[Shotimes] It's Clutch Time!!!??

[Josh Salaets]

> As long as I am generating this post anyway, you might take a look at
Josh's website
> regarding his clutches.  I don't know anything about those clutches you
mention,
> which means nothing as to whether they are any good or not....I haven't
looked at
> aftermarket clutches.  I just get Josh's $219 clutch with the high-end
ceramic throw
> out bearing whenever I need one, which is supposed to make them last
forever.  I
> have two of them in cars right now...the Lowrider has about 45K miles on
the first
> one, with no significant wear, pedal problems, or shifting difficulties
appearing so
> far.  The 'new' black '90 I am having Mark N. stick a 3.2 into also has
the same
> clutch, but it is brand new.  Theoretically those clutches are supposed to
last
> indefinitely, when driven normally on the street, as long as they have
that new
> ceramic bearing.

I just don't want to do another clutch job in 50K.  The last clutch that was
installed was apparently an upgraded unit with a stronger pressure plate and
an improved throw-out bearing, but it only lasted 50K and a few years.  I
had to replace the clutch when I first bought the car, and it was a Ford
unit marked "rebuilt."  This means after this next clutch job, the car will
have had 4 clutches in less than 100K, which just doesn't seem right.  I
just don't understand why my SHO is eating clutches, as I've never had this
many problems with clutches in my other cars.

The last clutch showed excessive finger wear on the pressure plate, with a
couple of them broken off.  This made the car nearly impossible to shift,
and if I shifted into neutral, I'd have to turn the car off to get it back
in gear.  The clutch shop diagnosed my current symptoms as the springs in
the clutch disc trying to puke out.

>  I also don't think you will need a flywheel, if you have had a
> clutch within the last 3 or 4 years....I think all the flywheels have been
changed,
> unless yours is one that happened to miss that upgrade.

My SHO is a 95, so I know it already has the larger flywheel, but I am just
concerned that it may have been resurfaced too many times, being this will
be the fourth clutch.  I don't want ANY more problems to crop up, and
figured this would be a good time to upgrade the flywheel since we can't buy
stock ones anymore.

>  I put another of these
> 'premium' stock clutches into an '89 that I have since sold, and I found
that it
> would have liked the new shifter fork as well...the clutch before was
REALLY bad,
> and ate the fork a bit.

I might order one up since it's not that expensive, and easy to change while
the trans is out.  Better to be safe than sorry!

> Those other clutches are probably good, but Josh's price is pretty
> hard to beat for a street clutch.

Yeah, Josh's prices are excellent for the stock unit, but if you get the
upgraded clutches, they get pretty steep real quick, and I am thinking I
might just drive the car to aggressively for the stock clutch to handle.  I
just want a clutch that is nice for everyday driving, yet can put the power
down out on track, at the autocross course, and the occasional night at the
dragstrip.  I can't handle my friend beating me in his Contour because my
clutch decides to slip all the way through first at random intervals -
that's just too embarrasing! : )

Thanks again for the info!

Josh Salaets
95 SHO MTX (See it here: www.cardomain.com/id/sh0gun)
85 Omni GLH-T (Autocrosser)
Eugene, OR