dbusch22

hey guys, thanks for all the support. i'm with whoever says "who wants to pull their tranny that much" I agree totally.
anyway, it's pretty new, i bought it in early spring, around March i think. it's the 6 puck design with the carbon disk,
I love it actually, cept that when i'm at a light, i either kill it or leave some rubber, there's no easing it at all. kind of pisses my girlfriend off, she thinks i can't drive my car or something and i just try to explain to her that it wants to be raced and not driven. anyway... BY THE WAY, i used the GM pilot bushing when i did the install. like i said i did my research and i heard less complaints from using the bushing than the bearing. but yea, i got the feeling that the throwout bearing is the culprit here.
YES, if you start the car, in gear (which is the only way you can get it in gear) it will start lurching forward even with the pedal mashed to the floor.
also, called SPEC, they said if when i take it apart, the clutch is messed up, they'll warranty it for me no problem, so that's cool.
and LAST, i also noticed a TON Of chatter in reverse mostly and also downshifting, i thought it was something to do with the rear end though. now i'm convinced it's just the properties of this type of clutch, nothing that i can't live with though.

Zepp

It will get a lot better somewhere between 600 and 1000 miles. Mine is awesome now. It definitely takes a little getting used to. You have to give it more throttle to start off than any other car or truck that I have ever driven.

I laugh because I have had a few people try to drive it since the clutch was put in and they all have stalled it when trying to take off, even after I warned them about the clutch. These were mechanics that did this.

It is kinda like having an additional theft deterrent system.

Drive it like you stole it.

97Camaro007

Those round pieces that you found where your springs coming apart from the disk wasn't it....it happened to me just a couple of months ago....this is what you should do....let SPEC send you another disk and resell it to someone on here.....then go buy you a McCloud single disk and use that instead....Thats what i'm going to do

dbusch22

well, the resurlts are in. My disk is shot, 4 of the 6 springs were not even being held in by anything. 4 pieces of metal broke off the spring retaining disk and there were little springs all over and my pads were chewed, 2 springs are lodged in the fins on the pressure plate, my pilot bushing is toasted (SPEC says the pilot bushing went out and that allowed lateral movement on the clutch disk and this is why the spring retaining plate broke. The flywheel still looks fine, and the input shaft on the trans will be OK after i clean it up with a wire brush. This was probably caused by flex and it could be because i have poly motor mounts but only a stocker for the trans. plus the trans mount was just replaced about a month ago, b/c aparantly the old one was torn. don't if i should go with another pilot bushing or a bearing or what.

At any rate SPEC said that they would prorate me some kind of warranty on this, and send me a new disk, and try to repair the pressure plate and maybe charge me something for the repair. I'll keep you guys updated here. I'm interested to see how good their customer service is. I've heard it's great.

will62085

about the whole clutch chatter thing, ive got a stage II, love it, but it does chatter still after 1500 miles if im trying to slip it too much...mostly in traffic on a hill and stuff...and in the downshift...try double clutching and blurp the throttle in between gears, it matches engine rpms to driveline rpms...and no more chatter, jerk, or wheel spin on the downshifts...once u get used to doing it, it feels like an automatic, although people look at you like your a idiot when u rev ur engine for "no reason" ...ahh, ignorant people...anyway, good luck with the repair, and sorry that happened

kgkern01

See my previous post in this thread on page 1 about this subject. I will NEVER buy another SPEC clutch or recommend it to anyone, unless you **** me off . j/k

However, what I researched is TRUE, they do use the exact SAME spring center design in the Stage 3 LT1 clutch as in their 4-cylinder clutches. Which is why they blow springs. Both of the clutches that I blew did so in the same manner.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

97Camaro007

They tried telling me that it was my input shaft also that was making my springs just break out.....i didn't believe it......but now that i know that they are using the 4 cylinder springs in the clutch disks....i'll never own another SPEC.....

kgkern01

Thats apparently what they tell everyone, so since my tranny was just rebuilt in Jan, I took it back to the shop to have them check it out, it was still within factory specs, and of course, SPEC said it had to be something else besides their clutch.

Just compare the springs on the SPEC clutch to even a factory clutch, they are half as long, half the coil diameter and half as wide as the stock or any other brand LT1 clutch springs. Or go to a local shop and compare the SPEC to a performance 4-cyl clutch.

FireAm94

Seems kinda funny that I haven't seen people complaining about 6 puck failures yet.

IllusionalTA

I'm not surprised..Do what the guy above said and sell the new one they send you and in good taste buy the STreet twin and you'll never need another clutch again..

IllusionalTA

Oh btw.. i have been through 4 Spec Stage III's.. the first 2 were the kevlar 4 puck design... The 3rd was a carbon and the 4th was a ceramic.. ALL instances were supposedly somthing other than the clutches fault... I had replaced all hyd. everytime i replaced a clutch 4 times within 5K miles.. to be exact... the pilot bearing everytime and the play within that tranny wasn't it either.. The correct problem is like stated above is the springs aren't strong enough and they allow the hub to slam on the stop pin's..therefore causing stress fractures in the tiny thin "retainers" that hold them in eventually breaking and allowing multiple springs as they are doubled up big one on the outside and lil one in the middle.. and they usually lodge them selves in between totally wrecking everything.. So i sent them my 6 piece star clutches and they kept making excuses.. I got a new stage III and sold it... Bought me a STreet twin and have never looked back since.. Some love spec, and some hate them.. If you go back to them.. remember.. its not if anymore.. its "WHEN" it happens..Again..

gb95zconv

Thats what I have heard.....so I went with the stage 4. Very pleased with it....Ive made about 30 passes on it and it has never once slipped.