I finally got around to getting the clutch done. So far I have personally put 94k miles on the clutch that came in the car. It was some Valeo clutch which was really heavy for some reason, chattered, did not grip too well at this point. The bottom line, it was time to retire it. I talked to one of my friends and he talked me into getting ACT. What also helped was that I got a smoking deal on the kit, which included everything (clutch, pressure plate, pilot bearing, throwout bearing, alignment tool). It took me about 6 hours to finish the job with a few trips to the parts store (resurface the flywheel, ran out of silicone), and couple of trips to Sears (pick up wobble 1/2 inch adapter, and ratchet 12mm wrench) to make the job easier. I've pulled transmission several times, but never went past the bellhousing, so this was learn as you go type of install. For instance, I did not know which way to install flywheel back on, until I realized that the 6 bolt pattern on the crank is offset, and will only install one way. Anyway, after everything is said and done, clutch was installed, and I took it around the block, to make sure that there is no slip, and I've got good disengagement.
A few impressions: Everything is so smooth now. No chatter, no notchy gears, and the pedal is actually about twice as soft as it used to be with the previous clutch in there. Right now it feels no heavier than any of the clutches in hydro assisted systems, and it's rated to 450 ft lbs of torque, which will be good enough for a very long time. I think one of the reasons why the clutch is lighter is because the fingers on the pressure plate have different leverage points than stock pressure plate, and make it easier to get the clutch to engage. If I would have known how comfortable a good sports clutch could be earlier on, I would have done this modification a long time ago.
A few impressions: Everything is so smooth now. No chatter, no notchy gears, and the pedal is actually about twice as soft as it used to be with the previous clutch in there. Right now it feels no heavier than any of the clutches in hydro assisted systems, and it's rated to 450 ft lbs of torque, which will be good enough for a very long time. I think one of the reasons why the clutch is lighter is because the fingers on the pressure plate have different leverage points than stock pressure plate, and make it easier to get the clutch to engage. If I would have known how comfortable a good sports clutch could be earlier on, I would have done this modification a long time ago.
