Howdy All,

(Yes, I have searched.. and there is some discussion but not enough for me)

It's time for a new clutch for me, not because I ruined it but because it was basically already gone when I got it! (Honest :P).. this is for my TL VR-X.


I am thinking of going Exedy.. I am trying to decide between the standard or HD clutch.. I have driven some cars with harder clutches in the past (unfortunately I'm not sure of the specifics of them) and liked it.. but I have also never driven this Magna with a non-buggered standard-ish clutch so I have no real idea of the base line.

To be clear I'm obviously not interested in anything crazier than HD.. just trying to decide if I should get the HD or not.. also looks like I'll be up for a few hundred more to get the HD versus the price MadMagna has kicking at the moment... but I haven't gotten a hard price.

Some simple facts

I have no real performance modification plans, if I do do anything it will be fairly basic... nothing too crazy.
I am likely to attempt some basic track days at some point just for fun & learning
I don't have to drive stop-start every day to work (work at home :D)
I am learning to rev match generally and blip throttle as appropriate when changing gears [and I am doing OK], so I don't plan to rip it out it all over the place. But I do also have a bit of a habbit of changing down when slowing down (usually just drop back to third) where I don't rev match [for the record I don't do this because I think it serves any particularly practical purpose, I just like doing it].. and generally I obviously have a while to go in perfecting the art of nice smooth shifts everywhere



Curious on anyones opinions who has owned a HD or Standard one.. and also open to opinions on other clutch brands (Xtreme?) but Exedy seems to be the way to go... curious on any reports of the difference in pedal feel as well as general use.

Hi mate,
You really have answered the questions yourself really, if I was in your spot I would not bother with HD as besides a few track days you really ahve no reason to go HD

If only a day or two, then again no real reason given the exedy has shown to take a lot of punishment as it is.

my car for example,. has a factory mits clutch and does everything including towing my boat on a regular basis

i have an exedy, its not heavy duty. it feels nicer and has abit more bite then the standard clutch did (could have been because it was old) id just go with a standard exedy. there cheaper to

If you're going to do track days, do yourself a favour and get a HD clutch. Standard clutch will shit itself with one or two trips to the drags or a track day, IMO.

I had a HD clutch I bought off megatron in my Ralliart Magna, and the pedal feel was exactly the same as stock, except it took a lot of punishment. IIRC it was about $700 for the clutch and about the same again to install it.

Disciple, sorry but will have to totally disagree with you

The Exedy kit is about 20% heavier than standard, will feel much the same as the std clutch from factory (as you mention above) however has the extra clamp. If you really had an Exedy HD you would have felt a real difference in your clutch pedal thus I think you would have had a Exedy std duty or perhaps another brand HD clutch both being more heavy than a factory installed clutch

He did say he would only be doing a some days on the track for practice and has no real intention of serious mods so on that basis there is absolutely no need to spend a heap extra on HD option

I just got the HD version of whatever megatron sells.

Pedal feel was the same as stock. Pick up point was closer to the floor. Ultimately it was a far better clutch.

I cooked my standard clutch after 4 runs down the quarter mile.

For normal driving a standard jobbie will be fine. I would just hate to see the guy go to a track day and cook a standard clutch, then be up for another $1500 because he didn't get the HD to start with, that's all.

I just got the HD version of whatever megatron sells.

Pedal feel was the same as stock. Pick up point was closer to the floor. Ultimately it was a far better clutch.

I cooked my standard clutch after 4 runs down the quarter mile.

For normal driving a standard jobbie will be fine. I would just hate to see the guy go to a track day and cook a standard clutch, then be up for another $1500 because he didn't get the HD to start with, that's all.

Your standard jobbie must of been old or had something wrong with it. Ive know been to willowbank 3 time done about 30 runs not even looking at fade unless u cant drive and ride the clutch. But anyways my advice no need for HD clutch standard clutch is very good if not slightly heavy duty over lots of other standard clutches ive driven.

Disciple, sorry but will have to totally disagree with you

The Exedy kit is about 20% heavier than standard, will feel much the same as the std clutch from factory (as you mention above) however has the extra clamp. If you really had an Exedy HD you would have felt a real difference in your clutch pedal thus I think you would have had a Exedy std duty or perhaps another brand HD clutch both being more heavy than a factory installed clutch

He did say he would only be doing a some days on the track for practice and has no real intention of serious mods so on that basis there is absolutely no need to spend a heap extra on HD option

Driven both excedy HD and STD clutches feel most the same in clutch pedel feel.? But evo clutch a **** load heavier than both

Your standard jobbie must of been old or had something wrong with it. Ive know been to willowbank 3 time done about 30 runs not even looking at fade unless u cant drive and ride the clutch. But anyways my advice no need for HD clutch standard clutch is very good if not slightly heavy duty over lots of other standard clutches ive driven.

It had 90,000kms on it.

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones my friend. How many gearboxes you up to now? :eek2:

It had 90,000kms on it.

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones my friend. How many gearboxes you up to now? :eek2:

Alot lol But i know why i blow them lol. Since my standard clutch done now 20000km on it havent blown nothing.

It had 90,000kms on it. Aaaand had you owned the car since new?

Aaaand had you owned the car since new?

No. I was the third owner.

So... you're saying the stock clutch is shit because it had 90,000kms, no idea what might have happened to it in the past and fried itself after a few drag runs?

So... you're saying the stock clutch is shit because it had 90,000kms, no idea what might have happened to it in the past and fried itself after a few drag runs?

