Is anyone here using that 4 puck clutch from Fiero Shop?

Archie

quote Originally posted by Archie: Is anyone here using that 4 puck clutch from Fiero Shop? Archie

No one??????

Instead of replying to my post "Bay area shops" Maybe the Fieroshop should relpy here!!-??

Or maybe the should give away FREE PARTS

DXR_DAD

I like free parts.

>

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85 GT (to be modified...)
Um, no the paint isn't oxidized, that's the ultra-rare Whirlpool White textured finish... yeah.

I see a new topic from someone at the Fiero Shop virtually everyday. But they must be off this weekend, 'cuz I haven't heard from them.

What I'm really looking for is someone who has purchased one of these clutches and how it turned out for them.

I'm also wondering if the honor their refund/warrantee policy.

HELLOOOOOOO !!!!!! anyone out there?

Archie

Well.... I can't tell you much about the specific one in question.

I did try one in a Ford F350 truck. (with 17' Landol Roll Back wrecker bed..) We mistakenly thought it might work better than a "regular" design.

I'll never use one in a street application again.

1. Flywheel and pressure plate MUST be absoltuly flat. The pucks won't accept even the smallest irregularity in surface. The thing will rattle your teeth out otheriwse.

2. Pucks can't be intentionally slipped like traditional clutch designs. (There are times that being able to do that is a major plus.) The puck can actually break if you do it.

3. pucks grab very hard. They are basically on or off. The "padding" built into a regular clutch is allot more important than most people realize.

4. Wear of the flywheel and pressure plate was actually worse with the puck.

I've talked to a number of other people who've used them in cars or trucks and they nearly all aggree with what we found in out wrecker.

AH HA!!!! I've got a 4-puck clutch! BUT... it's not from the Fieroshop. This one was installed by 1FST2M6 before I bought the car. I think it makes the car very satisfying to abuse. It's like hacking at a tree with a hatchet, and then being handed an axe. Double the fun! It's an ACT 4-puck UN-sprunk disc with a heavy duty pressure plate. My new clutch setup is an organic unsprung disc that I got through 1FST2M6/Engineered Performance. The 4-puck is fun, but it's somewhat annoying in stop & go traffic. I've had no problems with the clutch at all, and I've put about 5,000 miles on the car with it. I expect to find the flywheel and disc to be in less than perfect shape when they come out though(just due to the harshness of the setup.) The disc will make a tremendous addition to my coffee table. Best of all, these discs can be had reletively cheap. Check out www.clutchnet.com for more info.

Now that everyone is back from the weekend, maybe I can get a direct answer to my question.

Archie

this is the clutch i installed in Jeffs car.. it'll hold over 300lbft at the wheels. and did it for months and months and is still pulling strong.

but sorry Archie.. not from the Fiero Shop...

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www.engineered.net
www.epdyno.com
www.enthuzacar.com

quote Originally posted by 1FST2M6: but sorry Archie.. not from the Fiero Shop...

Thanks for the input, but I'm specifically looking for people who've the Fiero Shop version, so I can findout if anyone has had a good/bad result.

Also, (considering the posts I've seen today) I'm wondering just how hard it's gonna be to get my money back for a clutch that lasted less than 10 miles. Based on what I've seen today, it would probally be unrealistic to even think that I'm gonna be reimbursed for all the R&R I'm gonna have replacing this thing.

Archie

i'm sorry to hear you've gotta spend 10+ more hours to warranty a clutch on a customers car due to faulty or missrepresented material/parts. hope -DAD sees this... I wish i could help man...

RAM and Centerforce refunded my money when they couldn't handle the shock loads of nitrous i was putting to them.. any Reputable manufacturer i'm sure will stand behind their products. please keep us posted.

10 miles.. Ouch.. sorry man

quote Originally posted by 1FST2M6: i'm sorry to hear you've gotta spend 10+ more hours to warranty a clutch on a customers car due to faulty or missrepresented material/parts..... please keep us posted.

I never sell a customer anything I haven't tested myself. So the GOOD thing about all this is that the car that had the failure is my own personal car.

Oh,I will keep you posted.

Archie

you personal car.. well at least it wasn't a warranty issue that you've have to eat the labor on and hope that you'd get reimbursed; and look bad to a new client/customer. now your stuck with out your ride with what appears to be no product support or customer service.

The thing with a vendor posting his info here and not "call at the shop" is that there is a record of it, price and info. At one time I asked for info on this clutch.....but

So here it is Archie if it helps??
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20001206-1-002192.html

DXR_DAD

Yes, that's the clutch I used. How come I can't find anyone on here who has purchased one and who can tell me how it worked for them????????

I tried to drive the car again today and didn't even get out of the driveway before it was slipping. I had wanted to take the car to the show at Paxton, IL on the 5th, so I'll be tearing it apart to replace the clutch on Thursday, I'll post up the "After" pics. then.

Archie

[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 04-23-2001).]

I am very interested on this topic, because that is one of the clutchs I was looking at to put in my Fiero. Come on somebody use it? Anybody?

