Now that the clutch has done one reasonable journey, one commute to work and one track day I felt it was time to write it up. Ok, so that’s not enough time to comment on the reliability of it but if that proves problematic I’ll come back and update this page.
Initial impressions of quality were good, though I must admit I wouldn’t know too much what I’m looking for here. Suffice to say, it didn’t look hand made so a credit to the guy who put it together! The paint on the clutch cover was applied well if no overspray, though I did scratch it quite impressively when trying to refit the engine in the tight confines of the Westfield engine bay! Never mind… can’t see it…
It also came with a sticker which is perhaps a little too big for the Westfield. Being white, also not all that visible. I might have to affix it somewhere though as I’m pretty sure stickers=power.
Pedal Feel
This was my biggest concern, and the reason I went for a 6 puck clutch rather than uprated full disc. With the smaller contact area, a less meaty pressure plate would be required. As expected, clutch effort is increased but not massively so. With the smaller master cylinder of the Westfield the clutch effort is already increased but I don’t think this has made it significantly worse.
Low speed slip
One of the biggest complaints about 4-6 puck clutches is how unforgiving they are when trying to slip them, leading to stalling or juddering. Firstly, pulling away is easy. You have to be a little more committed than before but not as bad as some would say. Certainly can still pull away at normal speeds and don’t have to do full on racing starts everywhere! Reversing however where you’re typically slipping the clutch whilst manoeuvring does induce a fair amount of judder. Maybe I’ve not learned to drive around it yet, or it will go away over time, or it’s just going to be like that. One to consider if you spend a lot of time manoeuvring.
Launching
There was no way I’d have been able to launch the car with the OEM clutch. The torque and quick gear changes would have seen it melt I’m sure. However, with this clutch, it’s not a problem. The bite point is higher up than the standard clutch so there’s not a lot of room to play with, but that hasn’t been a problem when pulling away normally so definitely wasn’t a problem when pulling away at speed.
If only the tires offered as much grip!
Summary
I think there’s two approaches to this. If you’re in a Mazda engine Westfield, go for the 6 puck clutch. If you’re in an MX5, odds are its a daily driver too in which case a stronger pressure plate and full disc is perhaps preferable to a 6 puck. Whichever, Action Clutch seems to be a credible alternative to Competition Clutch. I ordered mine from H-Tune. They’re very Honda orientated but do Mazda tuning parts hidden in there. A good bunch of guys to deal with too…
Westfield build, Mazda SDV 