How-To: Install a Fidanza Clutch and Flywheel

[ 0 ] May 11, 2007 | Mike Wilkes


How To Install a Fidanza Clutch and Flywheel

If you’re like most muscle car enthusiasts you are constantly trying to squeeze more power from your car’s engine. If that car has a manual transmission, then there will probably come a time when your engine’s power output exceeds the clamping force provided by the OEM clutch. The clutch is the vital linkage between your engine and the transmission and if it is not properly matched with your engines power output level, don’t expect it to last very long.

Since we are starting stage 2 of Project "Pony Up", Muscle Car Blog’s 2007 Ford Mustang GT project vehicle build-up, we are shifting focus from aggressive appearance and bolt-on upgrades to installing raw power and performance upgrades. To handle the power we have planned for Project "Pony Up" we turned to Fidanza for their FOUR.THREE Clutch Kit and a lighter Aluminum Flywheel.

Before selecting an aftermarket clutch for your ride, you need to know a few things about clutches and how you intend to put them to use. With clutch design, the materials used can make a major difference in how the clutch behaves under varying driving conditions.

Fidanza’s TWO.ONE clutch kit is the tamest of their performance clutch kits available, yet it is far superior to the OEM clutch supplied by your manufacturer. Using a carbon and Kevlar compound for the pressure plate, Fidanza has developed a smooth, durable, and manageable clutch that engages quickly under any driving conditions. The clutch disc features a Marcel cushion and torsion damper to allow for smooth, reliable operation while maintaining fantastic OEM like drivability. While this clutch is super smooth and long lasting, it’s not ideal for what we have in mind.

The THREE.TWO clutch kit, which is effectively their stage 2 clutch kit, utilizes a four point puck design with Kevlar buttons for the clutch disc, which provides aggressive grip and lighter rotating weight. The clutch plate also employs a torsion damper, but has lost the Marcel cushion. The THREE.TWO clutch disc sacrifices a little bit of smooth engagement for additional clamping power, but could still be used in a daily driver.

The FOUR.THREE clutch is where Fidanza starts to get a little nasty. Even though this clutch plate still has a torsion damper on it, you had better have some good footwork to use this clutch. Having six pucks and ceramic buttons, this clutch plate is all business and forgiveness is not one of its better qualities. The clamping load is significant and its designed for high performance applications such as nitrous feed or forced induction applications. Power is planted as soon as you let the clutch go but with practice can be used on the road, although you might as well pull over if you get stuck in traffic.

The FIVE.FOUR is Fidanza’s race version of the clutch and to put it in their words, "you’re either building a race car or a rocket". There is no torsion damper. There is no Marcel cushion. The clutch pad material is made from sintered iron and when you let that clutch out, hold on. This is a race application and if you are interested in using your car on the street, this is too much clutch for you.

Our consistent theme for our project vehicle has been one of freeing up existing horsepower by reducing parasitic drag on the motor. On the front of the engine we installed underdrive pulleys to reduce accessory drag on the motor so adding a lightened flywheel to the back of the motor is the next logical choice. Adding Fidanza’s aluminum flywheel reduces the engine’s rotating mass which translates to a perceived loss of low-end torque and increase of top-end horsepower. This perceived loss of low end torque could be a problem for anyone trying to drag race a naturally aspirated car.

With ground-breaking new designs, the latest manufacturing technologies and the most advanced materials, Fidanza consistently leads the way in producing high-quality aluminum flywheels, clutches, cam gears, flex plates, CV shafts/driveshafts and short throw shifters for track, tuner and street applications. Fidanza markets more than 700 SKUs for this growing industry, many of which are SFI-approved. For more information contact:

Fidanza

4285 Main Street

Perry, Ohio, 44081

phone: 440.259.5656

fax: 440.259.5588

www.fidanza.com

SOURCES:

Fidanza

www.fidanza.com

www.fastlaneincorporated.com


Step 1: Disconnect the battery to avoid any electrical shorts during the removal and reinstallation of the vehicle’s starter.