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Cameron
http://Fiero.NetMARC.com

uuum Cam.. i'd shy away from this unit just cause this post has been going on for so long and not a peep out of the manufacturer...

I still would like to find someone who has used this clutch.

Archie

looks nice in a pic.. too bad it doesn't perform as well as it looks.

Looking forward to more info on your clutch situation, Archie. While I've got a stock 2.8, it'll eventually have a stronger power plant. Not to mention I drive my Fiero like I stole it, so I'll definately be needing a heavy duty clutch, no matter what engine I've got. I've currently got the RAM Hi Performance clutch (not the racing clutch) and it seems ok. It was real tight the first couple thousand miles, but now it seems to have "relaxed" a bit. I don't really feel it slipping, but it doesn't seem to grab like it did when it was brand new. Hopefully it'll last a while.

Well... If this topic becomes a FieroShop clutch other than the V8 unit Archie is having problems then I can say something. I do have the Kevlar clutch (disk & plate) that FieroShop sells for the V6. It is NOT the one Archie is talking about here. It looks like the normal V6 unit. I have had it for almost one year now in my 3.4 conversion. I do a lot of drop clutch launches and the thing holds very strong and doesn't slip at all. It is also very smoth and easy to push. I recommend that unit. I also was looking forward to his V8 clutch in my future V8 project so I also would like to know the end of this issue.
Archie, did you called George at the shop? Any response from him?

In answer to ARchie, I was told and so waas he that this clutch was going to slip as the clutch he has is a prototype and needed to be driven for a while. Apparantly this was not done and I for one do not know the whole story.
This clutch was also made by the manufactuere for Archie and he and the manufacturer were doing the discussions.
Granted that Archie and the manufacturer of this clutch did their discussions16 months ago and I am sure if Archie is as busy as I am that he would not remember what they discussed.
They are in touch with one another and I am out of the picture as I was on the original discussion. I was aware of what was going on but did not participate in any dissitions.
Bill, as far as you are concerned you never asked me about this clutch so I would appreciate it if you don't come on the post or anyother and start your lies again.

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George How can you say that I did not ask about your clutch!!!!!

Here is my reply to your post about the clutch: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20001206-1-002192.html
Here is a ??. Who manufactures this clutch? and if the Fiero Shop just got this clutch have you tested it? And how many V8's has the Fiero Shop done? I don't understand why we would spend tons of money on a "Racing Clutch" for the street V6 What is the differance if the clamp load is the same.I have worked on many street rods and have a few now, most of the real HP parts that say "Race uses or off road uses only" they mean it! It will not have the drivability on a street car. So what makes this clutch better than the other one you sell? As a consumer I would like to know the reputation of the company that made the product!! and do they have a R&D department or did they just make it. TwisT quickly came up with the name V8 Archie, why? He has a rep. for V8 Fieros and I'm sure that he has a R&D department of somekind. We went through something like this before about the exhaust systems!!!! Borla had the rep. As a good system, and you were going to have a system made for the Fiero Shop with a copy of the Borla system? Why not just get the Borla?
This post is kinda what I mean about a companys Rep.

I just don't see where you get off with I didn't ask about it, so I don't think that I lied about anything. I just think your mad
and upset because all this is coming out!!!!

And even if you appreciate it I WILL DO AS I PLEASE, WHEN I PLEASE. And I will tell people what you and your shop are all about!!

DXR_DAD

[This message has been edited by DXR_DAD (edited 04-30-2001).]

Bill I would never sell you anything anyway. You do not have the courage to come and tell things to my face but you do speak behind peoples back. You are a back stabber and I would like you to quit.
We would have a better forum for it.
Further more that clutch Archie has has never been made for me so it is not a Fiero Shop Clutch

[This message has been edited by fieroshop (edited 04-30-2001).]

Well George, In this thread I'm just looking for someone who has this clutch so that we can compare results.

You and I discussed this on the phone today and I also talked to Robbin. This issue WAS being settled off list.

With all the customer relations problems you've had lately on this forum, I really don't want to appear to be picking on you, that's why I've called you and not discussed the facts here in public. The statement you make above doesn't jive with what you told me on the phone today.

However, since you've decided to discuss this in public. I'd like to mention a couple of things. Just to keep the record straight.

#1, I do remember the conversations preceeding my agreeing to try one of these clutches.

#2, Your statement that I was told that this clutch would slip initially is crazy, WHY ON GOD'S EARTH would I buy & install a clutch that was designed to slip? As of right now I have 11 man hours invested in R&R on replacing this clutch, I'll have about 15 hours invested when it's back together. WHY would I put in a clutch that I knew was going to slip?

#3, Just to set the record straight... I purchased this clutch from YOU. YOU called me several times trying to get me to switch over to your clutches. YOU told me that this clutch was guaranteed to last twice the mileage of the clutch I've been using. NOTHING was said about some prototype clutch. And I never talked to Robbie about a clutch until after I had agreed with your pitch of some "Super Clutch".

#4, You guys told me that this clutch had been tested to 500 HP..... Now I'm told by Robbie today that "Test" was on some computer.

