What clutch is the right clutch

sn@ke3ater

New Member
I'm about to replace the clutch on my 91 integra for the first time and I've never bought a clutch before. I have a b20 engine that's relatively new. What would be the best? ceramic, kevlar, sprung, unsprung, which stage, which brand? It's hard to find reliable information on this. My budget is about $350-400.
 

Merlins Beard

*Beard not included
Anything over the Exedy stage 1 is going to be more than what you need for a stock engine.
Basically the higher the stage the harder the pedal will be and the higher clamping force the clutch will have. Different materials grip better and dissipate heat more efficiently. Sprung clutches have springs in the clutch disk to make the engagement smoother. Unsprung clutches have a harsh engagement point.
 

Samurai_Blue

Yolo Whippin'
clutches are sold by torque. SO you want one that fits your torque. An exedy stage 1 is an awesome clutch. However, if you want a super stiff clutch pedal, look at ACT. They sell clutch disks separate from the pressureplates. They sell them on tunersports.com aka the club integra store.
 


sn@ke3ater

New Member
I was thinking about going for excedy stage two sprung since I eventually want to do intake and exhaust mods. I'm told that stage two is sort of good for DD and light engine mods. yes or no? or is it not a yes or no question?
 

Merlins Beard

*Beard not included
You can get whatever clutch you want. It comes down to what you want and how much comfort and practicality you are willing to sacrifice for your DD. Stage two is going to be more than what you need.
I had my 00 LS with i/h/e and the stage one clutch and it was perfect. If you go though a lot of stop-n-go traffic then an upgraded clutch is gonna kill your left leg. Stage two is fine if that's what you want, but the stage one is going to be better for a mostly stock DD.
 

cborden

Jesus is THE way
I have a stage one (organic) exedy clutch on my 94 b18c. i absolutely love it, its pretty obvious where it engages. its not really rough or stiff; feels real nice for dd which is what i use my car for. also my car is mildly modded to include 4-1 headers, 2&3/4" cat back, comptech cold air box, msd wires, adjustable cams, and ngk plugs. my clutch is also combo'd with the 9.5lbs exedy flywheel. ive actually sheared an axle right off with this set up but ill admit i think it was mostly due to the rims i have.
 


Muckman

Not a M0derator
Im a big fan of Clutch Masters. They are very streetable, even the higher stages and are excellent quality.
I run the FX400 (Stg 4) which Id say is the limit for what most would consider streetable yet pedal pressure is not hard like ACT is. For a mild build Id recommend the FX100 (Stg 1) but I feel their FX300 (stg 3) is prefectly streetable for everyone. I love the 300. It could be installed from the factory its that good.
 

2kdb7

Member
I was going through the same thing a few months ago. I ended up with exedy OEM replacement ($130ish) to me it was a big improvement over stock. If that is your budget I would recommend getting a stage one or OEM and use the rest for a lightweight flywheel. If I remember right I saw a act flywheel for 180ish
 

98GS

Member
I had an exedy stage 2 when I had my DA and I loved it. Not too stiff and grabbed really well.
 

sn@ke3ater

New Member
this was actually going to be my next question since I"m new to all this. I get that having a lighter flywheel will make it easier to reach higher rpms, but how does this effect the rest of the engine? like does having a lightweight flywheel mean you can go faster with a less extreme clutch, and on the flipside of that, do cars meant for the track need heavier flywheels to cope with more torque?
 

Muckman

Not a M0derator
Lighten flywheel allows the engine to free rev faster and also decelerate faster. This does not affect how fast the car accelerates as the flywheel weight is a tiny fraction of the vehicle. How it impacts clutch performance is on starting and shifting. Less mass means the means the rpms will drop faster between shifts. This is annoying if you are a slow shifter. And since there is less mass, letting the clutch out to start moving in 1st will require more throttle. You can’t let the inertia of the flywheel make the transition for you. Granted these affects are minor but the gains are minimal to none.

I run a 6.75lbs flywheel and I've learned to revmatch slow up shifts. I have a very grabby clutch so I am used to slipping the clutch more than usual and adding throttle.

Torque output has nothing to do with mass of flywheel.

Flywheel weight is more of a driving preference.
 

98GS

Member
I had an ACT on my g2 I want to say it was 11 lbs. So not super light but lighter than stock. Worked great for me.
 

DCiFound

SEAHAWKS!!
I run a 6.75lbs flywheel and I've learned to revmatch slow up shifts. I have a very grabby clutch so I am used to slipping the clutch more than usual and adding throttle.
Im looking to get a new clutch setup. I will more likely purchase the Exedy stage1 organic clutch, but was wondering if I could use a lighter flywheel for that setup? What other things should I look for in buying a clutch kit?

Also, with the lighter flywheel, will I need to rev the RPMs higher to get it to roll from a stop? Right now, I rev the RPMs about 2k to get it to roll. I also shift to 2nd to 3rd to 4th to 5th about 2500-3k RPMs. Will that be an issue with the lighter flywheel?
 
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Muckman

Not a M0derator
Flywheels are your preference. Some ppl hate the light ones, some ppl love them. Rest assured you wont find much performance there. With less inertia the revs will build faster and slow faster (free rev, not in gear). You should just stick to a stock flywheel.
 
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