So, a couple of weeks ago I was asking for information on here about the Centerforce. Drivability, quietness, chatter and the ability to slip the clutch at low speeds were critical. I'm not making crazy power so holding power wasn't a big deal.
Impressions:
So, I've had it installed for about a week now. I only have a couple hundred miles on it but I can tell you that you'd never know the car doesn't have a stock clutch except for two key factors.
1. The clutch effort is MUCH lighter. You'd never know this was a performance clutch.
2. The clutch engagement is where it should be. No more engagement all the way to the top.
Everything is is perfect. Completely drivable with zero compromises that I can tell. No noise at idle...no on/off feeling...no chatter. Exactly what I wanted. I'm sure there are other good options, but this one doesn't disappoint at all. I'm pretty picky about keeping nvh and drivability at stock levels and I'm glad I made the choice that I did.
The installation:
I did this myself, in my garage on jack stands. It's time consuming but it is totally doable. Just follow the Ford service manual doc step by step and it's easy(and I did NOT have a transmission jack). These are the only real issues.
1. The service manual says to take the bolts out of the rear of the k-member and then loosen the 4 front k-member nuts. The idea here is that the rear of the engine/trans assembly will lower down to such a point that you can get the transmission out. Let me tell you, if you don't lower it down enough, there is NOT enough room in the trans tunnel to pull it back far enough to get it out. It doesn't matter how much you rotate the damn thing...there isn't enough room. To get it to clear, you'd have to loose the front k-member bolts to such a point where only a few threads of the nuts would be engaged. I was not comfortable doing this. After watching a video on youtube, you can see that other people have trouble getting that last inch. The input shaft will just not clear that finger on the pressure plate and it only lacks half an inch or so. My buddy took a pry bar, and compressed that finger just enough to let the input shaft clear. After that, it slid right down. The good thing is that the stock clutch assembly is very tall. The Centerforce is a good 1-1.5 inches shorter. So putting the trans back up in the car is a breeze...it just slides right in.
2. I had the front wheels on ramps and the rear supported by jack stands. It is almost impossible to get the k-member to line back up with the weigh on the suspension. Set the car on 4 jack stands(on the body) and the k-member will slip right back to where it should be.
Impressions:
So, I've had it installed for about a week now. I only have a couple hundred miles on it but I can tell you that you'd never know the car doesn't have a stock clutch except for two key factors.
1. The clutch effort is MUCH lighter. You'd never know this was a performance clutch.
2. The clutch engagement is where it should be. No more engagement all the way to the top.
Everything is is perfect. Completely drivable with zero compromises that I can tell. No noise at idle...no on/off feeling...no chatter. Exactly what I wanted. I'm sure there are other good options, but this one doesn't disappoint at all. I'm pretty picky about keeping nvh and drivability at stock levels and I'm glad I made the choice that I did.
The installation:
I did this myself, in my garage on jack stands. It's time consuming but it is totally doable. Just follow the Ford service manual doc step by step and it's easy(and I did NOT have a transmission jack). These are the only real issues.
1. The service manual says to take the bolts out of the rear of the k-member and then loosen the 4 front k-member nuts. The idea here is that the rear of the engine/trans assembly will lower down to such a point that you can get the transmission out. Let me tell you, if you don't lower it down enough, there is NOT enough room in the trans tunnel to pull it back far enough to get it out. It doesn't matter how much you rotate the damn thing...there isn't enough room. To get it to clear, you'd have to loose the front k-member bolts to such a point where only a few threads of the nuts would be engaged. I was not comfortable doing this. After watching a video on youtube, you can see that other people have trouble getting that last inch. The input shaft will just not clear that finger on the pressure plate and it only lacks half an inch or so. My buddy took a pry bar, and compressed that finger just enough to let the input shaft clear. After that, it slid right down. The good thing is that the stock clutch assembly is very tall. The Centerforce is a good 1-1.5 inches shorter. So putting the trans back up in the car is a breeze...it just slides right in.
2. I had the front wheels on ramps and the rear supported by jack stands. It is almost impossible to get the k-member to line back up with the weigh on the suspension. Set the car on 4 jack stands(on the body) and the k-member will slip right back to where it should be.