With Formula Drift and SEMA preparations out of the way, let's get back to business on this Respect The Roadster project! A performance clutch was one of the top items on my list. Though the Miata felt really good in third and fourth gear, first and second felt a bit weak and noisy, so we looked to
Advance Clutch Technologies. We went with their
ZM2-XTSS – XT/Perf Street Sprung kit and lightweight XACT Streetlite Flywheel. This set up will allow for smooth engagement on both track and in daily driving. The kit is also designed to handle as much as 315 ft/lbs of torque and more than enough horsepower, even if we decide to turbo the car later.
Andrew of
Texas Track Works got it on the lift...
and the dismantling began.
With these out of the way, it was time to expose, what we thought would be, the stock clutch.
Only to find out it was an aftermarket clutch. I believe it's a F1 Stage One kit.
Behind the pressure plate and sprung disk, was a stock flywheel. We'll be upgrading to XACT Streetlite Flywheel.
The old parts are still in decent shape so we'll keep them for a rainy day.
Here's a close-up photo of the ACT Streetlite Flywheel. This XACT Flywheel is lighter, stronger and safer than OE cast flywheels, more than good enough for a daily driver and even hardcore racers.
The XACT Streetlite Flywheel went on without a problem and fit perfectly.
A quick Vine of Texas Track Works installing the flywheel.
A close up of the ACT Sprung Street Disk. This ACT street disc will allow for smooth engagement under normal daily driving conditions but also provide that extra bit of “grab” when driven aggressively.
With both the Flywheel and sprung disc installed, the ACT pressure plate was next.
A close up of the ACT pressure plate. The combination of ACT’s Xtreme pressure plate and organic street disc provides a torque capacity of 315 ft/lbs of torque at the crank with smooth engagement and only a moderate increase in pedal effort.
With all the new parts in place, it was time to put this Miata back together. Andrew got us all reassembled, bled the clutch lines and we were ready to go.
Right off the bat, we notice the stiffer pedal but nothing crazy. It's tough enough to remind us we have a high-performance clutch but easy enough to daily drive with. We have seen a night and day improvement in 1st through 3rd gear as well as a moderate improvement in 4th and 5th. As you can expect from a performance clutch, we gained a little bit of gear rattle - which I happen to enjoy hearing. One thing is for sure, this Miata just got a lot more fun to drive! - Alex
More Respect The Roadster posts: Project: Respect The Roadster – Overview Project: Respect The Roadster – Wheels and Tires Project: Respect The Roadster – BC Racing Coilovers Project: Respect The Roadster – Koyo Radiator (Use code ROADSTER to save 15% off your Respect The Roadster t-shirt) 
