Ok, i was wondering what the deal is with organic clutches. I've seen a few people using them, like the guys in Sport Compact Car, but I don't understand what makes them any different from other clutches.

 

The material that the clutch face is made of is what makes them different. Organic clutches generally have smoother engagement, but their power holding capabilities are much lower and (under heavier loads) they tend to wear out rather quickly and in ugly ways. I'll see if I can't find some pics I was looking at a few weeks back.

 

Ahh..ok. I have some pics of organic clutches, plus there was a subaru that posted a while ago about his new org clutch, and i've got some nice pics of burnt out organic clutches. i just never quite understood the difference between a normal and an organic.

 

Organics are all you need in almost any bolt-on applications or FI setups. If you plan on putting a lot of HP to the wheels, kevlar, ceramic and copper are generally more suitable materials but provide harsh engagements (and some materials don't perform so well until they've warmed up). Too harsh a clutch can create driveline shock from hard, heavy engagement and too soft a clutch can end up slipping/burning out.

EDIT: And to dispell a common misconception, sprung hubs do not really soften engagement. Their main purpose is to diminish those heavy shocks to the driveline that can cause premature failures.

EDIT AGAIN: Normal clutches are organic.

 

Ahh...and here i thought they were really special. i guess that would explain why the organic clutches i've seen looked fairly plain jane. if normal clutches are organic then, why do some people make a big deal about adding organic clutches to their cars? all they're doing is adding an aftermarket OEM replacement, right?