Before I start, I know this topic has been beaten to death but I haven't quite found a sure answer by searching.

I have a stock AP2. The clutch is mostly fine, but it slips on a hard/fast 1-2 shift, and it was terrible after a few laps at Gingerman last year. I though the 1-2 shift was the delay valve, but then I read up on it here and it seems the reason is the heavy flywheel combined with a weak PP.

I'd like to replace it. It seems the best choice is ACT pressure place + stock clutch disk. How about adding an AP1 flywheel?

Main question is which exact ACT pressure plate do I need, and where do I get the AP1 flywheel? Dealer for the disk+flywheel?

As a bonus, how much should I expect to pay a shop for the install and how much are the parts?

much appreciated.

 

Not sure about the ACT but u can find a cheap ap1 flywheel in the for sale forum. Never buy from the stealership ever. They charge an arm and a leg.

A shop will probably charge $500 the least for a clutch job tat is if u provide the parts. If they provide the parts then u will be looking at around almost $1500. I say do the clutch urself and save money but u will need another hand.

 

If you're stock, go OEM and just toss in a AP1 flywheel. You'll need a pilot bearing ($25~), a throwout bearing (~$89), PP (~$230), Flywheel (~$220) and disk (~$140). Plus misc parts, a lot of people break the plastic clip at the base of the shifter, and the plastic ring that holds the shifter boot, also while you're down there might as well replace the rear main seal. Finally the FSM says that you have to replace the subframe bolts after lowering it to remove the tranny, some don't and simply re-use the bolts, I change them, at least the ones that I only loosened just be careful re-installing them as they can throw off your alignment. Also prepare to curse a bit trying to remove the top starter bolt as it's a bit tricky to get at without experience. Some just remove the alternator and AC compressor, but if you stand at the driver's side headlight with the alternator rotated on the bottom bolt you can just see it.

All in all it's around $800 for the parts. All-data lists it as a 6.5 hr job so if the shop charges $75/h then expect to pay around $490, you can save on all that money by doing it yourself. You'll need an impact gun(or at the very least a big ol breaker bar), metric impact sockets, extensions, U-joint socket, jack stands, a good jack, a torque wrench, shop towels, and ultra-hi temp grease and impact hex socket + hand held vice grips. Use zip lock bags and place your bolts in there, and label the bags with a marker so you know what goes where.

There are tons of great DIY's around here, but basically you're removing the propeller shaft, exhaust manifold, the shifter, the top starter bolt, lowering the subframe about 3" to get to the upper transmission bolts, and giving yourself enough clearance to pull the tranny out.

When removing the bolts for the prop shaft, use the hex socket along with the hand held vice grip. These retarded bolts are not only easy to strip but they're also held in with Loctite so you need a lot of leverage to remove them. Be prepare to replace some just in case.

If you live in south Florida, I can do the entire job in 4hrs and wouldn't mind giving you a hand as long as you provide the beer.

 

Thanks for that.

Should I get the flywheel/disk/pp from the dealer?

 

OEM is by far the best bet, for a stock application.

Why would you go ACT for a stock car? People reserve those set ups for boosted cars.

 

Majestic Honda is probably the cheapest, that or Hardtop Guy. Buy the pieces one at a time and space it out over a month. If you're brave you can try to find OEM parts on Ebay but again, only if you're brave. If you do tackle it yourself, I forgot to mention to make sure you use a hi-liter or white-out to mark the prop shaft so you know how it goes back on, and also do this with the electrical connectors such as the O2 sensors, the back up light switch etc. It'll help when re-assembling everything. Also take pictures of the clutch before disassembly, it will help when you need to put it back together.

You can use the ACT pressure plate, it's more expensive but a lot of people have had good experience with them. Also if you're a cheap bastard, you can get the F1 racing chrome-moly flywheel(company changed name to FX instead of F1). It's 10 lbs, so it's 4 lbs lighter than stock AP1 or about 60% lighter than an AP2 one, fitment is great and is actually cheaper than OEM. I have one on my car, and it's fine after 6,000 miles, others have also used this flywheel to good effect. Stay away from their clutches though, they're crap, the disk and the bearings in particular.

http://gripforce.com/fx-racing-light...-2l-f20c-f22c/

One more thing, if you go OEM you won't get the nifty alignment tool that comes with the kit. Most shops have hundreds of them, you can probably get the right one for cheap, just ask. You gotta make sure the splines on the clutch disk are aligned with the pilot bearing.