Si Review: Spec Inc Stage 3 Clutch w/Steel SMF

NoKz

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PREFACE
Alright, so I'm going to be clear up-front and say that I have not tested or felt any other clutches available for the 10th Gen outside of the OEM stock clutch. I do not have the hands-on experience with others to compare my thoughts on other clutches available. So I will be comparing Stock vs. Spec Stage 3. If I drive another car with a different aftermarket clutch, I will most definitely add it here.

With that out of the way, here's a quick break down of what I have done to my 2018 Si Coupe performance-wise;
  • Ktuner v1.2
  • TwoStep Performance KTuner Flex-Fuel Kit
  • TwoStep Performance Stage 2 Tune
  • PRL Cobra Cold Air Intake w/Race MAF
  • PRL Catless Downpipe & Frontpipe Combo
  • Muffler Delete w/Stock Resonator
I bought my car in July 2018 with 7 miles on the odometer. It had never been test-driven and never did any driving outside of the Honda factory test course and unloading from the trailer. The clutch started slipping after I had the KTuner w/TSP Stage 1 Tune and PRL Cobra CAI. Once I tossed in Flex-Fuel, the stock clutch slipped more than this dude...

Honda Civic 10th gen Review: Spec Inc Stage 3 Clutch w/Steel SMF giphy


Skipping all the details on my clutch research, I opted to go with the Spec Inc. Stage 3 with a Steel Single-Mass Flywheel. I went with steel over aluminum because I wanted the revs to drop faster and did not want to run the risk of warping often seen with aluminum FWs. I ordered the clutch January 8th 2019 from @Two Step Performance and it arrived 3 weeks later. I was told by the awesome Cory @ TSP that Spec Inc. was waiting on more material for the pressure plate. Now, on to the install.


INSTALL
Now, I work on a lot of Hondas. I'm quite familiar with them and I'm not afraid to do the work myself when it comes to working on them. However, I opted to pay someone to install the clutch. I took it over to JuJu Built Engineered Performance in Upland, CA as they came highly recommended. First and foremost, if you're in SoCal and need your clutch done, take it to George. Dude definitely knows what he's doing and did an amazing job.

After seeing the amount of work involved to drop the sub-frame and put it back in, I'm glad I paid someone to do it. I would've been stuck in my driveway trying to do it. Well worth the money (which was quite cheap TBH). If someone offered to pay me double what they charged to install theirs, I would turn it down.

So with the install underway, everything was pretty straight-forward and went smoothly. Then we ran into our first set-back. The clutch alignment tool provided by Spec Inc. was the wrong size. According to the markings on the tool, it was meant for an Acura RSX. Luckily, George had a box full of alignment tools and was able to find the correct sized one. It's a small set-back, but if someone was doing this at home, that would've tossed a wrench in the whole operation.

Per recommendations from Spec, TwoStep Performance & PRL, I had the Clutch-Delay Valve (CDV) removed. Now, I know the great and almighty E-Man says it's bad for the transmission and blah blah blah. If the above three companies recommend it, I'm going to do it.

With the flywheel/clutch combo installed and CDV removed, they put Humpty Dumpty back together again.


INITIAL THOUGHTS
George from JuJu took the car around the block a couple times to give the computer a chance to reset and clear any codes. Everything settled down and my first concern was answered. I did NOT have a CEL due to the flywheel change. George recommended NOT disable the misfire detection and it came to be that I didn't even have to. +1 in my book.

George revved the car in front of me and wow! The revs dropped faster than Hans Gruber at Nakatomi Plaza!

Honda Civic 10th gen Review: Spec Inc Stage 3 Clutch w/Steel SMF hans-gruber3

Pictured: The best Christmas movie of all time.

I was super happy about that!

Driving the car, I immediately noticed how stiff the clutch was. For clarification, I did not adjust the clutch position in any way. I left it at the stock position. George recommended I try it like that before adjusting it. In it's current position, to disengage the clutch, I need to push the pedal to the floor. Once on the floor, I can easily change gears. However, if I lift even a millimeter off the floor, the clutch starts to grab. This process alone is a work out for my left leg. It's completely doable and I'm used to it from my Integra which has an Action Stage 3 6-Puck Sprung Clutch. I may adjust it a little bit though.

