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, its important to
choose the proper clutch and pressure plate thats matched to your
application. The good news is there are literally dozens of
different clutch assemblies available to choose from. Thats also
the bad news because that offers plenty of opportunity to choose
the wrong one.
Disc material selection changes the coefficient of frictionor 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.
Lets 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, well 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. Well 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
