so i know this has been dabbled in already but i was hoping for an answer based on these mods. i have cia charge piping on the way, a dejon sri (that i am most likely gonna swap out for a cold air) and will going with a cia hi-flow, trifecta tune, and possibly a muffler delete or swap for a lil bit of a freer flowing muffler in about a month. so my question is, with those mods should i be worried about the stock clutch slipping? i was hoping that i wouldnt need a clutch too. anyone thats had these mods that can tell me if theres gonna be problems (and how bad) with the stock clutch id appreciate it.

 

As long as you drive well (know how to properly drive a manual) it should be okay.

However in the future you should consider looking into a new performance clutch, but I think you will be okay for a while yet

 

thats pretty much what i was hoping to hear. i figure as long as itll work for me for a while thatd be great. i plan on eventually upgrading to a spec 2+ but didnt really want to have to spring for that anytime soon. so my clutch will ok for a while then?

 

It should be, but I would HIGHLY consider the SPEC Stage 3+ when the time comes...

 

k just wanted to check caz i thought i read sumthing on here about the clutch having an issue around the 300 or 315 hp mark or sumthing like that.

 

well my Clutch started slipping on my first pull after my trifecta tune it grabs if you get into it above 4000rpms or so but under that it slips BAD i just orderd the Clutch Masters stage 4 clutch and light weight flywheel

 

I have the trifecta tune and my clutch doesn't slip, but I will probably have to replace mine next year...I also have the Hahn cai, CIA dp and charge piping...

 

Hum.

Does the Spec 3+ like the stock one?

I want a cluth that is the same as the stock one.

 

X2^

After doing a bit of preliminary research, it looks like things start getting pretty serious starting around Spec Stage 3. In the higher stages, you start to lose the clutch plate springs and stuff. If we're looking at a GM Upgrade ~290/340 or something Trifecta ~310/350, what would be good for those ranges while still keeping stock feel? I'm planning on taking it to the strip/track now and then, but trying to retain some of its DD qualities. I'm in the city, so clutch feel is a big thing for me with all the stop-and-go around here.

 

I have the trifecta tune, dejon intake, and muffler delete...car laid down 307/361 and I have no slippage as of yet...don't know how the clutch will feel after track season starts thursday...we will see.

 

Any thoughts of what you'll be looking at once yours start slipping?

 

Not really sure...I don't plan on racing much this season so hopefully it does not turn too bad...staying on stree tires too for now...I hear spec is okay but I think exedy makes good clutches as well...not really sure.

 

I'm pretty sick of hearing bout our clutches slipping with 300 whp, 300 dynojet whp no less. Realistically 270-275 whp with trifecta and we are slippin with just that. Do we all not know how to drive manuals? Is this not the same car that gm did 300 launch controls and nls's with and this same "weak" clutch held up perfectly fine. Guess the clutch in that test balt was a stage 3????? Either gm lied about these 'field tests' or people don't know how to drive and again, vince already suggested no nls or launch with mods. Who knows anymore........

 

Mine has never slipped. It helps alot if you dont go WOT in the lower revs in 4th and 5th gear.

 

Look at this question logically. Clutches hate excessive TORQUE, not HP. Would GM build a Turbo Upgrade capable of 340 foot pounds of torque if they were all that worried about the clutch? The clutch in the TC was originally rated 258 ft/lbs. Remarkably close to rated output. Then when the Upgrade was released they upped the rating to 340 ft/lbs. Again remarkably close to rated output. Given the safety and performance factors built into every part, bit and piece of a performance vehicle with a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty, I'd bet the stock clutch will handle WELL over the rated 340 ft/lbs of torque generated by the LNF w/Upgrade. GIVEN that the average driver knows the difference between agressive driving and just plain beating the ***** off the car.

 

QFT.
If you go WOT in 4th or 5th gear at 2500 rpms you are applying a huge torque load to the clutch which tends to make it slip. Drive smart and you will not have an issue.

 

thats a good point. i never thought about that. im thinking i should be ok based on what everyone has said.

