I have seen clutch kits ranging from about $500 to $150.
Barring the "you get what you paid for"
Has anyone had good/bad experiences here? name the brand if you can.
Thanks

150? For a 3rd gen clutch? That's insane. Im sure they can't be very good...

I agree, where have you seen $150 clutch kits? Bargain of the century!! Where is this and what brand? Unless you're able to do the work yourself with replacing a clutch and don't mind potentially doing the replacement earlier than what would usually be expected, or worse, have a clutch that won't grip properly, then stick with a better brand clutch. Anything from Exedy is trustworthy. Almost all members on this forum use Exedy clutches and some people really push their cars hard around here.

Magna clutches are unfortunately not very cheap. I recently bought one and did some research on what's around. I got some quotes ranging from $1000 at Bursons (even the guy on the phone told me to go somewhere else!), $1200 for a Xtreme-HD and thankfully a more reasonable $650 at Mitsfix for a full genuine Exedy clutch kit.
However - the cheapest I found was around $450 for a standard duty 230mm Exedy clutch from Clutch and Brake Australia. The kit has exedy parts but the box is rebranded. Apparently CBAus have good ties with Exedy and get them for a bit cheaper.
They have multiple outlets around Australia with one in Dandenong, but I bought mine from Rowville Brake and Clutch. Great shop, very helpful blokes and really know their stuff. Speak to Ross - he'll take care of you.

I ended up buying a 240mm 380 clutch and a 380 flywheel. It really is a fantastic setup. I'm yet to have any slippage and any rpm and I've done about 15,000kms or so. Car has been taken around a track and it performed perfectly when it came to changing into gears at high rpms. I recently had to remove the gearbox and the clutch had very little wear on it. I drive in a fair amount of city traffic at peak hours, and the clutch does not make my leg tired at all. It's not heavy and hard to shift - very easy to drive. My mum's urabuS is much harder and more tiring to change gears with than mine. Howver, I'm going to need at least anouther good 60,000kms or more to give a real review on how it performs over time.

Do a search about clutches because there's plenty of info on what people here have chosen and their experiences. The most common choice is to get a 240mm Exedy HD clutch or 230mm Exedy standard clutch if you're not planning to push your car incredibly hard and still value some form of comfort.

The el'cheapo is a "Valeo HCB" and it's for a 2nd gen magna. I found it online. (ok so I didn't look properly)
Nothern Brake and Clutch are just around the corner from me and can do Exedy 230mm for $550 or a 240mm for $580.
I would go for a 240mm if it drops straight in to a standard flywheel - does it?
Or if I read your post properly, it requires a 380 flywheel?

"Valeo" - never heard of it. :sick: stay away from that crap.

That isn't a bad price for those at all. Rowville Brake and Clutch quoted me a little bit less. Around $480 in Jan of this year for a 230mm standard duty clutch.

The 230mm clutch will bolt and fit straight up no worries. It was standard size clutch for the 3.5L versions. (220mm for 3l's).

There is a 240mm MAGNA clutch available from Exedy. It's a Heavy Duty (HD) version. To my knowledge - it fits fine but can require a small indent/step to be made into the flywheel for better fit. There is a bit of information around - do a quick search. Here's a thread I made asking about clutches - http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93528

I used a Mitsubishi 380 clutch and therefore need a 380 flywheel. It's standard duty and 240mm in diameter. Grips like a mad cat on a rug. If you don't mind spending the dosh I think it's well worth the money. You should come out to a Vic AMC meet sometime and see for yourself ;)

I ended up buying a 240mm 380 clutch and a 380 flywheel. It really is a fantastic setup. I'm yet to have any slippage and any rpm and I've done about 15,000kms or so.

Melted mine in under 5000km :S




There is a 240mm MAGNA clutch available from Exedy. It's a Heavy Duty (HD) version. To my knowledge - it fits fine but can require a small indent/step to be made into the flywheel for better fit.

The 240mm EVO clutch requires a step to be machined into the flywheel.

Woob, what are you using now?

Evo 9 clutch on stepped 380 flywheel, not a single sign of slippage so far.

Melted mine in under 5000km :S



Holy crap :/ :S :wtf:

You are running 190kws of power plus shitloads of torque with a blower so there's a hell of alot more torque and power being transferred through your clutch than mine. I've just got the standard 163kw/315nm power the VR-X's had and after almost 10 years I've probably lost some power too.

Also - I don't abuse my car too much either. Get's the odd spin here and there, through mountain's on the weekends and a recent run around a racetrack but I'm still reasonably tame on my clutch. Too expensive for me to be able to buy new one's every year.

How have you found the Evo 9 clutch and how much did it cost?

Evo 9 clutch is amazing, price was... cheaper than a standard Magna clutch but I've got no idea what they usually cost. Annoyingly the stock Evo clutch is only rated a little bit tougher than the 380 HD clutch, but seems to put up with so so much more.. I even tried to get it to slip and couldnt.

That's fantastic. Especially considering how much power you're running and how hard you push your car.

Seems Evo 9 clutches are the way to go!

I wasn't aware of the 380's having HD clutches available? The exedy website only shows 240mm standard duty clutches. Unless you're talking about anouther brand or it isn't listed on their site?

Dunno, bought it off Mal, said it was 380 HD.

