By McLeod RXT Twin Disc Clutch for the S550 Mustang
We’ve been building up our S550 Mustang GT and we’re about to go to a stage 2 supercharger and tune to over 800 wheel horsepower and we need a clutch that’s going to be able to keep up with that extra power. That’s why we’re in the studio today to talk about the McLeod RXT Power Pack Street Clutch and all the great features that they packed into this product. You can purchase this at Motoroso.com, where you can reach us on live chat, or you can call us toll-free at 833.668.6767, that’s 833.MOTOROSO. Let’s dig in.
VIDEO: UPGRADED TWIN DISC CLUTCH FOR THE MUSTANG GT
We’re going to be turning to over 800 horsepower, but as this stuff goes, we might want to push past that one day so we needed a clutch that could handle a little bit more than we’re planning for and we also want a soft pedal feel. This is a streetcar, not a race car; we don’t want a heavy clutch and have it be a nuisance to drive around. So we chose the McLeod RXT Twin Disc Street Power Pack Clutch. This clutch retails for around $1,500 but at Motoroso.com you can get it for around $1,250, and here’s what we love about it.
Mated Clutch and Flywheel
The first thing we like about this clutch is that it’s a power pack and when it’s coming from McLeod it means that it is a clutch already mated to a flywheel and you’re buying the two together. It’s assembled and it’s ready to install which makes the installation easier and makes sure you get the smoothest operation and balance from the clutch.
Lightweight Aluminum
It’s an aluminum flywheel which means it’s going to rev up quickly best for those boosted applications, like turbo or supercharger in our case, and it’s also going to be more responsive to throttle change which is really important for track days, autocross events, and aggressive street driving. If you’re going to be doing drag racing you might want a steel flywheel because that’s going to carry more momentum and help launch the vehicle, but for street applications, aluminum is the way to go. Some people might think of aluminum clutches as idling low or having power loss in between shifts, but in modern vehicles, you can tune these things out with all of the tuning variables you have, so in this case, the aluminum flywheel is just the ticket.
Twin-Disc Clutch
Our next reason for choosing this RXT clutch is because it’s a twin-disc clutch. McLeod introduced twin disc technology into the industry and since then it’s been copied and replicated and is available in many other products and for very good reason. A twin disk clutch has more clutch discs and plate surface area so you get better clutch engagement and thus more power handling. Early versions of twin disc clutches were known for having a very heavy pedal feel but of course, McLeod is always innovating and they’ve introduced this new version of the RXT clutch and they’ve redesigned the diaphragm spring to offer a soft pedal feel and higher clamping power at the same time, so it handles more power, but gives you a pedal feel very similar to stock making it the perfect choice for a street clutch.
This clutch is rated to handle up to 1,000 horsepower. We’re only shooting for 800, but if we feel frisky and want to push past that with some fueling upgrades, it’s nice to know that the clutch is going to be there to handle it if we push it that much further.
The RXT1200 Clutch
McLeod is always innovating; they’re in their 50th year of manufacturing clutches, and they’ve introduced the RXT1200 Clutch which can handle up to 1,200 horsepower—thus the name. If you’re going to get a little more aggressive in your tuning and you need something to handle that little bit extra, you might want to check out the RXT1200 which you can get at Motoroso.com.
RXT 1200 CLUTCH
Performance-Built
When it comes to performance parts in the aftermarket, sometimes it’s the little details that make the difference between a product that’s going to perform and last, and one that you’re going to be replacing way before you wanted to. When you start looking into the details of the McLeod clutch, you really realize that the whole thing is built for performance. For example, their pressure plate is not the same metal that you’ll find in a stock pressure plate—it’s made from nodular iron. It’s more expensive to make, but it’s way stronger than stock, and it’s going to stand up to the punishment. There’s an extra strap that just further reinforces the whole rigidity of the entire clutch assembly, and they use hardened hubs to make sure that the thing stands up to the power and the test of time.
The RST Clutch
If all of that sounds like more than you actually need in your Mustang, then you might want to consider going to the RST version of the clutch. This is the RXT; the clutch discs are metallic, they dissipate heat better, and that’s better for the track duty. In the RST version of the clutch, you get all the great features we’ve just talked about except they use an organic clutch material. Organic clutch plates are not gonna stand up to the test of track use, but they’re gonna be still pretty good for everything you’re gonna do on the street, and you’ll save $200, putting this clutch right around $1,000. At least you know that’s an option.
Rebuilding Your Clutch
One of the last things we like about McLeod clutches is something that no other clutch company is going to offer you—McLeod will rebuild your clutch for $500. So after you’ve burned it out, or you push it too hard, and you need to replace it, instead of buying another one for $1,250–$2,000 for other similarly priced products, you can have McLeod rebuild it and give you basically a brand new clutch for $500. That is an awesome value and makes this already cost-effective clutch even more cost-effective.
A lot of people do ask us why is it that if this thing retails for $1,500 we can sell it to you for $1,250 but other similarly priced products run upwards of $2,000—why the big difference? The reality is that McLeod has been making clutches for 50 years, they have huge buying power, and they have economies of scale. Lucky for us, they love to pass those savings on to enthusiasts and weekend warriors like you and me, and that’s why it’s going in our Mustang and that’s why we recommend a McLeod clutch anytime.
Of course, you can buy this at Motoroso.com, you can reach us there on live chat, and you can call us toll-free at 1.833.MOTOROSO that’s 833.668.6767. We’d love to get you a deal on this or any of your other mods. We’re also going to be doing an installation guide article and video so make sure to check those out as well when they come out. Thanks for reading.