Step 2: With the car already supported by an automotive lift, disconnect the oxygen sensors from the factory H-pipe.

Step 3: Disconnect the rear of the H-pipe from the exhaust by loosening the two nuts on each band clamp and then prying the locking tabs up with a small screwdriver. Slide the band clamps towards the rear of the car to release the H-pipe.

Step 4: Disconnect the H-pipe from the exhaust manifolds and remove it from the car.

Step 5: Remove the clutch and flywheel dust shield from the transmission bell housing.

Step 6: Disconnect and remove the starter from the right side of the motor. Ensure you have previously disconnected the battery to avoid any electrical shorts.

Step 7: Disconnect the driveshaft from the transmission by removing the bolts that connect it to the output flange of the driveshaft. Position the driveshaft so that it is out of the way of the transmission.

Step 8: Disconnect the transmission mount from the frame and lower the transmission down to gain access to the shifter. Make sure you support the transmission with a transmission jack stand.

Step 9: Disconnect the shifter mount arm from the top of the transmission and disconnect the shifter linkage from the transmission shift arm.

Step 10: Disconnect the hydraulic line for the concentric slave cylinder assembly by removing the retainer clip and sliding the line out of the transmission.


Step 11: Unbolt the transmission bell housing from the engine.

Step 12: Remove the transmission. This can be done by hand or by using a transmission jack.

Step 13: Remove the OEM pressure plate & clutch disc by unbolting the clutch pressure plate from the flywheel.

Step 14: Remove the heavy OEM flywheel by unbolting it from the engine’s crank shaft.

Note: The difference in construction material is very noticable between the OEM friction plate and Fidanza’s performance friction plate. Although the pressure plates look similar there was a noticable weight difference between the two, with Fidanza being on the lighter side.

Step 15: Remove the old pilot bearing using a bearing puller and install the new one supplied with the kit.

Step 16: Install the new Fidanza aluminum flywheel and tighten to 70 lb-feet of torque.

Step 17: Using the supplied clutch alignment tool, place the clutch disk (friction plate) in place.

Step 18: Install the clutch pressure plate onto the flywheel by aligning the pressure plate to the flywheel’s alignment pins and tighten to 30 lb-feet of torque.

Note: Typically when you replace the clutch you would want to replace the throw-out bearing on the concentric slave cylinder. Since our project vehicle has less than four thousand miles on it, we opted not to replace the bearing as there was virtually no wear.

Step 19: Remove the clutch alignment tool and install the transmission.

Step 20: Bolt the transmission bell housing to the engine.

Note: Never use the transmission mount bolts to draw the transmission into the engine. The transmission should fit flush without needing to be drawn in.


Step 21: Reconnect the hydraulic line for the concentric slave cylinder assembly by sliding the hydraulic line onto the transmissions connector and installing the retainer clip.

Step 22: Reconnect the shifter mount arm to the transmission and connect the linkage.

Step 23: Reinstall the transmission mount by jacking up the rear of the transmission and bolting the mount to the frame.

Step 24: Reconnect the driveshaft to the transmission output flange.

Step 25: Reinstall the OEM H-pipe by connecting the upper end of H-pipe to the exhaust manifold and reconnecting the lower end to the exhaust pipes.

Step 26: Reinstall the starter motor

Step 27: Reinstall the clutch and flywheel dust shield.

Step 28: Reconnect the oxygen sensors and lower the car and reconnect the battery.

Step 29: Bleed the clutch by using a injection-bleeding tool. Connect the bleeding tool to the master cylinder and connect a high pressure air line. This creates a vacuum in the master cylinder allowing the positive pressure to draw the air bubbles from the hydraulic line when the clutch pedal is actuated. You should do this process for several minutes to ensure all the air is removed.

Important Note: Breaking in the clutch is a very important part of the installation. Different clutch materials have different break in time; the Kevlar material in the THREE.TWO requires about 500 miles before it broken in completely. The Ceramic material in the FOUR.THREE requires only 100 miles before it’s completely broken in.

Once the clutch is broken in, drivability will be much better and you can beat on it as hard as you want.

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