ACT Stage 2 Clutch
ACT Stage 2 Clutch:
Before and After
Last Update:
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The stock clutch is not designed to hold under higher power conditions. Generally speaking, the addition of an extra 15 horses had begun overwhelming the stock clutch. At first, chirping the tires was easy. Over the period of just a month, I could no longer chirp second no matter how hard I tried. With forced induction looming its (ugly) head, it was Time for a new clutch as a pre-emptive measure.
BEFORE:
Ummm... it was the stock clutch, so let me just explain what I needed to do and where the clutch is now. Oh yeah, as everyone knows, the stock clutch has a fairly light feel and has a very smooth takeup. The flywheel of the OEM clutch also weighs about 20-21 pounds.
AFTER:
I can't really notice a pronounced difference between the stock 20 pound flywheel and my 14 pound flywheel. Perhaps it revs quicker, perhaps it's my imagination.
The initial impressions.
Day One: The clutch was stiff. I mean stiff. Easily twice or three Times the usual pedal effort was required to push it in. And the clutch chatter. It was moderate, but very prominent.
Day Five: The clutch became much easier to use, although maybe still a good 50% stiffer than stock, but very usable. Clutch chatter was still very present.
Day Fifteen: The clutch now feels almost as soft as stock, maybe about 25% stiffer or so. Or maybe I just got used to it. I don't know. Chatter still present, but decreasing.
1000+ miles: Clutch still chatters when I pull hard off the line revving less than 2000rpm. Still feel the occasional chatter even when not driving abusively. I can now almost control when the clutch chatters and when it doesn't with pedal modulation.
The clutch grabs hard, maybe too hard. Chirping the tires into second is no sweat now. Car does need some servicing to make it better, namely tighening of some bolts to stop squeaks and tighening the accessory belts which now squeal again at WOT. Overall I feel confident that the clutch will hold nitrous or forced induction, and it's very drivable, but some may find it a bit less tolerant than the stock clutch. It still chatters ever so slightly and I can predict when it will and when it won't. I don't know how much of it is due to some installation blunder and how much can be directly attributed to the clutch itself, so I will not try and place blame or point fingers. Let's just say that this is what I am experiencing and "Invididual Results May Vary(tm)."
Cost Analysis
I Spent:
$600, $250 plus $350 for installation.
When:
September 1998