Exige S Clutch Replacement plus lightweight flywheel and LSD

[gizard]

Hi All,

I have a nasty feeling that my clutch on 2010 Exige S Performance sport 260 is starting to slip (4500 miles). I might like to have a go at replacing it my self and was wondering how easy / difficult it is and if any specialist tools are required (I have changed the entire exhaust system including manifold myself with little trouble). I am also aware that the gearbox needs to come out but not the engine. Where could i get a workshop manual from?

At this point I am considering changeing the clutch to something a little more beefy along with a lighter flywheel and possibly an LSD (i have had a fair few other cars with LSD's and prefer the feel)

What clutches can people recomend so far I have been advised of the following:

Exedy
Helix
is there an uprated TRD one above what the performance pack comes with?

Any reason why the TRD lightweight flywheel is much more expensive than the Fidanza one and is not as light? I know the TRD is steel and the Fidanza Aluminium which doesn't make sense with the steel being more???

As for LSD I think I would prefer to use a TRD one as this is what Lotus offer?

cheers

[Scuffers]

Flywheel wise, not a fan of Ali ones, they usually have life issues etc...

the best one out there so far is the Eliseparts one:


Clutch wise, Exedy make some very decent ones, just avoid paddled ones and the like.

[gizard]

Thanks scuffers - I have just seen that elise parts one and was thinking it is very light! just trying to add up all the costs!!!

[gizard]

hmm i am thinking the quaife lsd would be best....

[mikem7709]

I went for a Helix clutch and am running about 260-270 HP with no issues (cover, plate and bearing was about £300 from memory). This was the Organic plate not cerametallic as I wanted something quiet with stock feel and no extended bedding in process.

[gizard]

Hi did you change the clutch yourself? if so do you know where I can get a workshop manual?

cheers

G.

[Sublime]

gizard said:

do you know where I can get a workshop manual?

cheers

G.

You should be able to get one from Lotus, my S1 Elise service / workshop manual was bought direct from them and turned out to be very useful.

[gizard]

Ah thanks - I have asked my dealership as the car is having it's first service next week.

[Sublime]

gizard said:

Ah thanks - I have asked my dealership as the car is having it's first service next week.

No worries, mine came direct from the Lotus factory spares department, I think I have the part number somewhere if you need to say "I'd like one of these but for the Exige S".

[jfk01]

Hi, I had a quaife fitted 18 months ago and am very happy with it , I hated the inner wheel spinning ..
I also had a helix organic clutch fitted at the same time .At first it juddered then went ok till recently ... it now judders again so I'm probably gonna fit an exedy as a couple of people with over 300 bhp run them that I know ..
I now run about 307 bhp and did a couple of 1/4 mile runs which I think killed the clutch ..
My gearbox needs a rebuild at the same time cos the dreaded 3rd gear went bald !
I plan to remove and fit the box myself too .
Interested to hear why paddle clutches are to be avoided ?
Cheers JK

[Scuffers]

jfk01 said:

Hi, I had a quaife fitted 18 months ago and am very happy with it , I hated the inner wheel spinning ..

ideally, you should address why the inside wheel is spinning first rather than using an LSD just to hide the problem (ie. stop the car picking up the inside rear wheel).

jfk01 said:

Interested to hear why paddle clutches are to be avoided ?

they are designed for rally cars etc, where they have high loads, but are not required to have nice smooth take up and live very long, cerametallic clutches are really for race cars only where changing them often is not an issue.

The 2ZZ's clutch is not small, no reason why a decent 'std' style clutch won't do the job, (the 2ZZ uses the same size clutch the Honda K20's do, and we run stupid power though them without issue, even with a sequential box bolted to them).

[gizard]

Hmm sounds like the excedy organic clutch is the one to go for then with the elise parts flywheel. I'm also intreaged by the sequential Jubu gearbox but pretty sure I cannot afford it at the moment!

I understand (albeit not a huge amount) that at the expense of comfort you could reduce inside rear wheel spin, unless of course you completely re-engineer the suspension al MP4-12c?

Edited by gizard on Friday 2nd September 06:59

[Scuffers]

gizard said:

I understand (albeit not a huge amount) that at the expense of comfort you could reduce inside rear wheel spin, unless of course you completely re-engineer the suspension al MP4-12c?

??

it's only a question of matching the damper lengths/stroke and spring rates, no reason you have to sacrifice comfort.

[jfk01]

I'm leaning towards an exedy clutch now ...
Problem is ... which one ?
They do a stage 1 .... a stage 2 ...?

[bordseye]

Clutch slip at 4k miles and before the first service! Either a guarantee issue or a left foot problem.

[gizard]

I don't think clutch is covered by warranty - I have never, ever had a clutch go before on any other car so I can assume it's just not man enough for the job......

[Scuffers]

jfk01 said:

I'm leaning towards an exedy clutch now ...
Problem is ... which one ?
They do a stage 1 .... a stage 2 ...?

wish I could help you here...

Exedy UK use different parts to Exedy US etc, so trying to get the same part here is dam near impossible.

this is a problem because the UK sourced ones (for K20) are total crap compared to the US sourced ones that are supposed to be the same stage 1 (as they put it).

(I have tried to communicate this to Exedy UK, but they just refuse to grasp the issue and just claim the product is equivalent, so I just buy all my stuff via the US.)

I am making the assumption that there will be the same issue with the 2ZZ ones.

[jfk01]

^^^^^^^ drat ^^^^^^^
Cheers ( I think ! ) for that Scuffers .....
Now I'm as undecided as ever .....
I'd like to think that just a new helix organic driven plate would suffice ,and that I just got unlucky that I have judder after giving it some stick ..
Glad I'm in no rush ! ..... I'm saving for Jubu gears ...
Anyone have any helix organic praise ?
Frank mentions ACT clutch but I've not seen any in the UK

Edited by jfk01 on Saturday 3rd September 00:39

[Scuffers]

If you can wait a bit, its something I will be looking into shortly...

[gizard]

is there anyway to check a clutch on the exige - I am still wondering how warn it actually is.... try as I might booting it any gear it doesn't appear to slip - it only slips when I am going for it in higher gears (and changing gear) and when I least expect it to, i.e. can make it do it without being silly...