Performance upgrade seven on cars — be that in the motorsport, track or hardcore street development realm one area that typically gets replaced and upgraded is the clutch. A sintterikytkin or sintered clutch In Finnish is a performance-based alternative that has advantages over some standard clutch materials and concepts. In this guide, we’re going to explain what exactly a sintered clutch is, how it works in comparison to the competition and why many enthusiasts opt for it over other options on the market for high demand driving.
What Is a Sintered Clutch?
At its heart, a clutch connects the engine to the trans. It does so through friction surfaces — which historically have been constructed of organic fiber materials, sometimes reinforced with Kevlar or ceramic content. A sintered clutch, in contrast, employs friction plates fabricated with hot-pressed metal powders (typically bronze alloys, copper or iron), a method referred to as sintering. This material becomes a hard dense material with high friction and good thermal characteristics.
Ceramic and other organic clutches are resin-based, with fibers while sintered plates are metal plates; the difference gives them entirely separate performance traits making them ideal for high power/torque applications.
Exceptional Durability and Heat Resistance
Among the cited benefits of sintered clutches is that it will withstand much more wear than any organic in harsh running conditions. Being constructed as metal plates, they can resist much higher molds and temperatures than organization clutch plates. That’s most important when clutch slippage, heat and repeated cycling can urge an OEM-style friction disc to overheat, lose strength and fade during tends toward performance driving — such as drag racing, circuit racing or horsemanship.
Sintered pads are made to withstand heat that can potentially ruin the pressure of an organic brake pad after a few runs. The result is more consistent output over extended use and considerably reduced wear.
Higher Torque Capacity
Due to the metallic content of the clutch plate and thickness of the sintered plate, they can handle a lot more power than standard organic plates. In basic terms, this means that a sintered clutch is able to transmit higher amounts of the engine’s power to the drivetrain without slipping or losing efficiency in torque transfer.
This is especially critical in high horsepower vehicles with engine upgrades which are far superior than your stock clutch was made to accommodate. By installing a sintered clutch, the vehicle can take full advantage of that higher power without overloading the existing clutch system.
Longer Lifespan
Sintered clutches, however will resist heat and wear better than organic. That translates to a longer life, less clutch disc replacement and more consistent performance over thousands of miles of hard driving.
Although sintered-clutch kits generally cost more than organic or Kevlar offerings up front, the increased service life usually pays for the added expense over time for those that put them to use on any sort of regular basis behind performance-bred engines.
Improved Performance in Demanding Conditions
Many race cars, track cars or even heavily modified street cars opt for a sintered clutch because they offer performance which a normal clutch simply can’t achieve. This includes:
- Consistent friction values over the entire temperature range
- Less clutch fade and drag under hard acceleration
- Stronger engagement for quicker acceleration starts
These qualities make them a favorite of drag racers and road-racers alike- when it comes to maximum power handling, no other clutch can hold a candle to sintered friction.
Better for Modified Engines
Forced induction (turbo/supercharging), large-bore builds, and aggressive tuning can deliver a point in time when the factory doesn’t cut it any more for a stock clutch. Since sintered clutch plates can hold up to more torque and heat than stock, they’re ideal for high powered engines that destroy other clutches.
Consistent Engagement Characteristics
Long associated with harsher engagement (the clutch grabs harder and more quickly), while competing at a track, this can be an advantage. If you’re the type of driver that desires a lot of feel, especially during quick launches or upshifts, sintered clutch offers more immediate engagement than a smooth operating organic.
However, it should be noted that this aggressive engagement is not as smooth on the street and sintered clutches are typically recommended for those who are after performance rather than driving ease.
Drawbacks to Consider
There are no performance parts that do not offer a downside. Since sintered clutches bite harder and produce more heat, they can:
- Not so silky around town
- Victim of more noise or chatter
- Harsher on other parts such as flywheels and pressure plates because of high friction values & metal-on-metal contact
This is also why many performance enthusiasts wind up adding reinforcements to the sintered disc, such as fortified pressure plates or lightweight flywheels, in order to maintain a balanced driveline.
Conclusion
For the performance oriented driver and or mechanic, a sintered clutch (sintterikytkin) is an excellent option for those who seek: More torque capacity, higher heat resistance or durability from their system. Not always the best option in most daily driver vehicles, being that they engage so aggressively and cost more of your hard earned pay cheque than other brands, but around the track/strip or street on high HP cars reliability to perform under pressure is an absolute necessity. With a Sintered Clutch this represents performance, strength, and consistency which are extremely important in high performance applications.