"Valeo" - never heard of it. :sick: stay away from that crap.

Valeo is French for crap...
oem fitment on a lot of euro cars and even some of our locally produced cars :(
i havent found a product from them yet that has impressed me by its build quality. (i mainly deal with their electrical/ air con components)
http://www.valeo.com/en.html?L=223

"Valeo" - never heard of it. :sick: stay away from that crap.

Valeo is better known in Europe, as an aftermarket and OE manufacturer of powertrain, HVAC, lighting and interior electrical components. (As seen on Opel-sourced, Holden-badged Barinas, Astras and Vectras)

Daikin/Exedy cutches are good value for money.. I have used Exedy clutches in several of my previous Nissans (both heavy duty and standard types) without issue. The PBR/Clutch Industries (CI) clutch I had fitted in my old Elantra still was as new after 50k/2.5 years (as one would expect)

as far as the 'valeo' stuff is concerned i haven't had a problem. i picked up a PBR clutch industries kit for the first gen for $120 and that was a valeo clutch re branded. given its Korean made but she has taken 20,000k's worth of hard punishment and even towing tandem horse floats and never complained apart from a tiny bit of smell through the city once after a few hours of stop start. ive probably done 30,000 on it so thats a reasonable test. i always hold the car on the hill with the clutch but honestly if your not a roleback and can hold the car steady i cant see an issue with it and neither can the clutch apparently.
i stuck a valeo in my hq the other day because im pretty happy with the magna one. pbr offer a good warrenty with the valeo unit so it cant be bad. the warranty is apparently much better then exceedy and the local clutch and brake guy dosnt reckon they are the worst, nor the best. in the end if you machine your flywheel and replace the throw out and spigot bearing if you have one then i cant see an issue with the cheaper ones, bit different if your racing it!

I've gone for the Exedy 230mm std from Northern brake and clutch, and should have it some time tomorrow.
I rang Roville and they quoted me the same price as Northern. So we have gone from $480 in Jan to $550 in September.
Isn't our Aussie dollar strong at the moment? Makes you wonder. Lol thats life.
Now to hit the boss for some annual leave.
Oh and to read up on the chapter about dropping the gearbox ("Transaxel" for the purists)

Nice. Glad to hear. You won't have any complications or problems with the 230mm. I suspect you probably don't abuse your car much, so it'll more than fine. Standard clutches in the magna's tend to last till about 150,000km's +/- so if you don't burn her too much it'll be more than fine I'd say.

That is an interesting jump in price. Yeah you'd think the strong aussie dollar would've brought it down. Although from memory the aussie dollar was even stronger back in Feb so maybe that had something to do with it.

Did you call Clutch and Brake Australia in Dandenong? They were as cheap as the Rowville one back in Feb.

$550 still isn't a bad price at all. If you had called any of the other Exedy retailers you'd be looking at well over $620 for them, so you've still made a saving.

And as for removing the gearbox, it isn't overly hard if you've got previous mechanical experience - it's more or less just time consuming. I've done it twice now and it's not been extremely challenging. Do a search for 'manual conversion' and you should find plenty of instructions around. Specifically check to know how to disengage the throwout/spigot/thrust bearing, as well as clutch alignment, and most importantly - having some sort of support for the gearbox. It's pretty heavy (around 40kgs) and coupled with the box being a tight fit in the engine bay means that it's very difficult to lift up and line up properly without some sort of support. The first time I did it I had two mates and we used two car jacks, some chains + rope and it still was quite difficult to line up properly - took us a good few attempts and many hours. The second time around I was on my own, so I made use of a manual/hand winch that was attached to a H frame I made from metal and wood, and chains around the gearbox. I had to also remove the back gearbox/engine mount on the steering assembly as well. You could use an engine crane, or a hydraulic lift platform from a hire shop.

Good luck and enjoy!

"I suspect you probably don't abuse your car much"
No comments.....Officer.

I had a quick skim of the instructions for removal of the gearbox, apart from oil, I will need a new split pin (I'll have one lying around), exhaust gasket (~$6.00 from Repco) and thats it. did I miss any consumables?


I used to pull apart pre WRX Subarus all the time, so I should be ok to tackle the Magna (famous last words)
Once I converted a 2wd sedan into a 4wd dual range. But I don't want to create such large projects any more.

I found that gearbox to clutch aligment to either go straight in or take hours of swearing!!
Subaru had a special alignment tool, my mate made his own on a lathe, and I used my index finger!
Also by rotating the crank and watching how the gearbox shifted, I would know in which way I had to shift the gearbox to align it.
I think that a hand winch attached to the carport tressle will surfice for 40kg

I picked up the clutch kit today, and now to get my leave approved.
Cheers

Well, clutch replaced.
Disconecting thrust bearing ended up being easy.
Other things took time, like trying to figure out how to disconect speed sensor plug, (oh, remove metal clip)
and how hard I should wack the passenger drive shaft before I start looking at a hole in the gbox.
Next time these things would go a lot easier.
The new Exidy clutch is so lite that I thought it was not working, I bled it and hand spun the wheels to see that it indeed was working.
Seriously light!
It is nice to have a clutch again, I can bag em up instead of watching the tacho go up whilst the speedo does nothing.
Thanks for all your help.