In summary, I would have to be a fool to use a clutch If I was told the clutch was going to slip from the get go. During our conversations, I was told the exact same thing about Guarantees that you are telling people on your web site right now. YOU made the sale agreement, YOU would not tell me the name of your manufacturer until AFTER I had agreed to try one. NO ONE ever told me that THIS CLUTCH was a prototype. Why would you need me to test a clutch that had already passed the 500 HP computer test.

I find it interesting that your previous posts talk about this clutch and never mention that It's a prototype or that it's supposed to slip etc.

You tell me that I don't remember things that were discussed 16 months ago. Yet your past statements on this forum don't jive with the things you've said today.

I really don't think you want to get into this argument here..... I'll look up your old posts & I'll use your own words against you.

You know..... The more I think about this, the madder I get, have you checked the things you said in this thread? https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20001206-1-002192.html After you come on here and contradict things you said to me today & in that other thread..... I don't even want to get into this...... I don't want to get into some pissing contest with you..... I'll just take a refund, return the $370+ that I paid for this thing & re-imburse me for 1/2 of my lost time. I'll pay the other half of my lost time because I should have known better than to buy this thing. I should have known something was up when I heard the "Twice the mileage" guarantee thing. My shop rate is lower than yours it's only $60/hour. I've lost 15 hours @ $30/hour = $450 labor.

Archie

Im no expert on this, but dont the more surface area of disk make it grab stronger than one of these. I raced stock cars and we always just used heavy duty type full disk. Anyway, it seems if I ever need a new one again for my car, ill just put in the ole reliable heavy duty type as before. We did try the multi disk type, but didnt notice any appreciable difference on the track to justify the expense.

rogerg- no.. the more surface area the smoother the engagement. the 4 puck i had would chirp 4th at 80+ and the Ram, Centerforce and 2 stock units i had never would do that. the 2600psi pressure plate puts more pressure on smaller pads for stronger quicker shifts in race and spirited street applications.
I've installed soft Kevlar(look/feel like suede), Ceramic, Cindered ceramic/metalic(like a brake pad) and organic clutches in various cars and not one of them ever slipped when they were new under normal conditions (nitrous isn't normal )

So, Archie, I take it the Centerforce clutch you list with your V8 kits it still the one you'd recommend for high horse power applications?

My big concern with a race clutch or a 4 puck or other extreme duty clutch is not only clutch chatter and flywheel wear, but driveline shock. I want something that will hold the power, but I don't want to put more stress on the drivetrain than necessary. It sounds like the 4 puck might be a bit much for the street (one that works anyway).

quote Originally posted by Formula88: So, Archie, I take it the Centerforce clutch you list with your V8 kits it still the one you'd recommend for high horse power applications?

That would be correct...... The CForce is the clutch we've installed in my car to replace this puck one that came out of it.

Archie

[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 05-01-2001).]

Well, well, well Look who's telling lies now!

DXR_DAD

Update on the Fried Clutch story.

Recapping what's happened...

As noted earlier in this thread, I talked to George and Robbie on 4-30-01. Robbie asked me to send pictures via EMail and they both said they would get back to me.

That evening George posted the message you see above.

So, you may ask, what's happened in the last 7 days?

NOTHING...... No call from Robbie ... no call from George.... No EMail from Robbie ... no EMail from George....

Kinda looks like they think I'm gonna forget about this.

Archie

??

Hmmmm... 10 days & still counting.

I've had an experience VERY similar to this recently with a kevlar clutch;I figured out when I was 18 that most aftermarket clutches are pretty much junk,but went against my better judgement.
Of course if I start naming vendors,I know that I'll be subject to some assuming a$$hole who doesn't know me,or my driving habits telling me I don't know how to drive.This would anger me even further,and I think at this point I should just write it($275) off.
I do think I'm a pretty competent tech,have worked for BMW,Mercedes Benz shops,completed my 3.4TDC swap and a week later set out on a solo cross-country cruise,and have also driven puck-type clutches on the street.
One word of advice to those who purchase from out of state vendors would be to only buy from those that are using major credit cards,it seems to mean alot about how a business is run.If they only accept cashiers checks,better to stay away,even if they swear that they'll stand behind their products in the wake of extremely poor customer service.

16 Days........

I now notice that all those fancy warrantees and guarantees..... are no longer on Georges' web site. I'll bet that means that I'm screwed.

hehe, good thing I saved all his old pages as .jpg's.

Archie

Well like I said, Once a vendor post here it's here for good!!! This is one of the good things about this and any other type forum like this. It tends to keep the vendors on the up & up. If the deal has to be done behind close doors??, If a vendor does not want his prices posted??, If a vendor changes his prices weekly?? If a vendor does not reply to question??..... I'm sure you get my point.

Good luck Archie?

DXR_DAD

Sounds like my next clutch will be a Centerforce. Hopefully that'll be a few years, though. Just put in a Ram HD clutch this Spring. Since I'm totally stock, hopefully it'll hold for a while.

17 days and still no reply, hmmm I think this vendor is out to screw ya. Do they not know that pulling stunts like this puts their reputation down the crapper. Archie, even if you do get your money back would you deal with them again, I think not! Please keep us posted.