EVER HEAR the old saying, "Give me a Corvette with any transmission, as long as it's a manual?" If so, you already understand one of the greatest feelings one can experience in America's sports car: grabbing the stick, rushing to redline, slamming your left foot mercilessly to the floor, quickly shifting into the next gear, accelerating to redline again, and repeating the process until you finally run out of gears.
Your factory clutch, however, was not designed to withstand the brutal forces exerted on it when you push your Corvette to its absolute limit, whether in drag racing, road racing, or even spirited street driving. Rather, it was designed to offer comfort and reliability under moderate driving conditions.
But let's face it: You don't own a Corvette because you've settled for "moderate driving conditions," do you?
That's why we're bringing you our official guide to Chevy Corvette clutches. Modern clutch technology can handle as much power as your Corvette can dish out, giving you clamp-load capacities of 600, 800, even 1,000-plus hp/lb-ft and beyond. In addition, an aftermarket high-performance clutch can give you more confidence during shifting, a firmer pedal feel, and greater service life than an OE unit.
Along with a new clutch, you might consider installing a fresh flywheel. Since it's easier to change both during the same service visit, it's common practice for manufacturers to offer flywheels that are specifically designed to complement their clutch offerings. These units typically provide stronger construction, better cooling, and, for racing, less unsprung weight than a factory cast-iron piece.
Because choosing the right clutch and flywheel for your Corvette is a personal choice based on price, planned driving conditions, and numerous other factors, we didn't favor one of these manufacturers over the others. Instead, we've listed them all and allowed them to state their case. All that's left is for you to decide is which of them is right for your car.
Fidanza Engineering Corporation
(440) 259-5656
www.fidanza.com
Brief Description: Fidanza offers four different performance levels in its Single-Disc clutch kits, all of which come with a pressure plate, a disc, a throw-out bearing, and a pilot tool. The Fidanza 2.1 clutch kit is manufactured with carbon and Kevlar, combined with a steel backing for a long-lasting street design. The torsion damper and marcel cushion engage smoothly yet quickly, making it perfect for those who drive their vehicle every day, in all conditions.
Engineered with 100-percent Kevlar friction for improved grip and longer life, the Fidanza 3.2 clutch has no marcel cushion, thus sacrificing a bit of its smooth engagement. Though more performance-minded-it can hold 60 percent more torque than stock and requires a 100-mile break-in-this clutch can be installed in a daily driver.
Fidanza's 4.3 clutch kit is for drivers who spend more time with their Corvettes at the strip. A ceramic-facing design provides extreme grip upon engagement, with more power planted straight to the pavement.
Not for street use, the Fidanza 5.4 clutch kit has no torsion damper or marcel cushion. The pads are made from sintered iron, allowing the clutch to deliver instant engagement and power.
Fidanza also offers its 6.5 Carbon Organic Twin-Disc and 7.6 Ceramic Twin-Disc clutch kits (for C5 and C6 only), designed to hold up to 900 lb-ft of torque, while maintaining stock pedal feel and driveability.
Trademark Features: Our twin-disc clutch kits come complete with a balanced steel flywheel, a pressure plate, both discs, and a floater plate that's strapped to help eliminate the rattle common to twin-disc configurations.