Max-5 Clutch

[8/30/2000] Reviewed by Nathan Ramsey - nramsey@evergo.net

Applicable to '90 - '97 1.6 liter 1.8 liter

MAX-5 clutch sold by Performance Buyer's Club. This clutch is designed to be much stronger than the stock unit. This kit is designed for supercharged and low boost turbo applications...rated to around 260 ft lbs of torque.

The older design of this clutch used a more aggressive disc, which some people said caused some chattery engagement. They have changed the disc and added a stronger pressure plate to rid this behavior.

I have a Greddy turbo currently running at 10 PSI. I estimate I have about 180 rear wheel HP. My stock clutch was slipping badly in 4th and 5th gear. I had this clutch installed by a local Mazda dealer. First reaction is that this clutch grabs. It was engaging very hard and very low in the pedal travel. After a few days the clutch seems to have broken in and is now behaving VERY stock like. Take up is smooth and the pedal engages a bit higher...but still much lower then my worn stock one.

This clutch does not slip at all in my application, and I don't think I'll ever have problems with it slipping, it holds very nicely at my power level.

Very nice product, and considerably cheaper than the ACT clutches (also sold my the Dealer Alternative) which are rated to hold about 300+ ft lbs or torque. Most folks I don't think really need this much holding power. I think anyone short of FMII turbo power would do well to stick with the MAX-5 rather than shelling out the bucks for the ACT.

Over 30 minutes to remove completely


Max-5 High Performance DF clutch

Reviewed by: Keith Gray - Driver3014@aol.com

High-performance clutch assembly (disc and pressure plate), release bearing and spline alignment tool.

I installed this clutch about a month ago, and have driven my '90 for about 1200 miles since. This has included a mix of city and interstate driving...and one autocross. I am very satisfied with the performance of this clutch. The pedal pressure is up slighly from stock, and that's fine with me. The OEM clutch always felt too limp-wristed for my taste. At first the engagement point was pretty sudden...and close to the floor. But within a week or so it had either broken-in, or else I've just gotten used to it, because it feels just great now. BTW...I did have my flywheel resurfaced and balanced for this project.

When I decided to autox my Miata this season, I did so knowing that if I didn't do anything else to get ready, I'd need to replace the clutch. My original clutch had nearly 154K miles on it, and gearshifts...upshifts to any gear...were getting a little stiff..like the clutch wasn't disengaging completely. As it turned out, I found the release bearing to be in poor shape when I removed it to install this clutch. I'd been advised that the OEM clutch wouldn't take a great deal of abuse...even when new. So...I went shopping around, including the Miata.net product reviews. Cost wasn't an issue....performance and reliability were. I have grim recollections of the hassels my friends experienced with "competition" clutches in their Camaros and Mustangs way back when...and I didn't want to have any of my own. I talked to all of the vendors of hi performance clutches for the Miata, and I settled on the Max-5 because PBC gave me the information I was looking for. Technical answers to technical questions...not just claims. In asking some of the other vendors specifically "Describe the performance specification for your clutch, what it's made of and how it's made...and compare it to brand-x"...I got generally very poor answers. A few would tell me about their clutch...but claimed to know little if anything about their competitors. That being so...how could they know theirs was better? So far....I'm well satisfied with this clutch. It will see a lot of abuse this season. I'll let you know how it holds up. I think it will do just fine.


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