I recently changed the clutch in my 2002 SC2 and was very disappointed in the performance of it, even though it was rated at around 245hp. I am on an all stock motor with 50,000 on my rebuild and want a clutch that will hold firm, unlike the OEM unit and the aftermarket (Ebay) unit that I installed last week.
This is by far not my first trip to town, as I have built cars and engines since 1976 but need some expert opinions on what clutch to install next so I can use cruise control. When the clutch won't hold good enough to climb a hill without slipping, I need something much better.
Thanks to all for your help!
This is a link to the clutch I installed but am not one bit happy with - https://www.ebay.com/itm/402308334119
Thanks,
Marty

 

I have 2 mid 90s S cars with a total of 500K miles on them. Both are one owner vehicles.

I have never once not been able to use cruise control on a hill. Ever. In 26 years.

I know nothing about clutches. But I suggest you re-examine things when you next take it apart before you buy something else, because I've never heard of the stock clutch slipping under those circumstances. Not even in the hills of West Virginia

However, you said you were 50k into a rebuild. How many miles on that clutch besides the 50K? My first engine went at 180k. Replaced the clutch at the same time. Wasn't even close to worn out, but at 265, now, I don't regret doing it.

 

Thanks for a reply. I am going to run this one thru the break in period and see if it clamps better. When I go to work every morning, it seems "ok" but I am very ginger with it. The clutch that was in it was starting to slip and only had about 4 years on it, maybe 5. No extreme driving but when I got it back from the shop, it sure was soft. I don't know what was in it originally but the replacement was a stock shelf parts store unit from Oriellys, the shop told me. It still looks in decent shape but it was not holding either. I had a shop do that about 2 months before the motor chipped 2 valves so I pulled the motor and rebuilt it (since a parts store engine had no oil pressure at all after that install, sure glad I kept my core).
The only difference in your S cars and mine is the later model of mine, which I don't find a lot of aftermarket parts for, not that it is needed in mine, it is a daily driver.
Are there any brand names that make a clutch for the later S cars? Competition, Zoom, etc???
Thank you again!
Marty

 

The stock clutch is an luk clutch. I need to look up other ones that are still available. They will ring a bell and I will post them here.

Also, I am not sure I would trust anything from the parts store brand for something like this. These cars are terribly sensitive in many ways to a preference for OEM parts, also known as other **** doesn't work properly necessarily so if you know what **** aftermarket stuff doesn't work you make sure those are OEM.

I'll be back.

 

Did you also replace the flywheel at the same time? hydraulics check out ok? Throw out bearing?

Maybe the friction plate is literally not being pinned up against the flywheel properly for whatever reason. The springs could be fine but if something is hanging up the travel that might be the culprit.
That is my complete knowledge of transmissions in one paragraph. Just for reassurance on your part

 

Okay not making much quick progress and have to get back to work. I remembered a comment in the S3 swap guide which has existed probably since 2000. There's a copy on every Saturn website including hours in the tech general Tech section. Here is the comment I remembered
2000 - 2002 Have the self-adjusting hydraulic POS.

I'm assuming it has issues but I have never looked them up. You might want to try looking things up at sixthsphere.com or Saturnfans.com to see what type of issues they have. I think both of us can guess.

I may have been wrong about the Luk clutch being stuck for 2000 and up as I forgot about the redesign.

You can take a look at rockauto.com to get a good idea of what is available. I think the exedy is somewhat of a performance clutch or shall I say heavier duty but I don't know anyone that's put one in an S car. I know people used to use the puck of which they were different versions and lightweight fidenza flywheels (sp?). But these guys were the ones who built turbo setups and had whp in the 300s.

RockAuto is not necessarily the place to look for performance parts but maybe summit racing would be a good start. I'll try to get back to this tonight. I don't think we have had a single third generation s car owner on the board as a regular...ever. and we don't get too many posts about them. First and second gen I know. I'm not your third gen guy but I'm trying. Also I did see some clutches at RockAuto listed for the 2001 that said non-self adjusting so you may be able to sidestep that whole issue. People on Saturn fans in the few posts that I read said that when they opened their advance and AutoZone clutch kits, the actual clutch components would be in a valeo or other brand rapper. Apparently one of them used to sell the actual stock clutch so maybe I have to eat what I said before but it won't be the first time on this forum.

I was wrong once in 2012 as well

 

Thank you for all the information! I am pretty good after 45 years of working on them all by myself but getting old so sometimes I need some help on a few things.
I replaced everything on the car for the clutch, including the POS hydraulic setup. I will keep working the break in and see what happens. I do happen to know a few things about clutches/motors/transmissions as I have had so many years of selling them or just working on them. The PP I have has more spring pressure both phyiscally that I could see and on pedal feel so maybe that stupid self adjusting clutch is not letting the disk couple like it should. No adjusability at all on them. I seen where some folks had turbocharged there cars and when I was in the bottom end of my motor, they are really a solid unit with full floating wrist pins and a very nice main stud girdle, stuff that I usually do when I modify some of my turbocharged Mitsubishi stuff. When I saw a member of a Saturn forum was turboing, I figured there HAD to be a better clutch to handle the increased load but I too am having a problem finding HP stuff, if I wanted it. (I won't ever be more than stock on this car, I have others that I run the devil out of).
I sure appreciate all of your "leg work" and will check the other sites for some information!
Thanks as always!
Marty

 

No problem, sir. Please keep us posted and don't be a stranger.

 

So, unbeknownst to me, the throw out bearing CAN be installed wrong and put a bit more pressure on the plate when it shouldn't have any. I had placed it in the wrong position and it protuded a little more than when it is held in place PROPERLY by the throw out bearing fork, so my mistake. One of the other and main issues was that when I took it back apart and replaced the flywheel with a NEW Sachs unit, I found the rear main leaking and getting fluid on the inside of the bellhousing. A new seal, a new LUK clutch kit and she is driving MUCH better. So just let it be known that a throw out bearing CAN be put in WRONG and be an issue also so always check that it is seated PROPERLY. On a side note, I put the new TOB in just like it came out so the shop ahead of me had also put it in wrong.
This should put a conclusion to the issue so if it can be marked "Resolved", that would be the thing to do, and thank you all to the SaturnForum community!
Marty

 

Congratulations on solving the issue
And thank you for coming back to report it. You have added yourself to the 0.3% of people that ask questions on this forum that actually post solutions.

After like 17 years as a mod, it is still refreshing.