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SPEC Problems

T

Tour_Racer00

CEG'er
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
Messages
170
Location
Rochester/Mankato, MN
Ok, so I put in a new SPEC stage 1 clutch along with a new SPEC flywheel in July of last year, drove it with no problems for a couple thousand miles and then it went into storage for the winter. Brought it out this April, put another couple thousand miles on it and about a month ago I started hearing a moaning sound whenever the clutch was slipping and it was "cold". There was a video of it somewhere on CEG that sounded exactly like it but I can't find it. I put it away for a couple weeks and when I came back to it last week, I got out on the highway and doing 65 MPH if I floored it in 5th gear the clutch would slip for a second then grab. Now unless it has been used hard and warmed up, it slips whenever it gets full throttle. The car did see one track day where I made 5-6 passes and then the random 10-70 pass here and there but since its a performance clutch and drivetrain, I thought it could handle it. Now I have 4,370 miles on my entire drivetrain (flywheel, clutch, tranmission, axles, ect.) and the clutch is giving me more problems then I have ever had with the entire car since I took it out last week. I called SPEC and they gave me the 120 day bs (the damn car was in storage longer than that) and I let it go at that without a fuss. Basically I want to figure out why it is doing this and what I need to do to fix it. Has anybody else had this kind of problem. Some people talk about physical damages to SPEC clutches because of a revised disk but I don't think this is that kind of problem. Suggestions?
 
Did you have the flywheel measured/turned to Ford specs? If you just assumed that it was right and threw it on then that could be the reason for your slippage. The flywheel is too far away from the clutch for it to grab with all of its force. When it heats up, the metal expands, closes the gap a little, and gives better grip. That is my geuss. I've seen oil-soaked clutches do the same thing as well. Hope that helps.
 
I read it. Just because it was a new flyweel doesn't mean Spec made it to the exact Ford specs. It is better to measure it to be sure than to pay later. That is not being a sucker :nonono: .
 
I've never read in the old forums or the new forums of a Spec flywheel failure due to it not being "made it to the exact Ford specs," but then again, reading's for suckers.:p It's possible that they recently changed their flywheel machining specifications, although the lack of evidence to support this makes me think it could be something else. :shrug:

Did you use the TOB that Spec sent in your kit? Did you bleed your brake lines? How many miles of non-full throttle driving since your last day at the track?

If it is a poorly machined flywheel, I expect that we'll be seeing the same thing with the Fidanza ones as well. Chances are, however, that the clutch will fail before the flywheel will. I don't suppose he should have measured the clutch before he installed it?:shrug:

BTW, aftermarket parts are never made to the OEM specifications because Ford doesn't hand over the blueprints. All aftermarket parts are reverse-engineered. You always take a chance when you go aftermarket.
 
the springs on the pressure plate fail as well, i would guess that that would cause uneven grabbin capabilities causing problesm such as this.

i also have problems with my clutch sometimes, in example sometimes when i powershift second i have to let off the gas then re apply it to make it grab, mighty irritating at times.
 
Interesting how these Spec problems keep coming up here!!! I wonder if these are still being recommended to everyone that asks by a few individuals. You are another example of someone who never needed a Spec clutch to begin with and should have gone with the more dependable OEM replacement.
 
RawBurt said:
Interesting indeed. Its starting to make me nervous. My spec stage 1 has been handling 260whp without any issues though.
Click to expand...


you are dealing with an enthusiasts group where like 90% of the people moddify their cars, of course you are going to hear about more problems then normal ... give it a break ...
 
Man! you're right! all these "problems" and NONE of them are installer error.. you know, kind of like this one. Yet another 0.25% of the people complaining.
 
Well I talked to somebody totally different and they said take everything apart and send him some digi pictures. So I guess thats what I will do. Unfortunately with this being my only mode of trans I purchased a new SVT clutch that will be going in and hopefully he'll just send me a new clutch pack that I can sell. I took 3 hours today to get the subframe dropped and tomorrow I will drop the trans and have pictures so lets see what happened...
 
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BrApple said:
you are dealing with an enthusiasts group where like 90% of the people moddify their cars, of course you are going to hear about more problems then normal ... give it a break ...
Click to expand...

Give it a break - Why. The reason to use these clutches is exacly because the cars are modded.

The clutch should operate are intended/designed. I agree operator installation issues can be the cause, but I am seeing way to many issues to begin with. I bet if you take the number of people who have Spec's and and compared that to the number of people who have problems, the data would show an extremely high rate of issues - which any OEM would be trying to fix.

I have a SPEC Stage 2 with new Fidanza flywheel waiting to go in and the more I read, the more I am concerned.......
 
It might be apples and oranges, but I know a few GM guys that will not put a Spec clutch behind any motor. And the more I read online the more I see why. Not that I would ever take the interweb as the be all end all.

Is there any other company besides Spec that makes "better" than stock clutches for the Contour?
Mark
 
Well lets hope I didn't make a mistake. SPEC gave me a good percent off if I purchased from them again. I will send them my old stuff and they will inspect it and replace as needed, so I'll just sell whatever new parts they send me. Then I just purchased a new flywheel insert plus a stage 3 clutch. Hopefully I won't have a problem otherwise SPEC will be hearing something I can't even imagine.
 
Spec Stage 3 I bought 3 months ago, Failed this weekend.
The Springs in the Pressure Plate Collapsed.
Also, like mentioned before, when shifting hard, Would need to let off and then back in order to engage the clutch.

There were no install issues. There were no real break in issues. Its a stage 3, takes a little getting used to.

the 120 Days is up this last weekend, Probably the day it failed.
I bought it from SVTCuervo and am Waiting a response from him (messaged him first thing this morning) Wanted to find the cause, before blaming the clutch or manufacturer.

Since i know it will be asked... The car was NEVER AutoCrossed, and was NEVER taken the dragstrip. Not before the New clutch, nor after.
 
KyleQ said:
yeah - I was looking into that, no way I'm dropping 600 on a clutch...
Click to expand...

Yeah, but think about it. If you spend $300-$450 on a spec clutch, that "might" fail in however many (low) miles, you are going to end up buying another clutch. And in the end its going to cost you more money and frustration. Why not just spend the extra in the first place and know its going to last? :shrug:
 
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