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Our 1969 Camaro dubbed Project Blank Slate has been a long time coming to be in the condition it currently is, but with a lot of love and tons of hard work and sweat equity, we’ve been able to transform our Z28 clone into something resembling more and more of a serious street machine – day by day.
With big plans in mind, one of our latest installs was a clutch upgrade from Advanced Clutch Technology (ACT), who set us up with a hearty Twin Disc HD Street Kit. A complete kit with all the trimmings of a superior clutch system, our ACT upgrade is sure to bring a hefty bite to our already performance-laden F-body.
The How And The Why
Because our Camaro boasts 720 hp from its naturally-aspirated 502ci LSX engine with RHS LSX block and aluminum heads, we knew we needed a clutch that could live up to the job of pushing all that power to the pavement. With a Tremec T56-Magnum 6-speed transmission to back it up, we went with the ACT Twin Disc HD Street Kit (T1S-G01).
To get the perfect fit for our ride, we contacted ACT with our car’s setup and intended use and working with their expert technical staff, we were able to determine the best application for our use.
ACT’s knowledgeable staff is a great resource for enthusiasts when it comes securing the proper performance clutch components for your vehicle. Not only will they help you over the phone or via email, you can also visit their newly improved website, which quickly filters the expansive application list down to just what you need.
Recommended for high-horsepower street and race vehicles, the ACT Twin Disc HD Street Kit is rated to handle up to 875 lb-ft of torque. While Blank Slate is certainly potent, we knew that the 875 lb-ft torque threshold would give us plenty of growing room while backing our car up with the hold that it needs for street and competitive driving.
The Experience
One of the reasons why people change clutches on their rides is because they’re aiming for an experience. In our case, we wanted a competitive vehicle with brute sticking force that could still be driven around town. “When installing a single clutch, while we do have that, pedal load would be pretty high for a street type vehicle,” ACT’s Chris Bernal shared with us.
“It feels like stock (well, as close to stock as humanly possible) with a twin disc, shifts faster, handles a lot of torque, and is just much easier, which means a surprisingly light pedal,” Bernal added.
The ACT clutch also has a very specific feel and function, something that’s achieved only through the dedication and enthusiasm of ACT’s employees for the industry and their products.
At ACT, you’re dealing with real cars guys and gals, ones that will pick up the phone to answer your questions and go above and beyond to make sure that your clutch is perfect for your specific application.
With development and manufacturing of ACT’s components taken care of right on site in the USA, the development team can put their all into ensuring a quality product for virtually any vehicle, starting with entry-level performance vehicles and moving north to applications with well over 1,000 hp. “We have full control,” Bernal told us, “Nothing is released until it’s installed and tested right here – We’re not guessing here, we’re testing before it ever hits the street.”
The In’s And Out’s Of Our ACT Twin Disc HD Street Kit
While the high-performance aspect of the HD Street Kit is definitely appealing, part of the reason why this kit is so popular among pro-touring car builders is because of all the components that are included. Along with the two discs, the kit contains a pressure plate, floater, heavy-duty flywheel and even an alignment tool.
Both the pressure plate and flywheel are dynamically computer balanced for easy installation and smooth operation at high RPM, while the twin discs feature premium organic friction materials that provide better heat tolerance, faster recovery from overheating, and protection against warping of the mating surfaces. A steel-backed lining on the discs make them even more durable and equip them with better burst strength.
Because the kit capitalizes on the Positive Lift Floater System design, it results in a quieter operation with no floater rattle and no posts to wear. Adding to the durability of this kit is a chromoly hub, which is heat treated for durability and strength. Topping it all off, the ACT Twin Disc HD Street kit features equal disengagement of the discs and the ability to adjust for disc wear in the future.
SFI-certified, this clutch kit can be run in competitions all over the country and can even be re-certified if the need arises.
Bolting Her In and Letting Her Rip
The first step to any upgrade is pulling out all your parts, taking inventory and inspecting them for damage. After we did that, we began disassembling the clutch assembly by first loosening the six pressure plate nuts to remove the pressure plate. Keeping the pressure plate shims in place, we then moved on to unbolt the floater from the flywheel by removing the three hex bolts right next to the pressure plate shims.
After disassembling the clutch assembly and washing all the friction surfaces off with acetone to rid them of any oil, we ensured that our crank mounting surface was clean and free of debris. From there, we installed the new pilot bearing into the crankshaft and our new heavy-duty flywheel.
Once our flywheel was in place, we placed the bottom of the twin discs up against it and bolted our floater plate in place using the three hex bolts we removed earlier. After applying a layer of thread locking compound on the bolts, we torqued them to 24 ft-lbs.
The register marks are there to ensure proper factory floater adjustment (already set on full kits) and proper balance.
Using the included alignment tool, we then aligned the spline hubs of the disc while securing our pressure plate gradually, eventually bottoming out the pressure plate before torquing the six nuts to 50 ft-lbs in a progressive star pattern.
Checking It Out
Checking for proper adjustment of the twin disc clutch kit is just as important as following the installation instructions precisely. So we got out or our measuring stick and straight edge and measured from the top of the pressure plate cover stamping to the top of the diaphragm fingers to ensure that our pressure plate shims were properly adjusted.
The newly installed position is supposed to be around 3/16 of an inch, and we were spot on there.
Once we determined our shims were properly adjusted , we checked out our floater adjustment. There should be no gap between the round tip of the adjustment stud and the drive straps of the pressure plate if properly adjusted. With ours barely touching each other, we knew we were good to go here as well.
Resulting Behavior
The HD Street Kit from ACT will benefit our pro-touring Camaro in more than one way. Not only will it add to the reliability of our high-horsepower vehicle, it also gives the car a better pedal feel and a smooth but responsive clutch engagement with low gear rattle. What more could we ask for?
Stay tuned as we get Blank Slate up and running to do battle on the autocross!
