Competition Clutch Stage 3 users inside please!

[JoeliusZ28]

Hey all,

This fall I replaced the clutch in my car. Went from a 6 puck Spec Stage 3 to a full disc Competition Stage 3.

The engagement of the new clutch couldn't be better. It bites every bit as hard as my old spec with about 1000% less chatter. However this improvement seemed to come at a trade-off. My shifter is VERY notchy now and resistant to any kind of hasty gear change. It wants a dramatic pause between gears. Ive got at least 600 miles on it now and Ive done tests to rule out clutch drag, there is none.

So my question is, is this a universal experience for this clutch? I know that the weight of the clutch disc can affect this. My theory is that this brass disc is heavier than my old 6 puck, and possibly even heavier than a stock clutch disc. (I drove a car with a stock clutch for comparison and it shifted easier). My synchros seem to be so strained that in some conditions i even get an audible slamming noise from the driveshaft while shifting. This is 180 degree difference from my old Spec which didn't resist shifts at all. I could powershift the daylights out of that clutch and it seemed to love it. This one not so much. I'm trying to decide if i should just accept it as the way it is, or bite the bullet on another 6 puck and hopefully avoid killing a synchro? Im not one to run down a drag strip granny shifting. Im torn because it drives like a dream at a relaxed pace.

Any thoughts?

[fullforce]

wow Im looking forward to hearing the responses to this. sorry I cant help, Ive got a stock replacement disk and my trans has 185k on it and I powershift it weekly! lol

[JoeliusZ28]

Yeah ive posted about it on ls1tech too i havent gotten any feedback from anyone that has one yet. I read nothing but positive feedback about this clutch before i bought it. I think it would be fine for anybody that isnt a t56 slayer like myself, but thats half the fun of having a 6 speed ;)

[FormulaJoe]

I have that clutch with somewhere around 1,500 hard miles on it... Got it because my old Zoom couldn't handle the new engine. Can't say I'm experiencing what you are, at all. Tranny and clutch shift super smooth and as fast as I can shift when it comes down to it.. Awesome clutch, and so long as it lasts a good while I wont have any complaints.

[dcarter21]

I'm looking at one of these clutchs

[Still2slow]

Have you jacked up the rear of the car and put it in gear with the pedal in while idling to make sure it's fully disengaging? Sounds like it might be dragging a bit which could point to the hydraulics. If this is the case, so long as the slave cylinder is in good shape an adjustable master cylinder should do the trick.

[fullforce]

any updates?

[JoeliusZ28]

Have you jacked up the rear of the car and put it in gear with the pedal in while idling to make sure it's fully disengaging? Sounds like it might be dragging a bit which could point to the hydraulics. If this is the case, so long as the slave cylinder is in good shape an adjustable master cylinder should do the trick.
Yep ive done that. Took the engine up to 4k and had the pedal an inch or two off the ground before the wheels started turning. I am planning on changing the hydraulic fluid and bleeding this winter, since i believe it could be original fluid yet... but im about 99% sure that isnt the problem since it doesnt appear to be dragging.



any updates?

Notta. Ive been busy but still driving the car still experiencing the issue. Its definitely not "terrible" and dare i say im getting used to it... but then again I use this car for autocross and when i go back and watch old videos of my driving, i do believe I am ultimately going to end up taking this thing apart again. For a normal person it would be fine, but when im throwing this into a corner and i want it back in first gear... i want it there now, not after a delay or me having to forcefully jam it. The old setup shifted effortlessly and thats how i want it.

As soon as my car goes away for winter (looking like soon, got the first dusting of snow today) I am going to email competition clutch and see what they have to say about it. If that doesnt get me anywhere, I am debating going back to a lighter 6 puck.

[musict]

I ran the SPEC stage 4 in mine.... sucked on the street!!.... My brother has 2 boosted Mustangs and runs the SPEC stage 3+ in both. Great clutch for the street and strip!!.... He abuses the hell out of them doing 5K dumps with slicks and the clutch performs well.

Why would you think a clutch change would cause the "notchy" characteristic you are experiencing??..... check you slave adjustment.

[JoeliusZ28]

Why would you think a clutch change would cause the "notchy" characteristic you are experiencing??..... check you slave adjustment.

Its a fact that the weight of the clutch disc is relevant here. Heavier disc = more weight for the synchros to fight against when they are matching to the speed of the output shaft.

For what its worth, I have decided that this is definitely the cause of my problem and am just chalking it up as a lesson learned. I am still running the clutch. its not bad. I just know that the next time around I will definitely not be using a full disc clutch, especially a heavy brass one. I don't think most people want to shift as fast as i do. I'm the kind of guy that throws a fit about drive by wire lag most people dont notice :)