Cant hold out anymore.. time for a new clutch!

So I have been milking my slipping FX300 for almost 2 months now and it really needs to go. Sadly the more and more research I do, the less easy it is to make a decision on what my next clutch should be.

My main concern after having to spend another grand on a clutch swap only 15k miles after install, is getting some longevity out of the new setup. I dont drag race, no clutch dumps.. My stock clutch lasted 80k miles at this power level and driving style.

Is there anything that come close to stock while providing just a wee bit more performance? I like the feel of the SMFW so I dont want to back to the stock dualmode.

Talking to a few shops, they of course recommend 2 different clutches. One shop pushes Exedy stage 1.. says its as close to OEM quality you can get (longevity) but offers some performance for my stage 2.5 car. Another shop recommends competition clutch stage 2. Says the pedal feel is closer to stock then Exedy and hasnt seen any problems with them crapping the bed early.

I saw a picture of the clutch plate of the CCstage2 and doesnt seem to have the same amount of coverage as other clutches. But im guessing the material is better, wears better...?

Im really close to putting a stock WRX clutch in the car and just crushing my dreams of going stage3 and finally putting some more power down. But I know the minute this clutch is done, my stock turbo will finally shit the bed and ill actually be able to upgrade (vf52 or 16/18g).

If you have had any aftermarket clutch for more than like 50k miles, please speak up. I think I read that Max Capacity had over 80k miles on his SPEC clutchs, that sounds awesome if its true.

Anybody!?!

Oh It's true. The Spec 2+ was still going strong at 85,000 miles when I replaced it because I replaced the short block.

My Spec 2 is still great at over 40,000 miles.

Stay with the SMFW just get the Spec 2 or 2+ for your SMFW. Make sure the friction surfaces are de-greased before they touch the clutch disc. I use acetone.

The Exedy might be this one http://www.infamousperformance.net/servlet/the-661/Exedy-OEM-Replacement-Clutch/Detail.

You can go back to stock without the dual mass flywheel - they switched to a single mass on the later year legacy's.

I have had heard good things about Shouthbend, but I haven't been able to find much in the way of detail on their longevity.

Oh It's true. The Spec 2+ was still going strong at 85,000 miles when I replaced it because I replaced the short block.

 

My Spec 2 is still great at over 40,000 miles.

 

Stay with the SMFW just get the Spec 2 or 2+ for your SMFW. Make sure the friction surfaces are de-greased before they touch the clutch disc. I use acetone.

The spec 2 looks like the competition clutch stage 2. I wonder if the spec 1 would be enough and is a full faced clutch disk.

What's the increase in torque usually going from stock to stage 3 with a vf52 or 16g? Hmm.

The Exedy might be this one http://www.infamousperformance.net/servlet/the-661/Exedy-OEM-Replacement-Clutch/Detail.

 

You can go back to stock without the dual mass flywheel - they switched to a single mass on the later year legacy's.

 

I have had heard good things about Shouthbend, but I haven't been able to find much in the way of detail on their longevity.

Yeah part of me just wants to go with oem parts again. But I do like just a little bit of performance increase for my buck.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

I would love to put an OE disk with an FX300 pressure plate and see how long that lasts.

To the OP, just curious do you do mostly city driving?

I would love to put an OE disk with an FX300 pressure plate and see how long that lasts.

 

To the OP, just curious do you do mostly city driving?

Actually my 20 min drive to work everyday is about 15 minutes of highway and 5 minutes of stop and go. That probably makes up 90% of my driving.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

This choice is driving me insane!!!

Really close to just putting stock back on and calling it a day.

Every brand, every model has 50% good and 50% bad reviews. Have posts right on top of eachother saying "no chatter, great clutch, lasted forever" then "horrible chatter, bad clutch, died quickly".

http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/head-explode.gif

My Spec 2 has been flawless for over 40,000 miles. Wish I could say the same about the tranny.

Contact Mike at www.AZPinstalls.com and have him order you one for your SMFW. If your close enough, have his guys install it.

I'm in the same boat, except my clutch isn't slipping too much just yet.

