RPS Twin Plate Carbon-Carbon Clutch Experiances

[MR2]

Soooo, I got one of these a few months ago, finally got to installing it along with a whole heap of other drivetrain gear (the full SCE Kit) and have been driving it around for a few weeks.

The Good:
-It grips like shit to a carpet if you drop it.
-if you get it right, it does have a decently smooth engagement.
-when driven in anger it just works...clunk and the engine is 100% connected to your gearbox, my last clutch was pretty bad or annoying in that you let the clutch out and it felt like it took a few seconds for the plates to fully grab.

The bad:
-it was very much on off until the first time I dropped the clutch at 5krpm :|
-I'm guessing I warped the plates installing the box or something as it does not always completely disenguage the clutch when the pedal is all the way down...stays engaged enough to actually pull the revs down a fair amount.
-Slight honk just as the clutch is engaging, other wise only a faint hiss.


Can anyone else who's had one of these let me know if their experiances are similar? I suspect that when installing the clutch I did not lube the input shaft enough which is why the clutch plates are sticking....I also suspect I got some oil on the plates themselves (even through I was fairly careful) which is why they are a bit more grabby than I expected

[MR2]

I've shot off an email to RPS to ask about what I've been doing wrong, I might look at after the next meet(29th), re-installing the clutch....alot of stuffing around just to get the clutch out though :|

I have two of these clutch's so in the next few months I need to send the second one out for refurb too (it's the old style, so needs the upgrade to the alu plates)

[mh3kgt]

I've shot off an email to RPS to ask about what I've been doing wrong, I might look at after the next meet(29th), re-installing the clutch....alot of stuffing around just to get the clutch out though :|

I have two of these clutch's so in the next few months I need to send the second one out for refurb too (it's the old style, so needs the upgrade to the alu plates)

Ah, hogwash, just save yourself the hassle and send me your extra clutch

[MR2]

You don't want it! it's the explody kind

[Erron Spalsbury]

I don't have THAT clutch, but do have a twin disc. Your experiences are pretty much exactly what a twin disc does. Like it? I love mine for sure.

[MR2]

it'd be great with the exception of the non-disengaging hopefully I get it sorted out shortly.

[Erron Spalsbury]

The only time I've ever seen one not disengage all the way, the fingers on the cover were over extended by to much clutch fork throw. Are you running a hydraulic throw out bearing or stock fork?

[MR2]

Stock fork? I assumed that his clutch was designed for our stock system? I have seen the hydraulic throw outs but figured it was not needed?

[J. Fast]

You can implement a HTOB on any clutch setup on a 3/S. The biggest benefit of a HTOB is a uniform load distribution to the pressure plate fingers. Instead of using a fork setup which is a hinge setup optimized with specific geometry you're using a piston with a uniform load distribution to the pressure plate fingers. The stock clutchfork is in the shape of a "C" which will not provide equal load distribution on the side of the TOB not being supported because it's on the open end of the fork. A HTOB shifts smoother and engages easier because the pressure being distributed to the pressure plate is perpendicular and uniformly distibuted to the fingers instead of compounding hinges. The stock clutfork setup is based on the geometry of 3 pivot points which would be the slave to fork, pivot ball, and fork to TOB. Three pivot points make for a lot of complex angles and a lot of problems with equal pressure plate load distribution which causes clutch engagement issues with heavy pressure plates. You would really enjoy a piston based TOB with your setup and probably have less of a hard time with engagement with a with a twin disc or any heavy clutch setup.

[MR2]

Righty o, sooo anyone done this yet? reading up on it it seems that most people have to get the throw out to specifically match their application, one guys was saying he spoke to tilton at length to get the right thing fitted. essentially this means getting the throw out distance's right?

lastly, how much harder is it to get your gearbox out with the fancy pants throw out on? I assume you'd need to disconnect the lines and get oil everywhere, is there anything fancy about re-bleeding the clutch after you reconnect it? just brake fluid? it would be nice to avoid having to re-attach all the spagetti attached to the stock clutch slave cyl.