Overnight Parts from Japan

As you probably saw in the last issue, our project 2017 Mustang GT build and dyno day came to a screeching halt. Just as we started to get the car tuned and making some decent power, the stock clutch let loose and went on to greener pastures. The good news is that we found a threshold (around 550whp and 500wtq on a Mustang dyno). The bad news is that the car was down until we could overnight some parts from Japan to rectify the issue. Our friends over at Exedy came through in the clutch (pun intended) and let us get our grease riddled hands on the new Hyper-Series Twin-Plate unit (part number ET04XD).

My good buddy, Dan Kang, assembled his crew over at Zen Motors (Suwanee, GA) and knocked out this clutch install with the quickness! Normally, I am a lot more hands-on with these installs, but life just got in the way this time around. No worries though! The Zen guys gave me some good notes for anyone who wants to throw a beefier clutch in their new Mustang. Remember, these cars make power very easily, so this should be pretty high on the list of needed mods for most people.

Overall, this install was pretty easy and predictable (which is always a good thing). It should take you around a full day to get it done, depending on your skill level, tools, and how many friends show up with beer. We definitely recommend using a lift! Trust me; you don’t want to be trying this with the car up on jack stands, while you lay helplessly under it. Do it right, and find a shop with a lift.

Cheat Codes

One of the really great things about this install is that you don’t have to drop the full exhaust to gain access to the clutch. You really only have to drop the front section of exhaust about half-way down in order to get to everything that you need, which is really nice considering how difficult the exhaust install itself was. As for the shifter, there was a weird little chrome trim piece that feels like it is going to break when you pry it out, but it popped right off without issue. There didn’t seem to be a bleeder for the clutch, so you can either put vacuum to it, or pump the clutch like your life depends on it. Your call. We may have missed something, but it also seemed like there was no adjustment for the clutch. This actually ended up being pretty convenient, because the clutch engagement point was already where I wanted it when we cranked her up.

I haven’t had a chance to put a ton of miles on the car since we got it buttoned back up, but I can tell you that this new clutch bites really hard. It was a bit difficult to get used to at first, but now it makes taking off from stop signs and red lights a blast. The car just grabs and goes. The only thing holding it back at this point is those skinny stock wheels and tires.

After a quick break-in period we got the car back on the dyno to finally finish up our session. The Mustang roared, the clutch grabbed, and we made just under 590whp and right around 515wtq (still on the same Mustang dyno). Pretty impressive for a stock looking car with bolt-ons and pump gas if you ask me! Exedy really nailed it on this one. After this simple install, the car now produces and holds considerably more power, all while making it even more fun to drive. Thanks for making this happen, Jennifer! More coming next issue…….

Written by Mike Sanders