That being said, I was really considering a southbend clutch, there's not much information on them as far as subarus go, but I can't find anything negative about them.

Well I but the bullet and ordered a competition clutch and will be having it installed in a few days. Praying it lasts longer.

Who's doing the install ? AZPinstalls.com ?

Havent picked up the car yet but the clutch is done....

Of course the shop calls and says that both my valve covers are leaking (had the passenger side one done in july '13)... and the oil pan is leaking.

Always something.. =|

Always something.. =|

Hey, that's someone else's thread title...

Picked up the car this morning. Quite a difference between the FX300 and Competition Clutch Stage 2. Pedal is way lighter, as light as my brothers brz clutch. And its way grabbier and in a totally different spot. Not much room for feathering and with the light(er) weight flywheel, I stalled it like 3 times just trying to get moving for the first time. But by the time I got home, I had a pretty good feel for it.

Shop told me 300-500-1000 mile break in. =\ That will take me from 2 weeks to about 2 months of normal driving to get through.

Was nice being able to actually apply any sort of pressure to the gas pedal without a crazy amount of slipping going on. But I feel like im learning to drive stick all over again.

2 month's to get 1000 miles...I do that in 2 weeks. Quicker now that ski season is here.

Be sure and keep us posted.

For you guys who've experienced your clutch slipping... how long (miles) did you drive the car before changing the clutch, after you first noticed it start slipping? After reading everything I can find about LGT clutches it doesn't seem like people here on the forums treat a slipping clutch like an urgent problem. Prior to my LGT I always thought [slippage = stop driving or risk getting stranded]

I guess my real question is should I pull my wagon back out of my garage and keep driving it until it gets really bad?

For you guys who've experienced your clutch slipping... how long (miles) did you drive the car before changing the clutch, after you first noticed it start slipping? After reading everything I can find about LGT clutches it doesn't seem like people here on the forums treat a slipping clutch like an urgent problem. Prior to my LGT I always thought [slippage = stop driving or risk getting stranded]

 

I guess my real question is should I pull my wagon back out of my garage and keep driving it until it gets really bad?

Mine started in July according to my post http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4881680&postcount=12 and I just had it replaced this week.

Mine progressively got worse.. started with a slip here n there in 5th gear under load.. and slowly started creeping into lower gears and lighter throttle inputs. I worried everyday but just tried to be easy on it. If I felt it slip I backed off.

Im pretty sure it can go either way.. drive on it till you cant move forward anymore or it goes boom.

Mine started two weeks ago like you said, with a slip here 'n there in 5th.

Pardon my ignorance if possible (otherwise flame away), but would changing the clutch now reduce the odds that I'll need to replace the flywheel? I'm thinking along the lines of brakes, where you want to change the pads before they start eating into the rotor.

Mine started two weeks ago like you said, with a slip here 'n there in 5th.

 

Pardon my ignorance if possible (otherwise flame away), but would changing the clutch now reduce the odds that I'll need to replace the flywheel? I'm thinking along the lines of brakes, where you want to change the pads before they start eating into the rotor.

Yeah I would imagine so. A slipping clutch creates a lot of heat which can 'score' the flywheel. Or the rivets or other parts of the clutch disk can also score the flywheel.

No, you should have the FW re-surfaced or replaced with a new one to get the most life out of the new clutch.

05-06 should buy a SMFW and throw away the DMFW the car came with.

Same with pads and rotors.

No, you should have the FW re-surfaced or replaced with a new one to get the most life out of the new clutch.

05-06 should buy a SMFW and throw away the DMFW the car came with.

 

Same with pads and rotors.

Exactly the answer I was looking for. Thanks. I really need to donate to the forum... the info on here is priceless.

My cheap a$$ was hoping that if I changed the clutch ASAP after it started slipping I could potentially avoid the hassle of getting it resurfaced and the cost of buying a new one. Since the car has 97k miles on the original FW and clutch I think I'm going to do what you (and 1000 others) suggested and scrap the dual-mass and get a new SM. I'd love to not need to open the tranny again until 150k.

OP thanks for letting me hijack your thread for a little while