LF97C5Vette

Bout damn time - took them long enough...


Hopefully it's fairly clear what went wrong and hopefully it's some kind of MFG flaw that way you can get reimbursed for the install labor...

-Dan

miami993c297

Too early for an update???

Christian

jbauch357

The replacement clutch just arrived last week, and my installer can't get me in for the swap until June 2nd.

I did however get two phone calls from the owner of Textralia at 5AM Sat morning (I was sleeping and didn't answer, he was calling from Australia) where he left me voice mails. Both of them he was cursing me out and asking "what the f*ck is your problem?!" amongst other things. One of them he was actually mimicking my voice mail message - I am wondering if he was drunk?

He's also got back in the e-mail loop with me to say he smells a scam, and that he wants the bad clutch back in his hands ASAP. I reminded him of the time and costs constraints (since I have to pay for the 2nd installation, and my installer has to find time to get me in) and haven't heard anything back since that mail...

vettenuts

I went with the x-grip design solely because of street manners. The z-grip is a ceramic design. Fidanza has a very good video on their web site where they explain each clutch material, its characteristics and its use. The ceramic material it prone to chattering and not designed to slip, great for the track but not as much fun on the street. Mind you I have no experience with the z-grip, but all my research indicated that the ceramic puck design wouldn't have been a good match for how I drive my car.

I think you will like the x-grip once you get it installed. Good luck with it

Ironhead

Got my car back Saturday with me new Ram clutch setup, 12 pound flywheel and got the dreaded Text Z grip assembly out for good. another 2k spent on parts and install, the Ram so far is PERFECT, less peddle pressure and NO chatter, I only have 25 miles on it, buts its a pleasure to pull away from a stop light without my mirrors showing my jowls wobbling as I pull away from the chattering. I'm going to again write Pete or whomever at Text and tell them again of my Sh&#$&#&# experience with not only their product but lack of concern on their part as to Corvette owners like myself and others whom trusted their product and got crapped on..

lucky131969

So far so good with my new Z-grip. Just over 400 miles, and it performed flawlessly on the dyno last week. I'm only at 500HP though.

randy814u

Hey Josh, if we have the same installer, I will swap you apointments. I have one for a clutch on the 23rd of this month, but can wait. My stock clutch is not giving me problems, so no big deal. Let me know if you want to swap, then we can call tom. Randy

jbauch357

that would be fantastic, man I would really owe you one!

We need to get an e-mail thread started with Tom to see if he is OK with swapping appointments - I'll PM you for your personal e-mail...


I'm a bit below 500HP with mine, I think it's a hit and miss kind of thing with if you are going to have good luck or bad luck... I'm nearing 3k miles on mine and it's not getting any better...

pro dh

I have the Textralia OZ700 also. The first one came apart on the dyno with 700 miles on it. Textralia had a new one at the shop in 2 days and paid the labor. They said they had a bad batch of clutches. My 2nd clutch has a little chatter every now and then. I takes some getting use to. Nothing major imo. I did not break in either clutch. I went out and drove it like I stole it. I have a 100 shot on the car and I sprayed it with 10 miles on the clutch. I have about 3k miles on the second clutch and just ran my best time at the track this weekend with it. I love it. 11.1 at 127 mph with 1.64 sixty foot.

jbauch357

what shop did you get it done at? that's amazingly fast turn around time.

pwr trpn

I had heard of the bad batch as well. I have the OZ700 in my 99 FRC and it chattered badly at first. A little of that has gone away since driving the car for the last month. For a stock feel, I don't believe it is any where close. My wife is going to have a hand full driving the Vette with this clutch. Maybe that will leave this cars driving duty all to me? When I had the Spec 3+ in my old Formula, she couldn't drive it at all.
So far I am not impressed with Tex clutches, but it is more street able than the Spec. Only my opinion, but I don't believe the chatter will ever completely go away.
-Dave

CraZee ZO6

my spec 3+ doesnt chatter so how is the text more streetable if it does?

miami993c297

Hi jbauch357,

Are you kidding or is there any misunderstanding on my side in your comments below:

Two voice mails on this tone from the owner of a company where you are a paying customer having an issue with the product you did buy from them and you are not yet flaming them...

May you develop a little more if you don't mind, I don't understand what is happening there...may be my age...or a strange customer service!

Christian

pwr trpn

My Spec 3+ loved the drag strip and the 100+, 5500 RPM clutch dumps. It never once chattered. The only issue was the stiff pedal. Very stiff! I had friends that couldn't roll out the car from idle without stalling it or having the car jump out from underneath us! Not cool in stop and go traffic. The Textralia clutch is a lighter pedal to push- but does not feel anything close to a stock clutch.
My tuner had the Textralia blow up on him after ONE nitrous pass. Textralia sent him a new one... only a few questions asked, but one was sent to replace the "bad clutch".
-Dave

waddisme

Glad you are finally getting somewhere with Tex, but I also do not understand the phone calls. Makes me feel much better about my choice with the Spec 3+. My tuner wanted me to do the Bird of Prey or the Tex, but after reading your issue and others, I did not want that potential hassle. Got to love this forum.

jbauch357

No kidding or misunderstanding, it is what it is. He was upset about the threads I have going on multiple forums concerning the matter.

I've agreed to hold further comments/assumptions on the company or product until I get the replacement clutch installed, which may not be until June 2nd. I will certainly be back with an update once that happens. But for now I am going to try and take a break from this and hope for the best later on this month...

pro dh

MTI in Houston.

randy814u

Josh, Since you got the car in on the 23rd, update?

Randy

jbauch357

Just got the update mail off to Textralia, wanted to do that before I came and updated here...

Here are a bunch of pics of the car and the clutch assembly that we took out.

Some things that you can see in the pics:

• All seals on the drive train are functioning properly, and there are no fluids or contaminants getting on the clutch assembly.
• The pilot bearing is in stalled to the correct depth, at the correct angle and is not missing any needles.
• The friction disc pucks are deteriorating rapidly, and are coming apart in chunks.

The only things we changed with this install were the flywheel, friction disc and pressure plate you supplied. We re-installed the same slave cylinder, didn't replace the pilot bearing, and didn't crack open the torque tube to replace or inspect any of the internal bearings/bushings

With the new OZ700 X-grip now installed the clutch behaves 100% different than the old clutch ever did. Pedal engagement is incredibly light (very close to stock) where it took 3-4 times as much force to depress the pedal with the Z-grip, I'm constantly slamming the clutch pedal to the floor now during shifts because I've got used to the stiff pedal pressure of the old clutch. Clutch engagement is butter smooth, with only a very light shudder if I release the clutch just right from a stop. There is zero shudder upon downshifts now, where I used to get considerable shudder if I didn't rev-match perfectly with every down shift on the old clutch. During the last couple weeks prior to the swap shifting was getting more and more laborious, and at times I could feel the gear teeth engaging during shifts - that is all gone now and the transmission shifts like it was stock again (this could be placebo, but to me it feels like the old clutch wasn't disengaging completely).

As of right now I only have ~200 miles on the clutch, most of which have been highway so I haven't pushed hard on the car yet. Once I have over 500 miles of mixed city/highway driving I'll start to push the car into the higher RPM's under more of a load and see how the clutch handles the stress.

I shipped the old clutch off to Textralia and am waiting for them to get it and take a look at the carnage. Soon as it's in their hands I am going to push as hard as possible to get a labor reimbursement for the second install.

Here are the pics:

vettenuts

Is your new one the x-grip?