Anyone know the web or e-mail address for SPEC? I've tried searches and come up with plenty of retailers for their clutches but no info on them.

TIA

 

how bout a phone number?

800-828-4379

 

http://www.speclutches.com/
sales@specclutch.com

 

hi_we_are_going_to_blame_all_our_dis...rings@spec.com

 

Thanks guys!

Paul

BTW, Joe, I'd love to hear the story behind your post! Private e-mail me if you'de like.

 

I'll tell my story to the public. I had/have a Star Stage III Carbon.

I pulled my clutch a couple months ago (for non clutch related issues). Had 10k on it, maybe 30 passes at the strip (most being N/A runs).

Pull it, first thing that happens is one of the springs in the disc hub falls out. Look a the pucks (I have the 4 puck version). They are really worn out, a few to the rivets. Chewed my PP and flywheel up a bit. Car was driving fine, but I guarantee it wouldn't have lasted long.

I e-mail SPEC the pics. They basically blame the spring falling out on a bad pilot bearing. They said their old discs don't have a tolerance for bad pilot bearings. But I've heard of others getting this same excuse. Funny how no other manufactures seem to be having this problem, and my bearing looked just peachy. I've also heard them use the "bad input shaft" excuse on a friend's car when he had the same problem.

SPEC had no comments on the disc wearing out so quickly. Best they would do for me was re-surface my PP for free (+ shipping), and sell me a new "improved" disc for $100.

Well, I just so happened to have a 4 puck Stage III Carbon laying around w/ 1k miles on it. A friend had some problems w/ his Star Clutches, and decided since his car was stock, just to go back to a stock clutch, and gave me his old one. So I just tossed that in there, since it was nearly new looking.

And of every single used Star disc I've seen, all of them seem to not wear the very top portion of the disc material, like it's not even touching the flywheel or PP. Weird. My roomate has a Stage III Carbon (w/ about 1k on it as well), that he pulled when he recently pulled his motor. Still looks good, but can also see how it isn't wearing perfectly even either.

IMO, Star should be replacing EVERY disc that is having their hub springs falling out for free. Stockers don't have this problem, nor are any other makers. SPEC even admits it was a problem, and says their new 6 puck discs don't have a problem with it. That right there tells me it's a design flaw, and as expensive as these clutches are, they really should back their product up better.

I'm sure my current Star will go eventually. When the time comes, I'll be going to a McLeod Street Twin. Yes, it is even more expensive, but at least I know I'll have a clutch that is well proven.

I will say from a holding the power standpoint, the Star hasn't failed me. Just Friday I pulled a 1.67 60' on it (launching w/ the bottle), even after hot lapping it a couple of times. It is very streetable and easy to use clutch. But the long term durablility leaves something to be desired.

 

Yea I've had problems with SPEC clutches also. I put a Stage III ceramic in my car and with about 5,000 miles on it a spring blew out of the disc! So I called SPEC and asked for warrenty and all they told me was the spring blew out becase 1 or more of these parts are worn out (Pilot bushing, tranny mount, 1 other) . So they replaced the disc for free (i had to pay shipping) but they said if it happens again they won't cover it. One thing tho I abused the clutch pretty hard and the pads were hardly worn at all. Maybe the carbon wears quicker than ceramic? I launched the car about 20-30 times and you could barely tell the clutch was worn. If I had to do it again, I would buy a street twin. Personally I think SPEC is junk

 

I sure hate it when I read all these negative comments about SPEC clutchs. When I bought mine 2 years ago it was all the rage. GMHTP had recently done that article and, even though my best friend was getting the McLeod ST, I wanted this hot new setup.

For 2 years now I have jumped into almost every clutch thread and defended the SPEC. Little did I know that at only 10,000 miles of use and probably only a dozen (give or take a couple!) 1/4 mile passes mine would fail.

My story is in the Drag Racing Forum but essentially I made my second pass of the day 2 weeks ago (won a trophy for fastest F-Body with a ET of 11.45 and mph of 129.xx BTW) and when I got into the pits I could no longer shift into reverse with the motor running. Forward gears were accessable but difficult. I called SPEC the next morning and their tech guy said he thought it was my Clutch Master Cylinder. He made a reasonable case so, even though it was new when I put the clutch in, I replaced the CMC yesterday (an unnecassary $125.00) to find the symptoms were unchanged. So, I pulled the tranny and found the ceramic disc (Oh, I have the Stage III w/ceramic disc and aluminum FW) complete worn down to the plate. The surfaces on both the FW and the PP are badly burnt and marred.

There's no doubt that I can probably have the FW fixed (they have those replacable inserts), buy a new disk and hopefully, based on what Joe said, have the PP resurfaced. But do I really want to do that? I just ordered a new Strange 12 bolt and a Denny's Nitrous Ready DS and I can't really afford another $1,000 for a McLeod ST right now.

I've sent an e-mail to SPEC and we'll see what happens.

Paul

 

Seems the stage 3 gets all the bad rep. My stage 2 in fine. Had it for over a year and I think around 15,000 miles.

 

DJ Arcadian - Blown96WS6 is putting down 600 ft-lbs of torque at the rear wheels...the Stage 2 is going to handle that.

I find it really interesting that SPEC now has a Stage 4 clutch...seems that they new they needed something stronger!

I helped Blown96WS6 remove his clutch on Saturday; it also had the 4 pucks worn completed down on 80% of the pucks, with the outer portion not touched (stepped).

 

Stage 2 is only rated to 450 HP. Sounds like you guys need a McLeod Street Twin.