/PP/disc and never worry about breaking anything. This is my setup:

Mcleod P/N 460260-1A 12 inch steel flywheel 1986-96
Mcleod P/N 360820 12 inch pressure plate
Mcleod P/N 260873 12 inch dual friction disc



Just an option, but man feel my clutch pedal, no adjustments on the TB, a BREEZE to bleed, complete disengagement. Almost plug and play..... granted I'm only putting 300/342 to the rear wheels, but its solid.

Gerry-
T56 / 4:56

 

[Guest]

Gerry : I see you misunderstood what I wrote you in private e-mail a few days ago....and what I am recommending here to MafioSSo

Namely, use the LT4 Clutch/PP (total of approx $400) with the stock LT1 (i.e. NOT an arm and a leg of cost) flywheel.

That is what was on my car with the stock motor (LT4 clutch, LT4 PP, LT1 flywheel). Drives great (hell Gerry, YOU drove the car before with it installed ), and was very durable in my app. Never had ANY clutch issues whatsoever with it, and when I pulled the motor/clutch/tranny a couple months back for the 383 the clutch barely looked worn at all with 25K on it. It was EASILY good for another 25K, and most likely another 50K! I'll admit I was tempted to just get the flywheel resurfaced and neutral balanced and bolt it back in (in retrospect I probably should have, but that's another post.....). Would it have held behind the 383? Not sure, but would be interesting to find out.....

Do I drag race much on it? Nope. But "gentle" would be a bad term to describe how I drive the car

 

[Guest]

Ed,

Yep, my sincere apologies. Missed the 'not included' dual mass LT4 flywheel. That makes a BIG difference in cost, as you told me the other day. The LT1 flywheel is still about the same $$ as a Mcleod though. And yes, driving your setup 2 years ago is geniunely (sp ?) what got me hooked, and its sweet. Please take no offense.

You know I went for some overkill, and absolutely the driving force for me was my complete dislike of the stock OEM GM f-body bellhousing. And that was because I've had ONE flywheel too many come through a cheap bellhousing and past my foot!

When I found the Weir setup, I went down a different road, and am now very happy, very surprised at its feel and performance. Granted, I have about $700 less in my wallet now, but what the heck, I wanted to be different.

Gerry-

 

[Guest]

Different is good!

(At least, so far....)

 

[Guest]

I'll toss in 'avoid sprung hub discs'.

Since installing the solid hub (Spec IV how long ago?) not ONE issue. Within the same time period running sprung hub discs I had the trans on the floor half a dozen times. Another item to add to the Good Move Department.

1. T56
2. Push Clutch
3. 4.56
4. Solid Disc

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