I finally got them all installed and the car back! I haven't had a chance to really play with the car yet, but so far I'm digging everything. The taller fifth gear is a welcome change, although I would have liked it to drop engine speed even more (I knew it was only a 5% drop before I bought it). Engine speed at 80 mph is now what it was at about 75 mph. At 75 mph it's about 3150 RPM, I think. I would have liked a drop to 3000 RPM or lower, but I'm still hoping for some increased fuel efficiency.
The flywheel is chro-moly so I don't have to worry about it wearing any faster than stock (like aluminum ones are known to do), and it's not drastically lighter than stock. I didn't want a big difference--just a nice improvement in revs. And there's NO hint of clutch chatter. According to the paper from SPEC, clutch chatter is a result of an improper install, and they list several things that can cause it.
Of course, I'm really excited about the diff--the whole reason I did the tranny work. I didn't have a chance to play much. The one corner where I had a chance to give it some gas going around the turn from a stop, I had a cop behind me, so no go! What I have noticed is that the steering is slightly heavier. This is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. The 3 has lighter steering than the Focus I had before, and I liked the Focus' better. I also noticed, as expected, that launches over the really beat up intersections near my house are much smoother and quicker. Having real 2WD really makes a difference when you're trying to accelerate over really broken pavement!
Most of all, I'm just glad to have my damn car back! I was so tired of that el-cheapo Chevy Cobalt I was driving! I had it for 8 days.
The flywheel is chro-moly so I don't have to worry about it wearing any faster than stock (like aluminum ones are known to do), and it's not drastically lighter than stock. I didn't want a big difference--just a nice improvement in revs. And there's NO hint of clutch chatter. According to the paper from SPEC, clutch chatter is a result of an improper install, and they list several things that can cause it.
Of course, I'm really excited about the diff--the whole reason I did the tranny work. I didn't have a chance to play much. The one corner where I had a chance to give it some gas going around the turn from a stop, I had a cop behind me, so no go! What I have noticed is that the steering is slightly heavier. This is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. The 3 has lighter steering than the Focus I had before, and I liked the Focus' better. I also noticed, as expected, that launches over the really beat up intersections near my house are much smoother and quicker. Having real 2WD really makes a difference when you're trying to accelerate over really broken pavement!
Most of all, I'm just glad to have my damn car back! I was so tired of that el-cheapo Chevy Cobalt I was driving! I had it for 8 days.
