So my day has come where my Spec clutch has failed me. I have 1100 miles on the clutch. I have not taken it apart yet to see what actually failed. The clutch failed under normal driving conditions. It started with a scrapping noise the progressed to locking up (basically direct drive).
has anybody had any luck with specs customer service, and getting these warrantied?
Its a spec stage 3, and my engine makes about 260hp and prob. like 320 torque.
One of the springs popped out and is gone, idk where it went, there was half a coil of the spring sitting in the clutch.
Its hard to tell form the pictures but the disc is "con-caved or con-vexed" which ever term you prefer to use. in other words it no longer flat. What the heck did this? HEAT, SPRINGS? idk... Do you?
PICS BELOW.
[This message has been edited by 2feido (edited 11-01-2008).]
I believe its 1 year past time of purchase. Treat them with respect and they will help you out. I got a bit of a discount on a replacement clutch even though I was under warranty.
So my day has come where my Spec clutch has failed me. I have 1100 miles on the clutch. I have not taken it apart yet to see what actually failed. The clutch failed under normal driving conditions. It started with a scrapping noise the progressed to locking up (basically direct drive).
has anybody had any luck with specs customer service, and getting these warrantied?
Its a spec stage 3, and my engine makes about 260hp and prob. like 320 torque.
When did you get the clutch and did you inspect it before installing it to insure it was not one of the ones with the hub pressed in the wrong way? There was a run they did where they installed the hub in backwards and it caused failures. From what you are explaining sounds like the same type of failure.
the exact thing happened to me... The warranty is 120 days after purchase and since mine was bought around this time last year i was boned. I had to buy a new stage 4 springless disk from them at a "reduced" price, but still cost close to $300 to get it to my door.... The new disk cost around $160
I ****ing hate UPS
Phil
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04:08 PM
2feido Member
Posts: 295 From: chicagoland area Registered: Jun 2006
When did you get the clutch and did you inspect it before installing it to insure it was not one of the ones with the hub pressed in the wrong way? There was a run they did where they installed the hub in backwards and it caused failures. From what you are explaining sounds like the same type of failure.
I had no idea this was problem!!!!! can you send me link or something expling this problem in further detail
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04:17 PM
Bigfieroman Member
Posts: 2416 From: Pleasant Hills, PA, near Pittsburgh Registered: Nov 2000
Well i called SPEC talked a guy named Matt. Nice guy.
Anyways he explained it to me that with high torque engines causes the input shaft to "flexing" or "move out of axis" as he described. Since the transmission dose not use a pilot bearing this increased the flexing and over time this will cause fatigue on the springed hub. he said anything with a decent amount power needs to have solid hub disc.
And since im out of my 4 month warranty i can not claim it under warranty. And i'm not the guy to make a big deal out of a something dumb. By the time shipping costs, there, back and the turn around time its not worth it to me. I just will simply not buy another SPEC product.
that was the response i got... oh well the springless hub should hold up and if the spec stage 3 is supposed to handle 450 flt/lbs of torque, then mine should have never fragged, and yours shouldnt have either. So the comment about solid hubs from him is kinda BS. It should hold up to the torque stated on their website.
[This message has been edited by philbur120 (edited 10-29-2008).]
Well i called SPEC talked a guy named Matt. Nice guy.
Anyways he explained it to me that with high torque engines causes the input shaft to "flexing" or "move out of axis" as he described. Since the transmission dose not use a pilot bearing this increased the flexing and over time this will cause fatigue on the springed hub. he said anything with a decent amount power needs to have solid hub disc.
And since im out of my 4 month warranty i can not claim it under warranty. And i'm not the guy to make a big deal out of a something dumb. By the time shipping costs, there, back and the turn around time its not worth it to me. I just will simply not buy another SPEC product.
Anybody have luck with clutchnet?
Before you buy another clutch, check out your local clutch builder first, a city as big as Chicago should have at least one. I walked into the shop that built my second and current clutch and told them what I was working with and the builder went over all of the areas of the clutch disc I needed to be concerned with including the hub area where the Spec clutch has had its problems in the Fiero. I could have my pressure plate clamping force increased as well as choose the friction surface type and hub style. As long as I have this option, I'll never drop another dime in a big name manufacturers pocket for this kind of part.
quote
Originally posted by philbur120:
that was the response i got... oh well the springless hub should hold up and if the spec stage 3 is supposed to handle 450 flt/lbs of torque, then mine should have never fragged, and yours shouldnt have either. So the comment about solid hubs from him is kinda BS. It should hold up to the torque stated on their website.
Silly "rabbit", there's no truth in advertising, this is America, but I agree with you and the several other members who have had VERY low mileage high performance clutch assemblies from the said manufacturer fail in record time for a part sold specifically for high power drive trains that are almost always well below its rated capacity.
Certainly doesn't help the matter to keep selling a part to customers for the same situation it is known to fail in now is there.
Silly "rabbit", there's no truth in advertising, this is America, but I agree with you and the several other members who have had VERY low mileage high performance clutch assemblies from the said manufacturer fail in record time for a part sold specifically for high power drive trains that are almost always well below its rated capacity.
