Centerforce Performance Clutch

[82DMC12]

Thread from the dead. Just wanted to post here that I inquired about the Centerforce clutch to Centerforce customer service this week and I was informed it's no longer available due to poor demand. This thread is the first hit that comes up on google when searching "DeLorean Centerforce Clutch" so I thought I'd post this little update to it.

[DCUK Martin]

Thread from the dead. Just wanted to post here that I inquired about the Centerforce clutch to Centerforce customer service this week and I was informed it's no longer available due to poor demand. This thread is the first hit that comes up on google when searching "DeLorean Centerforce Clutch" so I thought I'd post this little update to it.

For updated clutches, talk to Lee at Renault Alpine Tuning Services (RATS)

https://g.co/kgs/1ptKno

[Josh]

While trying to look for uprated PRV clutch offerings I came up with many dead ends.

This centerforce clutch is basically just the stock one with some marketing B-S.

The 2.5 turbo has a slightly heavier pressure plate but nothing substantial. Maybe will fold 250ft-lbs.

The 3.0 turbo can hold some reasonable power but they are only made in small batches and are extremely expensive.

You can cheat some extra clamping force out of the stock Valeo clutch by upping the step to 0.030" or even 0.040" if you are so daring and relining your clutch disc with kevlar or other materials with more bite.

I initially went the valeo + kevlar route and burnt up a clutch very quickly at 300ft-lbs. I was not aware on increasing the step at the time, maybe it would have faired better.

I am now running an uprated Nissan 350z clutch and modified clutch fork. I use this on my LS swap applications but could be adapted back to a PRV if someone was so inclined. This setup was inspired by Ed of SEO motorsports, and can hold +350ft-lbs reliably.
It would require the stock flywheel to be resurfaced and redrilled.

[DCUK Martin]

While trying to look for uprated PRV clutch offerings I came up with many dead ends.

This centerforce clutch is basically just the stock one with some marketing B-S.

The 2.5 turbo has a slightly heavier pressure plate but nothing substantial. Maybe will fold 250ft-lbs.

The 3.0 turbo can hold some reasonable power but they are only made in small batches and are extremely expensive.

You can cheat some extra clamping force out of the stock Valeo clutch by upping the step to 0.030" or even 0.040" if you are so daring and relining your clutch disc with kevlar or other materials with more bite.

I initially went the valeo + kevlar route and burnt up a clutch very quickly at 300ft-lbs. I was not aware on increasing the step at the time, maybe it would have faired better.

I am now running an uprated Nissan 350z clutch and modified clutch fork. I use this on my LS swap applications but could be adapted back to a PRV if someone was so inclined. This setup was inspired by Ed of SEO motorsports, and can hold +350ft-lbs reliably.
It would require the stock flywheel to be resurfaced and redrilled.

Afaik renault stopped doing the A610 clutch when they sold on all the classic Alpine parts. Lee has reproduced an equivalent and takes his heavily modified GTA turbo racing, so they get good testing

[Bitsyncmaster]

This centerforce clutch is basically just the stock one with some marketing B-S.

+1

There is no way with the low angles that a few grams of weights are going to help anything.

[David T]

Just a wild idea but maybe you could use the clutch out of a Lotus. Probably have to drill the flywheel but it should handle the power.

[Bob635]

I tried to install a center force clutch back in the late 80s.. It did not fit. They may have fixed the fit problem.

Bob

[82DMC12]

I tried to install a center force clutch back in the late 80s.. It did not fit. They may have fixed the fit problem.

Bob

Not sure what the issue would have been back then, but I put one in around 2003 and it worked great. Still works great, actually.

[Henrik]

... uprated Nissan 350z clutch and modified clutch fork... This setup was inspired by Ed of SEO motorsports, and can hold +350ft-lbs reliably.

That's what Ed did on my engine swap and now 5 years later it is still rock solid

[Nicholas R]

I ran what John Hervey called his "high performance pressure plate" for many years. To be honest, I dont know what exactly it was but I think it was the 2.5 Turbo clutch Josh mentioned above. I ran it with a re-lined kevlar disc (also from John) for 6 years. During this time I also had about a .050" step in my flywheel in an effort to increase the holding force. This setup (pre-install) is shown below.



I have found no viable Lotus options. At least nothing that is worth the effort. Aside from the Esprit V8, none of the other cars had a level of performance that I believe would be worth the effort. The V8 used a dual friction plate clutch and utilized a completely different bellhousing in order to fit it. This is all not to mention the fact that no Lotuses had PRVs so the flywheel is different, meaning the pressure plates will be different. There might be a lotus disc out there that might be workable, but personally I see the pressure plate as the harder item to source.

The truth is, unless you're willing to re-drill your flywheel or machine a new one, there are very few options. In 2018, after a significant amount of brainstorming with Josh, I began running a new design flywheel that I put two different bolt patterns on. One bolt pattern fits an AP Racing pressure plate, the other pattern fits the 350z plate. In the end I decided to run the 350z plate. Among a lot of the engine swap folks, the 350z is preferred because it is compact and has huge power density in terms of holding force options. Below is the Nissan pressure plate compared to a stock valeo pressure plate (this stock plate is not the same as the one shown above).



Before he passed, I purchased this segmented kevlar disc from John Hervey. I wish I knew what it was from but it has zero markings of any kind on it. I'm not yet running it, but the next time I pull my transmission, this will go in. If anyone has any idea as to where he may have sourced this, I'm very interested because I have come up with nothing.