Sure, it's possible it was thrashed before I got it. That's irrelevant to my point tho.

Maybe, maybe not.

Maybe, maybe not.

Ok. Glad we got that sorted out.

Moving on...

....

Your point is that the standard clutch can't stand up to hard driving. Kurt thinks otherwise and if anyone would know it's him given his history. Your only experience with a factory spec clutch is a 90,000km old unit with 2 previous owners.

From my own experience with the factory clutch over 34,000kms - the only things that ever affected it was slipping it far too hard (burnout on private road, mum trying to get it up our driveway in second) and the one time I was so pissed off I flat-shifted and regretted it. Hard driving never affected its bite.

....

Your point is that the standard clutch can't stand up to hard driving. Kurt thinks otherwise and if anyone would know it's him given his history. Your only experience with a factory spec clutch is a 90,000km old unit with 2 previous owners.

From my own experience with the factory clutch over 34,000kms - the only things that ever affected it was slipping it far too hard (burnout on private road, mum trying to get it up our driveway in second) and the one time I was so pissed off I flat-shifted and regretted it. Hard driving never affected its bite.

No. My point is that I think getting a HD clutch installed if you're going to be doing track work is probably a better idea than getting a standard one, having it go bang, then having to get a HD one installed afterwards and regretting not just getting the HD to start with. My clutch was an example.

I've done this with 2 cars now. Second time round with the Evo I went straight to a brutal carbotic plate clutch.

Guys,
Lets compare apples with apples

For starters, an EVO does not come into this discussion, it is a totally different car, more stress both form being AWD as well as more power and more heavy (if I am not wrong on point 3)

Secondly, comparing a 90k old clutch with a totally unknown history is like getting upset when a near bald tyre does not grip in the wet

Back to the OP, STD duty clutch will handle any stock car, there is a member on these forums who has a 225mm STD clutch (not even exedy) and has had no issues with clutch slip despite only having one throttle position (to the floor)

If you want a quote on a HD exedy set up I will arrange for you also but with what you have listed above I do not think you need to spend the extra. If you really want a little more go the larger plate set up, I can explain to you how to mod the flywheel to fit the larger plate

If you want a quote on a HD exedy set up I will arrange for you also but with what you have listed above I do not think you need to spend the extra. If you really want a little more go the larger plate set up, I can explain to you how to mod the flywheel to fit the larger plate

Thanks everyone for your advice!

Mal also for your advice - What's the modification to the fly wheel involve (other than turning it over :P)? I did see mention of machining a step.


Also I have one last question which is, if we assume to ignore cost or "need".. is there any DOWNSIDE to going the HD, from the comments doesn't seem like it feels a whole lot different, is that true? Just takes a better punishing?... and again thanks all for your input I really appreciate it.

You DONT turn over clutches mate, this is for the dodgy idiots out there who have little mechanical concept and want to destroy their cars. People like this shit me like you would not believe.

The only issue with the 240mm is that on some flywheels the rivets will touch the inner edge, you then need to simpply machine a step 5mm across from the inner edge and about 3mm deep. It is not hard and it allows you to use the larger plate with no issues

Some Magna's will have a flywheel with the larger centre already so there is no need for this.

sorry to semi hijack thread,

Im pretty sure i have the orignal clutch in my VR-X TL. Upon getting RACV inspection when purchasing the car at 105,000km the RACV guy said i would most likely be due for a new clutch some time soon. Well its done 120,000 now, and its still going fine. So my question is, how long should the factory clutch last on average if the car is driven normally with the occasional squirt every now and then?

sorry to semi hijack thread,

Im pretty sure i have the orignal clutch in my VR-X TL. Upon getting RACV inspection when purchasing the car at 105,000km the RACV guy said i would most likely be due for a new clutch some time soon. Well its done 120,000 now, and its still going fine. So my question is, how long should the factory clutch last on average if the car is driven normally with the occasional squirt every now and then?

My last clutch in a 3.0 TF did 250000 kms (original clutch). I bought the car at 160k and drove it at the drags and a few circuit days. If you know how to use a clutch properly (im not saying you dont) then it should last ages.

wow! ok, well id assume the person i bought it off drove it pretty hard and im no awesome manual driver, but still feels really good and my dad test drives cars for a living and he reckons it was all good :D

Just keep driving it till it dies. Believe me you will know when it is about to give up the ghost. It will just start to slip and progressively get worse till you have no forward movement. lol

Just keep driving it till it dies. Believe me you will know when it is about to give up the ghost. It will just start to slip and progressively get worse till you have no forward movement. lol


This is so right! lol It happens suddenly, though. I replaced the clutch in a 2.6L TS at 217,000 Km when it did this, no hooning at all by me or past owners. I expect a 3.0L clutch to work harder, but it should get a careful owner to 200,000 Km I imagine. Mind you, some manual Lancer owners can cook theirs in 20,000 . . . .

You DONT turn over clutches mate, this is for the dodgy idiots out there who have little mechanical concept and want to destroy their cars. People like this shit me like you would not believe.

Ahahah I know that's what the Smiley as there for... I'd read your other posts on the topic :P


The only issue with the 240mm is that on some flywheels the rivets will touch the inner edge, you then need to simpply machine a step 5mm across from the inner edge and about 3mm deep. It is not hard and it allows you to use the larger plate with no issues

Some Magna's will have a flywheel with the larger centre already so there is no need for this.

OK so.. sounds like this would give you an effective 235mm contact area? And so I take it the flywheels are always 240mm or more, just that some of them have rivets in the way?