When you begin to make more power in your (manual transmission) vehicle by adding aftermarket modifications, it can become enticing to upgrade your clutch. There are many types and manufacturers out there, and I will try to make the choices a bit clearer here.

First off, when shopping for a clutch, people have the tendency to buy a much too heavy-duty clutch, which can have serious negative effects. You really have to first determine your specific needs when choosing a clutch.

One thing many distributors of clutches like to advertise is how much horsepower their clutch can hold. This is a misconception. Clutches hold torque, not horsepower.

Types of clutches in order of holding capacity from less to more: Organic, Kevlar, Ceramic, Feramic, Carbon, Sintered Iron. Organic clutches are the type used by most car manufacturers in their cars. They allow smooth engagement, but don't like hard abuse (like launching repeatedly) and will overheat. Kevlar clutches are similar to this, but have shorter life and can be ruined by overheating (unlike organic ones). Feramic provides a good compromise between organic and the more extreme clutches. Carbon and especially sintered iron clutches are really more for racing applications, have very abrupt engagement, and will wear the flywheel (Sintered iron even requires a special flywheel).

One main point you should take into consideration is that the more torque the clutch can hold, the more stress it will put on the drivetrain. The OEM stock clutch is always the easiest on your transmission, and mostly the smoothest to engage.

Installation costs: Around $300 or 5 hours for an experienced mechanic. You should only do this yourself if you are mechanically skilled and have the right tools. Happy modding!