But as it stands, the clutch is stiffer and grabbier than Father Ted alone with an altar boy!

Honda Civic 10th gen Review: Spec Inc Stage 3 Clutch w/Steel SMF Jt6TDTsh

Source: Google Images

Once moving, the car felt great. It definitely had a good grip on the flywheel and she didn't slip one bit. I'm still within my break-in period, but I'm close to the end of it. I have been able to kind-of "get on it" and where the stock clutch used to slip, it no longer does. I'm finally able to feel the full power of my car with all the mods and man does it feel awesome!


INITIAL REVIEW
Now, down to the meat and potatoes.
  • Chatter - There's absolutely none. I'm not sure if it's because I'm deaf from years of listening to music or the fact that my car is pretty loud, but I can't hear any chatter.

  • CEL Codes - There's none. No errors for the flywheel, no misfire codes, nothing. I didn't have to touch a thing on my ECU.

  • High-RPM Lockout - Now, I'm still in my break-in period. But, I've already experience this. When doing a pull, I went to shift and the car would give me trouble shifting into the next gear. Normally, on the stock clutch, my transmission was "easy". I could slam into any gear with little-to-no resistance. With the new clutch, I feel I have to use extra force shifting gears.

    I'm not grinding at all, but it feels like I go to put it in gear and it pushes against me. I have tried other scenarios where I basically slam it into gear and it accepts it. But it doesn't feel like it used to. I will definitely have to spend more time with it and narrow it down.

    If it continues, I'll most-likely go the route of replacing the CMC with the modified CTR one that E-Man sells as I've heard it fixes this issue. Driving in normal conditions, I have zero issues shifting. It's simply at High-RPMs.


PRIMARY CONCLUSION
Overall, the clutch is awesome. I'm extremely happy with it and I'm content with my choice. It will take some more seat time to fully get it dialed in and a better view on it. But rest-assured, I will be back here to update my findings. If you got this far, I appreciate you!

Honda Civic 10th gen Review: Spec Inc Stage 3 Clutch w/Steel SMF giphy

Pictured: Man who doesn't play himself.

Thank you and I hope this helps someone in their decision!

1ST UPDATE 02.10.19
After doing about 300 miles in the car with the clutch at it's original position, I decided to try and adjust it. My primary goal was to remove the High-RPM lockout I've been experiencing. An added bonus would be a slightly higher engagement point that would feel more natural.

I adjusted my clutch pedal by turning the U-Shaped connector about 3 full rotations to extend it out a little further. The result was a stock-like clutch engagement point. Instead of it being basically on the floor, it is now where the stock clutch was. It's stiff still, but in a good way. It is in no way difficult to drive it this way. +1

After adjusting the clutch, I took the car out for a minor shakedown. So far, driving it is way easier and the shifting feels way smoother. Prior to the adjustment, the shifter felt like it took more force to go into gears. With the adjustment, it's back to stock feeling. A minor gripe has now been fixed. +1

High-RPM lockout............IS GONE! I was able to shift under WOT with ease. I did a couple of pulls and every time it went into gear without issue. Major gripe now fixed! +2

Overall, the adjustment was exactly what I needed to do. The car feels amazing now and I'm even happier with my purchase. I do have concerns about the master cylinder being over extended, but I barely adjusted the pedal and it appears to disengage and engage exactly where it needs to. Only time will tell.

:beer:

2ND UPDATE 02.26.19
There have been some discoveries and updates since my last post. I have officially put about 1,200 miles on the clutch and it is about as broken-in as it can get. Two weeks ago, I had the unpleasant privilege of driving in stop-and-go traffic with the vehicle. Aside from getting an incredible workout in my left leg, I was able to get through it without any issue. The next morning however, I noticed my pedal had softened quite a bit. I wasn't worried as I had read about this happening with this clutch before. Pedal goes from raging stiff to a semi overnight. This made the driving experience a lot more comfortable.

I had also spoken too soon in my previous update. The High-RPM lockout still exists. Anything above 5.8K RPM would not allow me to shift into 2nd or 3rd. When I noticed it, I didn't really have time to mess with it as I had to go to Europe for a week for work. Once I returned, I was at a friends house and decided to give him a ride. I did a nice little pull and 2nd gear locked me out. It sounded like a mis-shift and I was embarrassed as all hell. I had to explain to him this common issue with aftermarket clutches.

