This is the new age of manual transmissions. The new darling of the street set is the T-56 six-speed, and there is a passel of new five-speeds to choose from, most of which sport some kind of overdrive top gear. Automatics have their place, but 21st-century performance machines are increasingly sporting manual transmissions. That means clutches are back in the spotlight.
Just like a high-performance cam or carburetor, itÂ’s important to choose the proper clutch and pressure plate thatÂ’s matched to your application. The good news is there are literally dozens of different clutch assemblies available to choose from. ThatÂ’s also the bad news because that offers plenty of opportunity to choose the wrong one.
Disc material selection changes the coefficient of friction—or how well the facing grabs the flywheel and pressure plate. The organic compounds (left) generally are less aggressive and offer easier engagement. The metallic compounds (right) can withstand more heat and offer greater holding power but are difficult for daily street driving. Many companies like Centerforce and Hays offer discs that compromise by using both materials, one on each side.
LetÂ’s take a look at some clutch basics first, and then we can jump into selecting the best clutch and pressure plate assembly for your car. For this story, weÂ’ll concentrate on the clutch disc and pressure plate. Flywheels are part of the system, and weight does play a big role. Suffice to say that those trick lightweight aluminum flywheels may seem like a great idea by reducing the mass the engine has to accelerate. But for a typical street car, that reduced mass also makes light acceleration from a dead stop very difficult. WeÂ’ll save the rest of that story for a later issue.
See the whole article here in its correct Layout:
http://www.carspoon.com/articles/General%20Car%20Modifications/In+the+Clutch+-+Everything+You+Need+to+Know+About+Clutches+Part+1-1158465166.htm