Certainly doesn't help the matter to keep selling a part to customers for the same situation it is known to fail in now is there.
Well i guess with all the info on Pennock's i should have known... oh well **** happens. Instead of complaining a little i should be putting my stage 4 in right now!
Phil
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06:17 AM
PFF
System Bot
Mickey_Moose Member
Posts: 7570 From: Edmonton, AB, Canada Registered: May 2001
I have had a problem with my original disc as well with the springs breaking out (4.9, Isuzu 5 speed). They sent me a replacement disc (discounted price) and I noticed that the new disc was made from a heavier gage steel then the original.
Vibration causes the sprung hubs to explode. Either from being misaligned or from bad input shaft bearings, which is not the throwout bearing. (my problem on my transmission) A solid hub will deal with the vibration better but will not correct worn bearings.
Good thing to do, since you need a clutch anyways, is to have your input shaft run-out measured at a transmission shop. More than likely they will do it for close to free if its out of the car. Also, input shaft play (run-out measurement) cannot be 'tested' by jiggling it by hand, it must be measured as i found out.
[This message has been edited by arte444 (edited 10-30-2008).]
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10:09 AM
2feido Member
Posts: 295 From: chicagoland area Registered: Jun 2006
I have had a problem with my original disc as well with the springs breaking out (4.9, Isuzu 5 speed). They sent me a replacement disc (discounted price) and I noticed that the new disc was made from a heavier gage steel then the original.
4 years on this disc (stage 3) with no problems.
On my first fiero i had the same clutch stage 3, drove the piss out of that car, it was also a v8 making way more power then this one is currently making.... When i got this clutch it looked really cheap, compared to my first one, but it was over a year since i last seen the first disc. i was meh... i got might as well use it.
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10:11 AM
Dennis LaGrua Member
Posts: 15861 From: Hillsborough, NJ U.S.A. Registered: May 2000
When a performance clutch is installed (as stated by Spec), the runout in the Getrag input shaft bearing is critical to longevity. Since the Fiero clutch disc just hangs there supported on only one end (no pilot bearing) Installing these clutches in Getrags that have been reconditioned seems the only way to get them to last. This probably explains why some praise the Spec 3 clutch while others curse them. Word to the wise, before installing a clutch get out the dial indicator and measure the runout.
------------------ 87GT - 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. 87GT - 3.4L Turbocharged engine, modified TH125H " I'M ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
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10:42 AM
Alex4mula Member
Posts: 7410 From: Canton, MI US Registered: Dec 1999
Spring hubs suck. Don't use them. I will never use one again. I have broken springs on three manufacturers. I use a stage 4 solid hub now and feels just like the rest but without springs to worry about. Have about 3K miles now. Will tell you more when I get it to 10k.
I had a reversed hub, ruined my getrag to the tune of $1,000 rebuild. Terrible customer service. Didn't even pay my return shipping for the bad clutch. My SHO clutch lasted about a year. Replaced it with a better performing stock Ford clutch. Still going strong after 3 years and cheaper to boot. I'll never buy another Spec and would never recommend one. John
ive used them in two cars now both of which get or got abused relentlessly. both in the svo forums and the fiero forums people complain about the same things. i think that while clutches seem relativly simple, high performance ones may be a tad tricky.
what youre talking about with the groaning noise is the clutch scraping on the friction surface from letting the clutch out too slow or with just the wrong amount of gas. this happens to me all the time. the clutch is locked up now probably because the throw out bearing is stuck on the input shaft and this is generally due to riding the clutch too much which is difficult not to do on a stage 3 ill give you that. but customers do this kind of stuff all the time to stock clutches. if you look at the clutch disc youll probably find some of the friction pads are different heights now due to uneven pressureplate clamping. caused by riding the clutch to much, i live in dc area and its the primary failure in lots of cars. that and 16year olds. as for blowing springs out of clutch discs(assuming its built right no mechanical defects) thats from shifting too harsly causing the springs to bind and pop. when they say it can handle X torque thats based off of the spring strength used in the hub. it means that the clutch springs can constantly resist binding while rolling down the road. this type of force is different than suddenly smashing into the springs which will cause them to pop and is the very reason unsprung clutches exist. if you properlly slip the clutch at the strip or can get the engine/trans reasonably rev matched before shifting on the track then this kind of excessive force can be avoided. it becomes nessesary for unsprung clutches in high powered cars like a muscle car because the engines are so big and have so much torque theres nothing else to do.
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01:09 PM
2feido Member
Posts: 295 From: chicagoland area Registered: Jun 2006
Pictures added in first post...... check it out. And can you tell if the clutch is the "installed backwards at spec" disc?
thanks
That clutch is fine. Failed just like my previous one. Just get rid of the springs on whatever you buy. No matter what brand clutches will fail. Before was Centerforce when many Fieros were using it. Today is Spec. Tomorrow may be Clutchnet or whatever bandwagon we get on. People will post failures. But the probably biggest qty of people with good ones will not come here to post "hey look at my clutch how nice is still working!". And that applies to all brands. Then bigger engines with lots of torque will be harder on parts. No pain, no gain