Fed up with the issue, I decided to adjust my clutch pedal once again yesterday. Here's a rough break-down of my pedal adjustment history:

(X is floor, Y is very top, E is engagement point).

Stock Clutch
X
-------------E-----Y

Spec Inc After Install
(No Adjustment, Results in lock-out)
X -------------E-----Y

Spec Adjustment #1
(Increased EP, Results in some lock-outs)
X ----------------E--Y

Spec Adjustment #2
(Decreased EP, No lockouts yet and Brake-Hold Works Again)
X ---------------E---Y

The adjustments are minor but there was quite a noticeable difference. On the 1st adjustment, I spun the U-Shaped Joint about 4-5 times to raise the engagement point. This drove alright but resulted in jerky take-offs and lockouts. Also, the brake-hold had issues properly engaging.

The second adjustment appears to be way smoother. I lowered the engagement point about 2 rotations and it made for a much smoother take-off and gear changes. So far (knock-on-wood), I have not had any lockouts. Even after taking a couple of trips to Mexico where GappleBees was serving people left and right. Most notably, the brake-hold is now functioning like it did stock. So I think I may have found the sweet spot. If this doesn't work, I may just contact E-Man about upgrading the CMC. Until then, I will continue to monitor and report back my findings. :thumbsup:
 
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kshawn

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Great wright up! Your issue with the car fighting the shift is probably due to the clutch position. If it's grabbing right off the floor that would be why, I'd adjust so it grabs between 1/3- half, off the floor.

I'm considering getting the spec stage 3+ so very interested to see your results with it!
 
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NoKz

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Great wright up! Your issue with the car fighting the shift is probably due to the clutch position. If it's grabbing right off the floor that would be why, I'd adjust so it grabs between 1/3- half, off the floor.

I'm considering getting the spec stage 3+ so very interested to see your results with it!
Thanks! And yeah, that's what I'm thinking it is. Clutch engagement is too close. I may adjust it a tad this weekend and see how that helps.
 

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I'm on the fence about either getting the Spec 3+ with the steel SMF and Eman's upgraded CMC or driving up to Eman to have a CTR retrofit done. The thing that bothers me about the car with a CTR retrofit that I've had a chance to drive was that the tach developed a sort of "lag" after the CTR clutch was installed. I'm not sure if it's unique to this particular car, or if it's a widespread issue, but when you rev the car the tach needle lags behind what RPM the car is actually at. You can test this by comparing at what point you hear your two step engage vs at what time the tach actually displays the correct RPM that your two step is set at. A KTuner v2 still reacts as quickly as it should, but for some reason the dash does not. The owner claims that Eman told him any lightweight flywheel will have this issue, but I brought it up to Eman and he seemed to have no clue about the issue or it being related to a flywheel if such an issue did exist. Does this happen with your Spec clutch as well? This is currently the deciding factor for me.
 

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Thanks for the detailed review. As @kshawn said, you definitely want to adjust the clutch pedal to raise the engagement point off the floor. I've found this necessary after any aftermarket clutch install on a 10th gen (that I've been a part of) and also found that after the clutch breaks in a bit you may find yourself adjusting the pedal again. Thankfully, it's a very easy thing to do.

Stage 3 is not as street friendly as a 2+ or 3+ but it's a great option for the cost and will certainly handle a lot of abuse.
 


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I have the Stage 2+ with Steel Flywheel. I agree with your review completely and i also have the same exact set up except i have RV6 pipes with no flex fuel and bought from awesome Corey from twostepperformance. I also had clutch slip on stock clutch like that gif lol. I am still in my break in period as well and have had it in since Saturday. I did adjust the clutch pedal on Monday so i can still use my brake hold. I didn't like how it grabbed right when you lifted up lol. It is a nice clutch with better grabs. I did also have trouble like you did on high rpms. I just wanted to get on it a bit, like you did. when i tried to shift in 3rd gear it would not go in. Did not grind or anything just would not go in. I did not force it either. When that happened i was disappointed and worried. After the clutch pedal adjustment i have not tried to get on it until i have broke it in more. But it does have fast revs up and down. I do hear a tad rattle in 1st and 2nd gear when downshifting. Nice post btw.
 

