Spec Clutch=Garbage
11-09-2006, 03:28 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 109
Spec Clutch=Garbage
for those of u considering buying a spec clucth consider this.
i ordered a spec stage 2 clutch and had my flywheel resurfaced. i instilled it and everything went back together fine. excpet i didn't realize it untill after the fact the the fingers on the pressure plate never fully pulled down when i bolted it all up. so i took it out for a drive and i noticed it was catching really high up. from the point where it caught at there was only an inch left of the pedal. so i pulled on the clutch to adjust it and that helped a little. i was figguring that it just needed to be broken in. spec says that is has a 450 mile break in period. so i was pretty easy on it and drove it normal. after about 200 miles i noticed a noise when the clutch was engaged like a bearing needed to be greased or something. once again i figured this was due to the break in process. so i now have 400 miles on the clutch and decide that this is fairly close to the break in point, so i get into it on a back road. the engine kept bogging which was really weird. so i then held it at 3k rpms as i let off the clutch and started to go. then i see smoke, at first i assumed it to be my tires but thenm i tried shifting into 2nd and no go. i had nothing. i had no gears not even reverse. so i get towed home. my first thought was that i blew the transmission seeing how u can usually shift with out pushing on the clutch. so i strip down the car again and by cluch was destroyed. all of the kevelar was gone it was to the bare metal, the pressure plate was warped, and the guy at the machine shop said the flywheel had cracks in it and wassn't worth the risk to reuse. so now i call spec and ask them what they can do about this. yes i know i didn't wait the full break in (50 miles short) but that would not cause that much extensive damage. the only thing spec said they could do was to give me a 6% discount, i was like wtf i already get 6%. so they raised it to 10%. after talking to a few mechanics around here and showing them the damage, they all said that i must of received the wrong pressure plate. so i call spec yet again. and they said they have no way of verifing this seeing how there is no item # on it.
so needless to say i had to spend an extra $350 for my centerforce clutch and $380 on my flywheel. i know that **** happens but at least spec could of tried to help me out more than a lousie %10 off. i have the centerforce clutch installed and i love it. it has 90% more holding power than stock. so thats around 600 lbs, the spec was 480. also it was even less pedal pressure than my stock clutch. i know that i only had a defect clutch but still consider this when u go shopping for ur clutch. sry this is so long but i felt that u all should know, because ppl only say that stuff is good or bad they never go into detail.
i ordered a spec stage 2 clutch and had my flywheel resurfaced. i instilled it and everything went back together fine. excpet i didn't realize it untill after the fact the the fingers on the pressure plate never fully pulled down when i bolted it all up. so i took it out for a drive and i noticed it was catching really high up. from the point where it caught at there was only an inch left of the pedal. so i pulled on the clutch to adjust it and that helped a little. i was figguring that it just needed to be broken in. spec says that is has a 450 mile break in period. so i was pretty easy on it and drove it normal. after about 200 miles i noticed a noise when the clutch was engaged like a bearing needed to be greased or something. once again i figured this was due to the break in process. so i now have 400 miles on the clutch and decide that this is fairly close to the break in point, so i get into it on a back road. the engine kept bogging which was really weird. so i then held it at 3k rpms as i let off the clutch and started to go. then i see smoke, at first i assumed it to be my tires but thenm i tried shifting into 2nd and no go. i had nothing. i had no gears not even reverse. so i get towed home. my first thought was that i blew the transmission seeing how u can usually shift with out pushing on the clutch. so i strip down the car again and by cluch was destroyed. all of the kevelar was gone it was to the bare metal, the pressure plate was warped, and the guy at the machine shop said the flywheel had cracks in it and wassn't worth the risk to reuse. so now i call spec and ask them what they can do about this. yes i know i didn't wait the full break in (50 miles short) but that would not cause that much extensive damage. the only thing spec said they could do was to give me a 6% discount, i was like wtf i already get 6%. so they raised it to 10%. after talking to a few mechanics around here and showing them the damage, they all said that i must of received the wrong pressure plate. so i call spec yet again. and they said they have no way of verifing this seeing how there is no item # on it.
so needless to say i had to spend an extra $350 for my centerforce clutch and $380 on my flywheel. i know that **** happens but at least spec could of tried to help me out more than a lousie %10 off. i have the centerforce clutch installed and i love it. it has 90% more holding power than stock. so thats around 600 lbs, the spec was 480. also it was even less pedal pressure than my stock clutch. i know that i only had a defect clutch but still consider this when u go shopping for ur clutch. sry this is so long but i felt that u all should know, because ppl only say that stuff is good or bad they never go into detail.
11-09-2006, 04:24 PM
#2
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Indiana
Posts: 868
RE: Spec Clutch=Garbage
I have a spec stage 1 and it works great, everyone else on here that has spec clutches has said nothing but good things about them and their customer service. It sounds to me like it was installed correctly. I even took my car on a very intense cruise and the drag strip the day after that right after my 450 miles were up and I had no issues.
11-09-2006, 04:54 PM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location:
Posts: 770
RE: Spec Clutch=Garbage
MY SPEC grabbed high at first, but has come down some, but that happens with all aftermarket clutches in the stangs from what I've been told.
I've also been told the little squeak I have when pressing the pedal is not my TO bearing as I would have thought....I had everything checked out by my installer and another installer both of who I know personally and it's actually the stock quadrant making the noise from the extra pressure from the aftermarket pressure plate...new quadrant, cable, and firewall adjust will fix it
I've also been told the little squeak I have when pressing the pedal is not my TO bearing as I would have thought....I had everything checked out by my installer and another installer both of who I know personally and it's actually the stock quadrant making the noise from the extra pressure from the aftermarket pressure plate...new quadrant, cable, and firewall adjust will fix it
11-09-2006, 05:22 PM
#7
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location:
Posts: 109
RE: Spec Clutch=Garbage
i installed my centerforce clutch the same way and have had no problems with it (doesn't grab high and no noises). i know it was the wrong pressure plate because the fingers didn't pull down like they are suppose too. i know other ppl have had good experience with them which is why i said **** happens. i just wish their customer service was better.
