Anyone have a Kevlar clutch disc?, If so, what's your experience...good/bad??? Options

[wbergtho]

I have a V-8 car with 500 HP and the stock 930 OEM Sachs disc is starting to slip. I have the KEP Stage 1 930 pressure plate and was told that it would hold 550lbs of torque (with a stock disc). My engine puts out 470 ft. lbs of torque...so this set up should work according to KEP. However, it has only 9-10K miles on the stock disc and it's starting to go already. (Maybe that's about right...considering the amount of performance I have and my driving style?)

I am considering going to Clutchnet's Kevlar disc. Renegade swears by this type of disc for their high HP V-8 applications. I remember Scott telling me about how wonderful and streetable they are. Nice smooth OEM engagement and much higher torque holding capabilities...and long lasting durability to boot. He said that the Kevlar discs need to be broken in gently for approximately 500 miles.

Anyone out there have a Kevlar disc in their car?...If so, how has it worked for you???

Thanks for the feedback!

Bill

[Twystd1]

Just finished the 500 mile break in on a Kevlar clutch from Clutch Masters.

The car is a 240SX with a J Spec turbo engine doing about 415HP to the wheels.

And much like many of the high performance clutches I have had built for my friends over the years. This one chattered bad for the owner of this car.

Funny thing is... After I drive the same car for 20 minutes. The chatter is GONE.

I find the most drivers with Kevlar, ceramic arimid, or sintered iron clutches don't know how to break in the clutch. THEREFORE CHATTER.

They also slip the clutch way too much between gears. Get hot spots on the disk, PP and FW. Warp the marcel. And ulitimately create the chattering clutch they then blame on the manufacturer.

Personally. I baby the clutch for a hundred or so engagements/ dis-engagements.
Then I slip the clutch HARDCORE for 8 - 12 seconds in a one minute time frame and heat up the friction material until I can smell it. I usually get it in 2 or 3 second gear slips from a stop.
That is ONE heat cycle. And only needs to be done once.
And only needs to be done of the clutch is chattering.

Then I drive normally and let the clutch assembly cool off to ambient and park it for a half hour.

DONE.
That will typically take all the chatter away for ever. or until a driver continues to slip the clutch between gears in a consistent pattern and heat the clutch up during normal driving. And of course..... the chatter comes back.

I have a notion of why this happens. And no facts to back it up. I have simply been here so many times. And fixed so many clutches for friends and racers. This is simply what I know.

AND..... Some clutch packages just chatter... Period. And I can't make em work. Then I just change out the friction material and resurface everything. With my specs... Specs that are "known good" specs.

And if ya need a custom clutch.. I know peeps. It ain't real cheap. Yet they work every time. And I do like Kennedy. Great products.

Clayton

[drive-ability]

Just finished the 500 mile break in on a Kevlar clutch from Clutch Masters.

The car is a 240SX with a J Spec turbo engine doing about 415HP to the wheels.

And much like many of the high performance clutches I have had built for my friends over the years. This one chattered bad for the owner of this car.

Funny thing is... After I drive the same car for 20 minutes. The chatter is GONE.

I find the most drivers with Kevlar, ceramic arimid, or sintered iron clutches don't know how to break in the clutch. THEREFORE CHATTER.

They also slip the clutch way too much between gears. Get hot spots on the disk, PP and FW. Warp the marcel. And ulitimately create the chattering clutch they then blame on the manufacturer.

Personally. I baby the clutch for a hundred or so engagements/ dis-engagements.
Then I slip the clutch HARDCORE for 8 - 12 seconds in a one minute time frame and heat up the friction material until I can smell it. I usually get it in 2 or 3 second gear slips from a stop.
That is ONE heat cycle. And only needs to be done once.
And only needs to be done of the clutch is chattering.

Then I drive normally and let the clutch assembly cool off to ambient and park it for a half hour.

DONE.
That will typically take all the chatter away for ever. or until a driver continues to slip the clutch between gears in a consistent pattern and heat the clutch up during normal driving. And of course..... the chatter comes back.

I have a notion of why this happens. And no facts to back it up. I have simply been here so many times. And fixed so many clutches for friends and racers. This is simply what I know.

AND..... Some clutch packages just chatter... Period. And I can't make em work. Then I just change out the friction material and resurface everything. With my specs... Specs that are "known good" specs.

And if ya need a custom clutch.. I know peeps. It ain't real cheap. Yet they work every time. And I do like Kennedy. Great products.

Clayton

Clayton,
I did try the slipping method you talked about when we spoke some time back. It helped a bit but only for a short time. I really did hammer the disk hard. I now use a 930 and since I don't slam the clutch much its holding up great..
John