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Thanks for the write-up and review man. I am getting ready to install my 3rd different clutch for test and review.
 
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Thanks for the write-up and review man. I am getting ready to install my 3rd different clutch for test and review.
No problem! The clutch was definitely needed before ordering my W1 upgrade. :beer:

I have the Stage 2+ with Steel Flywheel. I agree with your review completely and i also have the same exact set up except i have RV6 pipes with no flex fuel and bought from awesome Corey from twostepperformance. I also had clutch slip on stock clutch like that gif lol. I am still in my break in period as well and have had it in since Saturday. I did adjust the clutch pedal on Monday so i can still use my brake hold. I didn't like how it grabbed right when you lifted up lol. It is a nice clutch with better grabs. I did also have trouble like you did on high rpms. I just wanted to get on it a bit, like you did. when i tried to shift in 3rd gear it would not go in. Did not grind or anything just would not go in. I did not force it either. When that happened i was disappointed and worried. After the clutch pedal adjustment i have not tried to get on it until i have broke it in more. But it does have fast revs up and down. I do hear a tad rattle in 1st and 2nd gear when downshifting. Nice post btw.
Thanks man!
 


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I appreciate all of the detailed reviews and I am sure I can speak for a lot of Si owners (who have done some much needed mods), by saying that I will be watching this thread lookjng for any updates. PLEASE let people know, either good or bad, about any issues or tips. As a community, we can all help each other out a bit so that we can enjoy our cars potential.

Thanks again for all of the goo write ups! Much appreciated.
 

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I appreciate all of the detailed reviews and I am sure I can speak for a lot of Si owners (who have done some much needed mods), by saying that I will be watching this thread lookjng for any updates. PLEASE let people know, either good or bad, about any issues or tips. As a community, we can all help each other out a bit so that we can enjoy our cars potential.

Thanks again for all of the goo write ups! Much appreciated.
+1
 
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NoKz

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ORIGINAL POST UPDATED! PLEASE CHECK IT OUT!

Thanks for the detailed review. As @kshawn said, you definitely want to adjust the clutch pedal to raise the engagement point off the floor. I've found this necessary after any aftermarket clutch install on a 10th gen (that I've been a part of) and also found that after the clutch breaks in a bit you may find yourself adjusting the pedal again. Thankfully, it's a very easy thing to do.

Stage 3 is not as street friendly as a 2+ or 3+ but it's a great option for the cost and will certainly handle a lot of abuse.
I updated the original post with my findings after adjusting the clutch pedal. Spot on advice that worked beautifully! Thank you! :headbang:

No need lol it’s really not hard at all.
Thanks for the vid, I had seen it before and you saved me the time of having to hunt around for it. :thumbsup:

I appreciate all of the detailed reviews and I am sure I can speak for a lot of Si owners (who have done some much needed mods), by saying that I will be watching this thread lookjng for any updates. PLEASE let people know, either good or bad, about any issues or tips. As a community, we can all help each other out a bit so that we can enjoy our cars potential.

Thanks again for all of the goo write ups! Much appreciated.
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. I tried to make it somewhat informative and entertaining enough to get the point across. We need more clutch reviews on this forum. To be honest, I'll most likely putting a Clutch Masters in my wife's Si for comparison and review that as well.
 

amxandy

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Thanks, I appreciate the feedback. I tried to make it somewhat informative and entertaining enough to get the point across. We need more clutch reviews on this forum. To be honest, I'll most likely putting a Clutch Masters in my wife's Si for comparison and review that as well.[/QUOTE]

PLEASE keep us posted. Your write up was exactly what we needed and an honest comparison would be another win for the Forum!!!
 

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So after adjusting the clutch pedal the drive is so much better. Clutch performs amazing. Today I have reached my breaking period. So I decided to push it a little and see what it could do. Revs are much faster, shifting is awesome (normal driving) everything works awesome BUT as I was pushing it I went from first to second and I could not get it in to second gear on high RPM. I did not force it in or grind the gear. Before on my other post up above it was from 2nd to 3rd. But omg the clutch is awesome. Any idea why this is happening? I didn't try it again after that all I did after that was some pulls.
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