Spec stage 2 clutch question

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Centerfoce's reply to e-mail

I do not know if you aware of why valeo is the only manufacturer of a replacement pull style pressure plate for this application, whom, valeo, provides the yellow alignment dot on every pressure plate they produce for balancing purposes. Your are incorrect is stating a LT1 flywheel is neutral balance, a LT1 engine requires a (external balanced flywheel), however, General Motors provides the X or yellow mark on the for lack of counter weight is the original equipment flywheel, therefore, in General Motors theory, by aligning the yellow dot provided on the valeo pressure plate to the X mark on the flywheel provides the proper balance for a LT1 engine. In regards to setting the flywheel on top of one another to transfer the balancing mark, I would not recommend this procedure due aftermarket flywheels are balanced to a detroit specification and may vary slightly from your original equipment flywheel. Also, if you match the flywheel to the the flex plate, you will retain a closer balance to original equipment specification.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Is the LT1 engine internally or externally balanced.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Well I talked to my neighbor the engine builder about it and he said the LT1 is externally balanced. I was wrong about that.

My neighbor has access to a machine to balance a flywheel. He is going to measure the flex plate that came with my automatic and match the flywheel to the same weight. That will solve that problem.

Now to find a different clutch and pressure plate. I'm not putting that SPEC back in the car. There is something wrong with it.

[MN6WS6]

Have you called them yet? I'm telling you man, they'll take care of you if you let them know what's going on.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Have you called them yet? I'm telling you man, they'll take care of you if you let them know what's going on.

No. I'm going to call them this morning and see what they can do.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

I called SPEC. They will not exchange it even if I pay them up front for another one in Lou of them getting the old one and inspecting it. I have to send mine to them, let them determine the problem, then either send it back (which I wouldn't use) or send me a new one. I told them I don't want to use the stage 2 clutch if they determine that is the problem. He said you want to upgrade to the stage 3. I said no I want to downgrade to the stage 1. He said they could do that. Either way I will be out of a car for a week. I am not happy about this because it is my daily driver. Luckily we have a third car but I hate driving it. What are you supposed to do if you don't. If you have to rely on your car for a daily driver, you finish the statement.

[MN6WS6]

Well, I'm sorry that it's turned out that way, but at the same time if it comes between coughing up another $450 for a clutch or sending yours back, I'd send it back. You have a third car so it only makes sense to do that. Even if you didn't have a third car, it would still be cheaper even if you went out and rented a car for $20 or $30 a day. Otherwise you just threw away $450 because it's no good to anybody else if it's not replaced or at least given the OK by Spec before you try to sell it and recoup some money.

I can also tell you that you will not be happy with a Spec I. I believe somebody on another board once bought a Spec I and it was the same as a stock clutch. If you have any mods, then it's only going to last as long as your stock one did, which in my car wasn't but about 60k miles. Once you get used to the Spec II you will be happy with the decision.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Well, I'm sorry that it's turned out that way, but at the same time if it comes between coughing up another $450 for a clutch or sending yours back, I'd send it back. You have a third car so it only makes sense to do that. Even if you didn't have a third car, it would still be cheaper even if you went out and rented a car for $20 or $30 a day. Otherwise you just threw away $450 because it's no good to anybody else if it's not replaced or at least given the OK by Spec before you try to sell it and recoup some money.

I can also tell you that you will not be happy with a Spec I. I believe somebody on another board once bought a Spec I and it was the same as a stock clutch. If you have any mods, then it's only going to last as long as your stock one did, which in my car wasn't but about 60k miles. Once you get used to the Spec II you will be happy with the decision.

You're right. It's just frustrating to buy a new part and have a problem with it.

My car is stock except cold air and the exhaust. I have no plans for any power adders. It's a daily driver. I'm still pondering your advise though. 60,000 miles would be 10 years away for me. By then I hope to have a newer car.

Thanks for everybody's input. I know I beat this dead horse to death. I still have to get the problem solved though.

[Z Ya Later]

Ummm, you might be able to get more out of the Spec I if it lasts about as long as the stock clutch. I got over 104,000 mi. outta the stock one in the Z. I mean, it was due, but it was fine up until the last few hundred (throwout bearing was shot). So, if you're content with the what your cars doin' right now, the Spec I might work. Just my thoughts.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Sucks. But, ive been there. Ive had the tranny out of my car so many times, I lost count! Ive got the whole process down to about an hour and half to two hours turn around! Just get a good used flywheel, make sure its flat with a machinist's straight edge and take some emery cloth to it. You want to move the emery cloth in back and forth motion around the cirumference of the flywheel. No little circles. Ive got the stage three in my car and it doesnt do what your reporting.....and thats an emery clothed flywheel - never been turned. Good luck.

Well I guess I need more practice. It took me right at 2 hours from wheels on the ground to fly wheel out on the ground. That includes about 10 minutes of cleanup because the trans slipped on the jack and dumped about a pint of trans fluid out the shifter hole.

The pressure plate shows hot spots just about all the way around the metal disc. Maybe about 10% of the surface is blue. The flywheel has no hot spots.

The depth of the pressure plate to the flange varies about .007 . I can't find my 0-1" mics so I can't measure the clutch disc.

[Jeff_in_Atl]

Fixed. I bought a SLP clutch disc from LM Performance (I promised to give them a plug). It's smooth as silk. I measured it before I put it in. It had less than .002 taper in thickness around it. The Spec stage 2 Kevlar disc has about a .010 taper in thickness around it. I bet if I machined it parallel it would fix the problem. I'm sending it back.

[Joe 1320]

Glad you got it fixed. Don't you just hate it when new parts are not up to spec? BTW, on the subject of the downtime on fixing cars...... why do you think I keep a couple of beaters around? Anytime a HP car goes down, it's rarely a simple fix. Most times you can't just run down to the local part store and pick what you need right off the shelf.