Which clutch do I want/need?

[Gabe]

Car is a '13 5.0 pushing 10psi via a 2.3L Whipple, 3.73 Torsen out back.

I'm looking at the McLeod RST or the RXT, but the RXT seems like overkill, at least for now.

I'd like to keep the stock flywheel, if only for the lack of the added expense.

How good is the RST with the stock flywheel?

Does any of the driveline clunking go away with an aftermarket clutch?

And what else would I need to buy, to swap out the clutch?

Thanks guys.

 

[AlbertD]

My recommendation...

RST (Smoother engagement for DD, plenty of holding power for your application)
McCleod Heavy Flywheel (Easier takeoff from a stop and better drag launches)
Motorcraft Slave Cylinder
FRPP pilot bearing
New OEM Flywheel bolts

Do not use the stock flywheel with an RST/RXT, the flywheel doesn't have enough surface area to mate completely with the clutch which could potentially lead to binding/failure.

I went with all of the above except I went RXT instead. It is the best mod I have done to the car. The drivetrain noise at idle is gone, it shifts smoother now, and I can hammer at any point in time and know 100% that all the power is getting transferred like it should.

 

[Gabe]

Thanks for your input, I was kinda leaning toward the RST ...

How different is their lightened steel flywheel?

I don't drag the car much, and if the lightened unit is still street-friendly while making the engine rev quicker, I kinda might prefer going that route

 

[AlbertD]

I don't have any experience/knowledge on the lightened steel flywheel they offer.

If your car is primarily street driven, then I would still recommend the heavy. It really does make stop and go driving more enjoyable since takeoffs require very little slip. On the Shelby (with Heavy FW) I can takeoff from a stop without even applying throttle if I wanted to and this is with 3.31s out back and the TR6060.

With a lightweight setup, you will most likely need to slip the clutch a lot more to get moving... doing that repeatedly in a DD application may get annoying after a while. Plus, I don't think having a lightweight setup will really be noticeable doing little WOT runs here and there on the street.

 

[skwerl]

I had the lightened billet steel flywheel and RST with my T56 Magnum and other than getting the clutch hot at the drag strip a couple times it was flawless. Pedal was light, engagement was smooth and easy but once engaged it was rock solid. I can't comment much on driveline noises since I had so many mods to my suspension and driveline that it would be impossible to blame any particular noise on one specific item. The one piece aluminum driveshaft got rid of a lot of the clunkiness in the stock driveshaft though.

 

[Gabe]

Thanks guys ... I'm not having any issues with the engine not revving freely, God knows it does that very well, lol
So I guess I'd save the $100 and just get a regular flywheel ... a $100 saved is always good, especially since I'm still having a hard time convincing myself to even do a clutch on the MT82, but it's a lot easier to swallow than doing a $6k T-56 swap ...

 

[klaw]

McLeod flywheel and RXT hands down. Mine's a Whipple stroker 3V (629 WHP) and the RST didn't last very long at all. No issues with the RXT.

 

[CraigNnem]

What kind of driving do you do that made the rst not last?

 

[Mystickeith50]

Rxt and lightened steel.....end thread.

 

[klaw]

What kind of driving do you do that made the rst not last?

General cruising, occasional "spirited" street duty and a few drag passes on the RST with street tires. It let go on the strip and I limped it home. Since I installed the RXT I've upped the boost and also run DR's on the rear and the RXT holds no problem.

 

[JEWC_Motorsports]

a $100 saved is always good, especially since I'm still having a hard time convincing myself to even do a clutch on the MT82, but it's a lot easier to swallow than doing a $6k T-56 swap ...

Until you snap an input shaft.

 

[Gabe]

Until you snap an input shaft.

On the MT82 you mean?

 

[jayman33]

You should be fine with either the RST or RXT, if you're not going to take it to the strip I'd say the RST is enough for Sub 600hp.

Have you been having slipping issues or is this a proactive approach?

As someone stated earlier, pilot bearing and slave cylinder for sure.

 

[Gabe]

You should be fine with either the RST or RXT, if you're not going to take it to the strip I'd say the RST is enough for Sub 600hp.

Have you been having slipping issues or is this a proactive approach?

As someone stated earlier, pilot bearing and slave cylinder for sure.

I'm getting a slight shudder/vibration on hard accel in the lower gears once everything is hot, thinking it might be clutch slip, especially since I've been told my car smells of clutch when I take off hard, smelled in the car behind me

I'm leaning toward the RXT still.
The MsLeod's web site says the RST is not for drag racing, which makes me wonder why make a clutch supposedly able to handle 800 hp if it's not meant to ever see the track?

So I want to go next step up

But $900+ for the RXT, plus a flywheel, pilot bearing, slave cylinder, bolts, .... now I'm looking at putting what, $1500 into the MT82? (not even really "into" it, "in front of" it more like it)
And the MT82 is still gonna be a weak point no matter what I do.

I'm not easy on my cars. I drive hard, I love hard acceleration (who doesn't?)
My car weighs ~4,000lbs with me in it, and putting down almost 600 rwhp through DR's in a heavy car is not easy on the driveline ... I'd much rather overbuild.

 

[CraigNnem]

The rxt doesn't come with a pilot bearing?

 

[AlbertD]

I'm leaning toward the RXT still.

The MsLeod's web site says the RST is not for drag racing, which makes me wonder why make a clutch supposedly able to handle 800 hp if it's not meant to ever see the track?



So I want to go next step up.

This was my main reason for going with the RXT.

The rxt doesn't come with a pilot bearing?

Mine didn't. It's only 12 bucks so it's not a deal breaker.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jayman33]

I'm getting a slight shudder/vibration on hard accel in the lower gears once everything is hot, thinking it might be clutch slip, especially since I've been told my car smells of clutch when I take off hard, smelled in the car behind me

I'm leaning toward the RXT still.
The MsLeod's web site says the RST is not for drag racing, which makes me wonder why make a clutch supposedly able to handle 800 hp if it's not meant to ever see the track?

So I want to go next step up

But $900+ for the RXT, plus a flywheel, pilot bearing, slave cylinder, bolts, .... now I'm looking at putting what, $1500 into the MT82? (not even really "into" it, "in front of" it more like it)
And the MT82 is still gonna be a weak point no matter what I do.

I'm not easy on my cars. I drive hard, I love hard acceleration (who doesn't?)
My car weighs ~4,000lbs with me in it, and putting down almost 600 rwhp through DR's in a heavy car is not easy on the driveline ... I'd much rather overbuild.

You could reuse your stock Flywheel if you resurface the piece. You probably could get an Exedy slave cylinder for a little less (I think) which is a rebadged OEM slave.

That can save you a few hundred.

 

[AlbertD]

In reference to the stock flywheel and a McCleod Clutch... post #102 in particular. Not sure if it applies to 2013 or not, but worth a read

http://www.s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92412&page=6

 

[jayman33]

Thanks brother, haven't heard of any issues on the MT82's running the stock resurfaced fly with the McLeod.
It was an option though.

 

[Gabe]

Which brake fluid do I want?

Looking at the Amsoil Dot 3 or Dot 4, but the Dot 4 says to be replaced every 2 years