ILS_09

Finally heading towards a new tranny after 2 years of driving a messed up ls tranny (was like that when it was handed down to me). Received the car (97 Gs Integra SE @119k) which sat in the garage for 2 years when I was 16 and finally got it up and running when I was 18. Now in my early 20's (car now @160K), the time has come to swap out that crappy tranny. How crappy? Well, when the car warms up, first gear grinds; put it into second then first and it still slightly grinds. Second won't go in sometimes and grinds at high rpm. Third is the same. Fourth gear is good. Fifth only grinds if you're skipping fourth. Reverse grinds and sometimes won't go in unless you double pump the clutch or have it in gear (I use fourth) first before going into reverse. Now onto business; I have a strict budget of about 800 bucks. I have decided to get a gsr tranny and maybe a new clutch set (only OEM, not enough money). I have about 70k on the clutch and it's starting to slip. Since I'm swapping my tranny, I might as well put in a new clutch. Why a gsr tranny? Well, because I still commute to school, which I don't always wake up early, so 40 percent of the time I find myself rushing to school at 80mph. The other 60 percent I'm doing 70mph dead on. I wanted a b16 tranny but decided to go with the gsr because of the stronger differentials and balance gearing. I'm willing to change my mind if someone can convince me otherwise.

Jimmy

iTrader: (5)

Sounds like you've got your mind made up, but luckily you have made a good choice. I would go with the GSR tranny as well. There is Lots of info here under ''tranny'' about gearing, etc

ILS_09

Thanks for the input.

gpmillerjax

I wouldn't go oem on the clutch. You can get an aftermarket clutch that is better than the oem clutch for less money. I got my clutch for $250 bucks from actionclutch. I called them up and placed my order. Very pleased with my clutch, installed it with a buddy in the driveway. 99 GSR.

ILS_09

OEM clutch typically have a longer life span than aftermarkets. I commute 5 days a week so an OEM will suffice. My car is stock so OEM grabs just fine. If I can't find a set of OEM clutch for less than $230 then I might aim for a aftermarket one.

gpmillerjax

I couldn't find an oem clutch kit, I had to piece it all together separate and it came out to be over $300. Since the clutch I got is superior (holds more and has more pressure) to the oem clutch, it made perfect sense to go for it. BTW my car is stock too.

omnirage

GSR gearbox + Exedy Stg.1

kwikiimart

oem clutch kit is pretty cheap from exedy

ILS_09

Yeah, there's a good chance I might go with an Exedy Stg. 1 clutch. Was going to get a cheap set called Duralast from the local auto-part store but heard some bad stuff about them. Anyone had any personal experience with this type of clutch before? Any input will be appreciated.

racebum

oem is fuji carbon, however, the exedy oem replacement is $115 shipped complete from gripforce. great clutch as long as you stay off of R compounds. the stage 1 is the stock engine drag racer clutch. heavier springs, thicker steel, slightly more pedal pressure. it's basically a reinforced oem disc with more clamping pressure. this is actually just what the aggressive daily driver ordered since your chance of popping a spring from driving loony goes down considerably.

me, i have over 1yr on an exedy oem and fidinza flywheel bolted to a stock itr. no issues as of yet but i have also had a stage 1 which was balanced to another engine. i could go either way, last time i just went with saving 150 bucks, if i blow it up i may get a stage 1 again.

as far as the gsr transmission. it's a great unit if you don't mind the open diff 90% of them have and you have a vtec crossover and redline far enough apart you won't fall out on the 1-2 shift which is of course the gap in the gsr gearing. a stock itr ecu for example will kick the engine out of vtec on the 1-2 shift unless you bang fast and get a slight spin into second. 8500 drops to roughly 5500 on the 1-2

suspendedHatch

Exedy OEM or stage 1 clutch. OEM is overpriced for what it is. Definitely don't get a cheap clutch. I put a cheap generic clutch in a DA because I was selling it, and the clutch pedal felt like total crap. And it grabbed super hard and inconsistently. New owner loved it. Stupid ricers.

Just don't make the mistake of getting a lightweight flywheel (unless you can find 13lbs). Get an OEM ITR flywheel. Hmmotors has them cheap.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

I'm casting another vote for Exedy OEM or Stage 1. Mine has held up very well for many years, it takes up well and can handle slightly more torque than stock (not an issue for me). I do have one complaint about the Exedy OEM. It is VERY light -- far lighter than stock. I hear the Stg 1 has a more OE feel, and much better clamping performance. I'd get the Stg. 1 if I could do it again but the Exedy OEM has otherwise been excellent. Not to mention, it's cheaper than OEM.

racebum

light flywheels only become annoying when you mate them with aggressive clutches. as long as you have an organic disc aluminum wheels aren't that hard to control. with ceramic or any type of metal friction material you basically create an on/off switch. there's no feathering

ILS_09

Thanks guys for all the input. I will look into the oem ITR flywheel. If I have any money left I might get a lighter flywheel. I'm not sure yet which clutch I'm going to run on; either Exedy oem or Exedy stage 1 (leaning towards this more). I want something that is easy to drive, long lasting, and reliable while giving you a little more performance than a cheap oem clutch. I lack experience in this field. Always have been running the cheap duralast oem clutch which was not always suitable for launches or long term high rpm abuse so I tend to never race this kind of clutch. What about ACT clutch brands? Any comments on these types? By the way, I google a couple of sites for the Exedy oem and stage 1 clutch. The price seems to vary from site to site. Anyone care to suggest me a relatively decent and reliable site for Exedy clutches so I can prepare for my orders. Thanks.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

FWIW I also love my superlight Fidanza (like 7 lbs) flywheel. It noticeably improves 1st and 2nd gear accel. Plus, it's wife approved!

racebum

gripforce on ebay is a great exedy dealer

ILS_09

Thanks, now I have my clutch ready for order. Just need to buy the gsr tranny now. Trying to look for a shop around my area who sells one for a decent price that comes with at least a 1 year warranty. Anybody trust craigslist?

suspendedHatch

OEM replacement Exedy clutch (which is made by Daiken). I wouldn't call that aggressive. Clutch worked just fine, but the lightweight flywheel spoiled the car for me. If you daily drive your car, stick with an OEM flywheel.

The lightweight flywheel made a constant scraping sound that I grew to hate. And the revs drop too fast.

viera

i got a competition satge 2 NIB for 275 shipped

ILS_09

True that.

racebum

i also have one and there is no scraping sound, if something was scraping you have an install error.

the rev thing is a personal choice.

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

Same here. I personally like the faster drop and gain of revs while the clutch is out. It takes less time to wait for the revs to drop while shifting, and makes rev matching easier IMO, but it is definitely a matter of personal preference and I can see how opinions will differ. My wife likes it better after, also, and she's not into performance per se. After we got used to it (a couple drives is all it took) it felt natural to us.