Twin Disc Clutches?

[1QWIKBIRD]

My motor is nearing completion and so I am gathering the remaining parts. I have been kicking around the idea of a twin disc clutch. Anyone out there with first hand experience they'd care to share? Right now I am running a SPEC 3+/Aluminum flywheel, and it has taking everything I have thrown at it. Daily driver duty, autox, a track day, numerous drag strip runs. And when I say drag strip runs, I mean full on, 5000+ rpm - let it fly - type runs. I may just send it back to SPEC for a rebuild and install a new friction surface on the flywheel, but thought I do some homework on the twin disc idea.

Please don't turn this into a pissing match of companies. Looking for first hand info on twin disc setups...

Thanks

[Blackbirdws6]

I run a McLeod twin disc in my bird and love it. It's certainly not cheap but drivability is great and holds a lot of power. I used to have a spec 3+ in the car and while it took abuse pretty well, it chattered and was like an on/off switch.

[JSPERFORMANCE]

It really depends on your power level and what you are trying to do with the car..
The twin discs are nice, they can hold 1200+ hp and still remain very driveable.
The added cost is usually the only drawback to the set up..

[1QWIKBIRD]

Originally Posted by Blackbirdws6

I run a McLeod twin disc in my bird and love it. It's certainly not cheap but drivability is great and holds a lot of power. I used to have a spec 3+ in the car and while it took abuse pretty well, it chattered and was like an on/off switch.

Which version of the McCleod do you run? Street twin, RST, RXT? My Spec will chatter if you try to slip it too much, as you mentioned and has a tendency to be on/off, but it holds and takes the abuse.

Originally Posted by JSPERFORMANCE

It really depends on your power level and what you are trying to do with the car..
The twin discs are nice, they can hold 1200+ hp and still remain very driveable.
The added cost is usually the only drawback to the set up..

The power level is nothing crazy, hoping for 475ish to the wheels. I do intend on taking it to the track and letting it fly on a sticky tire, and will leave off a 2-step. I'm just thinking that a twin disc setup might have a longer useful life and offer slightly better manners at the same time? It's the age old I want my cake and eat it too. What does a twin disc set up weight versus a traditional single disc setup, is there a huge jump in rotating mass?

[Blackbirdws6]

I have the street twin for the LT1. I'm not aware of the RST or RXT being available.

[JSPERFORMANCE]

Like I said, if you want the street manners AND holding power, the twin is the best way to go..

Not sure of the actual difference (never weighed them before) but just by holding them both the twin is significantly heavier than a single disc set up..

[Pampered-Z]

I have the street twin (steel FW version), holding power is awesome. I ran other clutches before and had issues when you get into later rounds and start hot lapping they would start to slip, no issue with the street twin.

I did make the mistake of taking the car on a cruise/car show which was bumper to bumper - basically moving 20 feet every 30 seconds, so allot of slipping the clutch, after about 20 minutes it got so hot it smelled like rotten eggs and then fused together and would not release. I would not recommend the street twin for a true daily drive if you may have to sit in traffic based on what happened to me.

[JSPERFORMANCE]

John, your air gap was probably set a little on the tight side.. You shouldn't have that kind of problem.. Hell, GM shipped big block corvettes from the factory with twin disc clutches and they didn't have many problems at all. In fact that was the initial opening in the market that caused companies like McLeod to bring their own out..