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Good clutch for aluminium flywheel?


siteunseen

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I have a fidanza aluminium flywheel with a centerforce II clutch running on the larger (240mm) flywheel size .  Clutch operation feels great and i called centerforce to get their recommendation which was this clutch.  I dont have many miles on it but it feels good so far.

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The first pic is the flywheel with clutch attached.  Also be sure to check the length of the bolts holding your starter in.  This may have just been my car but the stock looking bolts were too long and interfered with the new centerforce clutch.  The clutch rotated but the whole motor made a clunking sound that resembled a broken crank or some horrible dead-motor sound.

 

 

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IMHO, the Centerforce pressure plate with those weights is a POS. The increase in release pressure at higher rpm caused by those weights put a lot of load on the thrust bearing in the engine and the added mass of that pressure plate puts a bigger load on the transmission synchros.  A number of us who raced in ITS years ago wouldn't run those things even when Centerforce gave them to us for free.

 

I guess if you just putt around and the street they would be OK.

Edited by John Coffey
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Exidy is apparently the performance division of Daiken. I had one installed in my 280Z last year. When I used to Rally, Autocross and Race Datsuns back in the 70's and 80's. We always used Daiken or Repco ( AP ) clutches. Good stuff.

 

I had a good look at the Exidy replacement Clutch kit ( Stock.. nothing fancy ) and sure enough all the parts were Daiken. All parts looked well manufactured, nicely balanced and good riveting. Extra HD retaining straps on the PP.  Very nice semi metallic disc, well ventilated and with lots of metal strands in the material. All signs of a good product.

 

I've got about 5,000 miles on it now. Very smooth engagement, easy pedal but lots of bite.

 

As a former Nissan Partsman, I'm not excited about the Nissan factory clutches. The pressure plates are good... but the discs have always been.. Meh. Almost appear to be made out of cord wood. We used the Nissan discs as Frisbee's and went for a good semi-metallic like Daiken or Repco ( AP clutches ). 

 

Edit: South Bend and Clutch Masters also make good products. I had a SB in my Audi A4 1.8T Quattro. Turbo 1.8 L engine, 20 lbs of boost, tall 1st gear, 9.5 lb Fidanza aluminium flywheel and Autocrossing does not make for a long clutch life. Yet I got 50,000 miles out of it.  A good semi metallic disc is all you need for a DD or Autocross car.

 

BTW.. I hated the aluminum flywheel on the Audi. Great for autocross, horrible on the street. Went back to the stock Dual Mass flywheel on the Audi and it's much easier to drive and much less Harmonics/Vibration as well.

Edited by Chickenman
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IMHO, the Centerforce pressure plate with those weights is a POS. The increase in release pressure at higher rpm caused by those weights put a lot of load on the thrust bearing in the engine and the added mass of that pressure plate puts a bigger load on the transmission synchros.  A number of us who raced in ITS years ago wouldn't run those things even when Centerforce gave them to us for free.

 

I guess if you just putt around and the street they would be OK.

Had a similar problem on my Autocross/Hillclimb Camaro. Hydraulic clutch system, and hydraulics couldn't handle the release pressure of the Centerforce over about 6,000 RPM. Since I shifted at 6,800 to 7,000 all the time, it dragged the clutch disc on shifts and was extremely hard on the synchros. Went back to a McLeod semi metallic system and all was well.

Edited by Chickenman
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I'll be carrying both the aluminium and the stock flywheel to my machinist today for resurfacing and his opinion.  If the aluminum looks too far gone and needs a new friction plate I'll just use the stock one and save the aluminium for another day.  

 

I ordered an Exedy kit and a new non adjustable slave cylinder for the 280 5 speed I'm switching into my 240.  :)

 

Thanks for the replies.

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What Chickenman said above is true in my experience.  Around 200hp I would use a Nissan pressure plate and a Daiken or Exidy clutch.  Unfortunately you can't get the Nissan Motorsports clutch and pressure plate anymore.  Both were very good.

Edited by John Coffey
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