 

my stock clutch started slipping pretty soon after I had a tune. The tourqe down low is just too much especially in the higher gears. If you don't get on the car at all till above 4000rpm it'll hold but whats the fun in having all that tourqe if you can't use it. Im on a clutch master's stage 4 now.

 

i agree with the not getting on it in the upper gears at low revs, in fact most tranny shops will use that same thing to test if a clutch is holding. the trifecta tune does not put that much more torque than the predicted gm tune anyways. i think people are unfortunately reaping what they sow with tons of mods and tune and nls and launch and downshift nailing it!! then I can see this clutch problem, and how many folks rev match!!??

 

*Raises hand* There's a ton of stop-and-go around here as well as me having to get around in parking garages too. Usually at least once a day I have to reverse up a hill a ways to get out of my parking spot(s), so that's always interesting. I wonder how everything evens out, since I am a bit spirited sometimes.

 

Damn, im suprised to hear some of these things. I thought it would hold alittle stronger.

 

just to be clear this is my first manual car but you guys are saying that if im say cruising in 3rd or 4th say 2000 rpm or so and put the pedal down hard ill have problems?

 

Good clutch = No
Bad clutch/clutch going out = Yes

Maybe not 3rd... but 4th or 5th. You'll notice that your RPM is going up without a speed increase or going up faster than the normal cooresponding acceleration.

 

ok thats what i wanted to know. not that id be really punching it straight from 4th or 5th so that shouldnt be a big unless it does it in 3rd.

 

I wrote a long post yesterday but ended up not sending it. Didn't want all the associated hate mail. But judging by a few of the messages here I think I will post this after all.

First. The clutch in our cars is rated by GM for 340 ft lbs. The ONLY way you are going to wear out the clutch is by allowing it to slip. The only way it can slip is if somebody holds the clutch pedal somewhere between UP an DOWN. Foot ON the pedal or OFF the pedal.

A while back somebody did a poll on the ages of Cobalt SS owners. Not surprisingly the average was in the mid 20s. Most of todays youth, in all probability, learned to drive on an automatic transmission. THAT IS NOT A BAD THING. Just my observation. Then as they progress through the list of vehicles in their life they just go with what they know. Automatics. All of a sudden an affordable hotrod hits the market and the young people WANT it. But it's only available in a manual trans. It's true you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Ask me! So the new manual trans drivers are left to learn all by themselves. Now don't get me wrong. PLEASE!. I am a retired truck driver and have seen things on the roads that would make a ***** blush. We won't go into that aspect today though. The things I have seen are people driving down the road, highway, interstate with their foot resting on the clutch pedal. Some with their foot resting on the brake pedal. And some with BOTH feet resting on the clutch and brake pedals while in cruise control. Some of the posts I see here might do well to hear my suggestion. UNDERSTAND I am not TELLING anybody ANYTHING. Just a little advice, learned over many years driving all kinds of manual transmissions, on how to make your clutch amd brakes last a little longer. The ONLY time your foot should be on the brake or clutch pedal is when you are BRAKING or SHIFTING. Unless you are on a race track where you really don't expect the brakes and clutch to last more than a season anyway. Resting your feet on the pedals is an unconcious act. Tape a little note on the horn button. "FEET" Another trick to preserving a clutch is DON'T USE IT!! But if you MUST get your foot off the pedal as soon as you can even if the seat slap you in the back a little. If your feet aren't on the pedals there is ZERO wear on the brakes and clutch. Most truck drivers, not all, never use a clutch to up shift once the truck is rolling away from a stop. They don't have syncros anyway. Through judicial use of the throttle and lots of practice you will find you can UP shift almost as fast without the clutch as you can with it. And to save the brakes DOWNSHIFT, using proper techniques like blipping the throttle between gears to match engine and trans speeds, whenever you can. At the first opportunity when you see a stop is emminent. Use your engines compression to help slow the car. GRANTED the SS/TC won't slow that much by down shifting solely because the turbo engine has lower than average compression but it will still help a little.

So flame away. Just don't throw stones and keep your left foot on the FLOOR.