Mystic02VA (GME Chat) wrote:i have an audible knocking noise that is loudest in the bell housing (using a stethoscope from both the bottom and top of the bell housing)

I have one also, but gets louder with the a/c on, then if you turn the ac off it goes away, also changes when you push the clutch in.

I believe this is from the TOB rubbing against the fingers of the pressure plate.



FU Tuning

negative... the noise has been there since day one, and has not gotten worse over 25k miles

My SPEC caused so much false knock it was ridiculous. When the hub bolts are TQed it crushes the aluminum in the hub area as well which is where the hub issues stem from. More or less weakens that whole area. I really wish they would use a steel hub insert to solve the issues. I ran the SPEC flywheel for about 40K until I got my power up to a point where I really needed to be able to focus in on the smallest "real knock" readings for detailed tuning so I needed to eliminate the static (false knock) to be able to do so. Anyway, I would be really careful of an aluminum flywheel that is making knocking sounds or rattling because I can tell you from experience with those SPEC/Fidanzas (SPECS are fidanzas which are RKs) the hub bolts and friction surface hardware can and do work their way loose. A flywheel coming apart is no bueno



ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician

Addicted to meth wrote:

Mystic02VA (GME Chat) wrote:i have an audible knocking noise that is loudest in the bell housing (using a stethoscope from both the bottom and top of the bell housing)

I have one also, but gets louder with the a/c on, then if you turn the ac off it goes away, also changes when you push the clutch in.

I believe this is from the TOB rubbing against the fingers of the pressure plate.

my spec clutch had this issue... however the bully clutch i have now does not make any noise whatsoever when the pedal is pushed in...

i'll also state that my car has gained massive balls since switching to the bully. We speculate that the spec was slipping, just enough to keep the wheels from losing traction, from day one...

Mystic02VA (GME Chat) wrote:

Addicted to meth wrote:

Mystic02VA (GME Chat) wrote:i have an audible knocking noise that is loudest in the bell housing (using a stethoscope from both the bottom and top of the bell housing)

I have one also, but gets louder with the a/c on, then if you turn the ac off it goes away, also changes when you push the clutch in.

I believe this is from the TOB rubbing against the fingers of the pressure plate.

my spec clutch had this issue... however the bully clutch i have now does not make any noise whatsoever when the pedal is pushed in...

i'll also state that my car has gained massive balls since switching to the bully. We speculate that the spec was slipping, just enough to keep the wheels from losing traction, from day one...

I can confirm the slipping as well with SPEC and my car along with some of the 3800 SCed Fiero swaps my brother and I have done. The SPECs just don't cut it and the little problems they seem to be prone to in my experience just adds to my dislike for them.

Mystic, which Bully are you running? I plan to get a Bully within the next month or so myself and I was planning to go with their stage 4. When I swap this clutch in I would like to either get a new flywheel or perhaps this Exedy, if it is a viable alternative. I did some quick research on the cobalt forums and it looks like 1 or 2 were having issues with knock readings with this flywheel as well but truthfully I can't seem to find much on this particular Exedy.

Exedy's website only lists this under cobalts. Can anyone remind me whether the flywheels (primarily the bolt pattern) of the early (2005) cobalts had any difference from our L61/F23 combos? I just want to confirm that this GF501 will in fact work on the early Ecotec L61 (2002-2005 Js). For whatever reason I am having a brain fart on this subject and whether there was any differences. The pictures I have found of this flywheel in the actual Ecotec design look correct for our application but I just want to confirm before I drop $300 and then have to deal with a return through eBay.

Thanks guys





ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician

My Spec has been great for me for just over 50k of use. I have installed many Specs clutches in J's still going strong.

When it comes time for a new clutch, I will likely go with a plus Spec clutch over just a normal one.

Likely a 2+.

I know many others have had issues with Spec, but they have been good to me so far.



FU Tuning

Addicted to meth wrote:My Spec has been great for me for just over 50k of use. I have installed many Specs clutches in J's still going strong.

When it comes time for a new clutch, I will likely go with a plus Spec clutch over just a normal one.

Likely a 2+.

I know many others have had issues with Spec, but they have been good to me so far.

I have installed a bunch of SPECS too and for the most part they are ok and like I mentioned the last one I had was good to go for a little over 40k but still engagement was never consistent with the SPEC pressure plates. It's just the little things about them that I don't prefer. I use to feel as though they were pretty good myself until I started experiencing others that are far superior for other applications. Specs even seem to be pretty good in some of the other apps I have dealt with. Just for J's I am not thrilled about them. Ironically the clutch setups in the engine swapped cars I have built were using F23s too so that explains the bleed over of things I dislike about them.

Another point you just brought up was the fact that you have been using their regular series clutches whereas I have only ever used their plus series clutches and perhaps that's where the problem is......... I would be curious to see what you think of the plus series over the regular series because like I said I have never used any of their regular ones.



ASE Master Certified Automotive Technician

Philly D wrote:Ive just heard that Exedy makes a good flywheel and you want the steel over the aluminum since Fidanza/Spec has a spotty past with the centers ripping out. More so on the 2.4's though.

Yup, I had one that did exactly that. At the time, there we're no other replacement options, so I just bought a new one and cryo treated it. Hopefully it lasts. If not, I may get this one.

Quote:

Another point you just brought up was the fact that you have been using their regular series clutches whereas I have only ever used their plus series clutches and perhaps that's where the problem is......... I would be curious to see what you think of the plus series over the regular series because like I said I have never used any of their regular ones.

I have driven at least 1 plus Spec clutch.

I think it was a 3+, and loved it over my 2. I have not driven a 2+ to compare directly to my 2, but also heard from others the + clutches are better over the normal.

I have also driven a normal 3, but I did not like the 3+.



FU Tuning

i have a bully stage 4... i'll be on the lookout for a new flywheel on the winter build...

i want one with less "knock" ...

I love my Bully Stage4. Has better than stock pedal feeling, and grips like a mother fukcer. Only thing left to do is put the 400+ torque rating to the test.