What do people think about the Mcleod clutch?

[1795]

I am using the Mcleod single disc clutch in the race car and it works fine. I am not running at the horsepower that you are shooting for, but then again having 600 HP and actually using 600 HP are two different things. You have to consider at what rpm are you going to be surpassing the HP rating of the single disc clutch and will you ever hit that mark on a regular basis.

If you are surpassing the HP rating of the clutch at 6,000 rpms and you do not plan on tracking the car, then unless you plan on keeping the car in 1st and 2nd gear most of the time, you will rarely ever hit that high of an rpm in normal street driving. Most people do not use what they have under the hood to it's fullest extent and are probably shifting somewhere between 4-5,000 rpms.

Food for thought.

Jim

[eschaider]

McLeod's dual disc and for that matter all the dual discs tend to be sensitive to set up. If you get the clearances wrong the disc(s) can exhibit a slight drag even though the clutch is disengaged. That slight drag will complicate shifting at higher engine speeds.

If I remember correctly McLeod asks for a 0.050" air gap when the clutch is disengaged and that gap must be evenly split between the two discs if you use their strap mounted floater. If you use a floater, like used on a slider clutch, that drives through the stands on the clutch cover bolts the clearance balance between the two discs is not an issue because the floater actually floats. The slipper clutch style floater can be a little noisy in neutral at a stop light but other than that it works fine and it is a bit easier to set up.


Ed

[undy]

I had a Mcleod RXT (dual disc rated @ 1000hp) in my 640hp C6 Z06 and it was a POS. 100% street driving and it started to slip in 20K miles. It was a real pain to launch without a sh!tload of shudder on takeoff.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by undy

I had a Mcleod RXT (dual disc rated @ 1000hp) in my 640hp C6 Z06 and it was a POS. 100% street driving and it started to slip in 20K miles. It was a real pain to launch without a sh!tload of shudder on takeoff.

Sometimes in addition to installing correctly, it is important to pay attention to the materials the parts are made of. Cast and forged cranks are both usable in an engine. Sometimes all you need to handle the power and intended usage is a cast crank. At other times the power levels and intended usage call for a forging. You need to know when to use which crank.

Clutches are similar. McLeod makes two versions of their 9" dual disc clutch. One is called the RST and one is called the RXT. McLeod recommends the RST for the high horsepower street use. The RXT, on the other hand, was intended for high horsepower street/strip usage.

While the clutch description could have been a bit more informative, the pics of the discs for two clutches visually tell the story quite well. The RST disc is made with traditional organic facings on the discs which provide a smooth engagement on the street.



The RXT is made with metallic friction pucks on the discs to hold up to the increased heat and abuse typical of track type operation.



Metallic facings are always more aggressive than organic facings. Driving the clutch on the street will raise the temperature of the disc friction material from the slippage associated with a smooth start. After a couple of these events the temperature of the friction material on the metallic puck increases and so to does the puck's co-efficient of friction. The increase in the aggressiveness of the now warmed up friction material provides the unhappy street experience.

If, in your estimation, the smaller 9.69" diameter discs are inadequate for your application you can always buy a pair of 10.5" discs and build your own twin or ask McLeod to do it for you. The DIY approach is decidedly less expensive. Dual 10.5" organic discs will easily handle 1000 ft/lbs of torque in a daily driver type of scenario.


Ed

[Lou1119]

I have been using a McLeod clutch with a Roush 427 SR 525 hp for 4 years and it has been great. Not at all heavy clutch pedal feel.

[RET_COP]

McLeod 11" diaphragm street extreme both side metallic holds my 408w 575HP. sometimes with a little chatter. The super street pro which has dual friction was super smooth. I've use both steel and aluminum flywheels. Support is very good. My machinist told me when he resurfaced the aluminum FW it was very hard steel face material.