clutch options?

[e30leigh]

hey there.

i was looking into clutches today and it got me thinking.....

turbo m20 isnt going to hold a factory clutch. so thats a no go.
i then got thinking about aftermarket as you do.

the common choice here in NZ is exedy but almost everything i think of has bad reviews or is unknown. as you could all imagine i dont want crap and i dont want to risk crap. so here what ive thought of....

exedy h/d - bad reviews
extreme clutches - apparently just exedys
factory - not strong enough
custom autoclutch - bad reviews
act - unknown
d1 racing - bad experiences
clutch industries - known

theres alot of brands not commonly available here that you most likely have more access to.

what is a known quality clutch to run? im not shy from heavy clutches or "puks", i want something that can handle track duties for a turbo m20.
let me have it with whats available.



thanks, leigh

[Wanganstyle]

buy a 240mm oem clutch setup (entire fly+pp) for a s50 euro/usa s52 or m30 or s38. plug and play and drive happy.

most of those should hold 350rwhp happily and be streetable. AND OEM BMW PARTS.

s50b32 entire clutch assembly substituted for the m20 unit in a otherwise stock e30 m20+g260 is just fine to dd in traffic.

[Zacm829]

I will be purchasing a spec stage 3 clutch in the near future for my m20t, I've heard great reviews.

[36brua]

buy a 240mm oem clutch setup (entire fly+pp) for a s50 euro/usa s52 or m30 or s38. plug and play and drive happy.

most of those should hold 350rwhp happily and be streetable. AND OEM BMW PARTS.

s50b32 entire clutch assembly substituted for the m20 unit in a otherwise stock e30 m20+g260 is just fine to dd in traffic.

Is this a single mass flywheel ? THNKS

[Jaxx_]

I will be purchasing a stage stage 3 clutch in the near future for my m20t, I've heard great reviews.

are you talking about spec?

I run a spec stage 3, which is nice. but it's really only handling about 1/3 of what it's able to handle. It's held up for ~5k(+) of heavy street/autox/drag use and has no signs of stopping. We'll see how it holds up after turboing.

[Wanganstyle]

Is this a single mass flywheel ? THNKS

single or dual.

m30/s30 use a single mass 240mm

s52/s54/m54/n54 use a twin mass. Some of the twin mass setups complete weight the same as a single mass.

Im running a dual mass clutch from 2010 135i twin turbo on my M20 right now. More civilized than aftermarket and dual mass takes the stress off the trans. Also proven to 400rwhp+ on the dyno by the N54 crowd.

[Zacm829]

are you talking about spec?

I run a spec stage 3, which is nice. but it's really only handling about 1/3 of what it's able to handle. It's held up for ~5k(+) of heavy street/autox/drag use and has no signs of stopping. We'll see how it holds up after turboing.

Yep, typo on my part. Spec clutches seem to be reasonably priced right now too!

[36brua]

single or dual.

m30/s30 use a single mass 240mm

s52/s54/m54/n54 use a twin mass. Some of the twin mass setups complete weight the same as a single mass.

Im running a dual mass clutch from 2010 135i twin turbo on my M20 right now. More civilized than aftermarket and dual mass takes the stress off the trans. Also proven to 400rwhp+ on the dyno by the N54 crowd.

I'm pretty sure that 400 rwhp has a factor of about 2 x's more than I'll need :-) thanks for the good info on combos/sources !

[e30leigh]

cool. thanks guys ill look into factory set ups from other motors and those spec clutches.

[TobyB]

turbo m20 isnt going to hold a factory clutch.

huh. Honestly, I'd think the stock clutch, good for better than 200 ft/lbs, would be a fine
place to start. If it gave up early, THEN I'd start trying to find something better.

In the 'only fix what's broke' category...

t

[Wanganstyle]

I'm pretty sure that 400 rwhp has a factor of about 2 x's more than I'll need :-) thanks for the good info on combos/sources !

To use a n54 turbo clutch on a m20; you need:

330i e46 zhp 2005-6 standard flywheel (could be an aftermarket fly) and matching new one time use bolts.
Also a 240mm friction disc matching your transmission input spline standard (there are a few different ones to choose from)
And the 135/335/535 pressure plate.

The throw out bearing/clutch fork will match the transmission

The n54b30 and all 2000+ bmw Oem clutches are SAC (self adjusting). A special bmw tool is required to set this. Don't try it without the factory unless you have a machine shop handy to make tools and understand how to operate the adjustment properly.

If one desires a very high load pressure plate the e82 1M pressure plate could be special ordered from bmw. The 545i e60 pressure plate also is compatible and is rated from the factory with a 370lb ft 4800cc v8.

The easier setup would be to order a complete dual or single mass flywheel setup +clutch for a e36 m3 / z3m ( s52 usa setup) and bolt it on. This can handle 350rwhp or so, you can buy it at any bmw supplier or dealer any day of the week it should be in stock- it's very popular/drivable-I'd suggest keeping the dual mass.

The Oem s52 setup total weight is very similar to a m20 single mass setup. But you can flat foot shift and the flywheel will take the abuse instead of the gearbox.