R400 NOT Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Hi, I do not know anything about paddle clutches so please could someone tell me about them, and what it would be like to use on the road? My second question is about straight cut quaife gearboxes. I know they are loud so would it be too much to cope with in a car for road use? Cheers, Peter and The Clan ------------------------------------ M.E. Support - Bringing Awareness to Myalgic Encephalopathy and Related Conditions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julians Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Cant answer your question about paddle clutches, but I have a quaife straight cut box in my car and its very loud (except in 4th when its silent), MIne is used mainly for trackdays, sometimes on the road (but mainly just when driving to and from a trackday). If I had my choice again I would try and find something quieter but with the same/similar ratios, but short of buying the caterham 6 speed box I dont think there is much choice. Some people say the semi helical gearbox (cant remember who makes it) is a good compromise, but its still noisier than a normal box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
se7enmad Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Sgt Peter, Used paddle clutches on Minis both for road and racing, so maybe info not really relevant but, paddle clutch is usually in/out procedure, no slippage possible, therefore very good for starts and I assume also diminishes losses during gearchange but stand corrected there Clutch not heavy but takes some getting used to in traffic. Once you get to that then you will appreciate the difference. I have the 4 speed Quaife in my 7. Again, have been used to straight cut boxes since Mini times and absolutely love the wail - for me it is not too loud but I feel no proper car would be such with out that wail just my personal opinion... Antonella 1998 Caterham Classic my site here more photos here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 I've got a paddle clutch on my 7 with a Crossflow engine, as has been said it is very in/out with no possibility of slipping. Having said that I'm now running a organic friction plate and instead of a cerametalic one and it's made it a lot friendlier although I'm not sure how long it's going to last. It's great for racing and combined with a quaife box it should be great, I've never had a quaife straight cut box in my car but I have been in a number of cars with them in. They aren't quiet but depending on the engine/whether you are aeroscreen or not it may not be as much of as a problem as you think. You're best bet is going to be to see if you can grab a ride in one. Cheers Rob G www.SpeedySeven.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 I have no experience of a paddle clutch, but I do have a 4-speed quaife box in my car, it's fantastic, and quiet in top. There are two reasons why the 5-speed box is more difficult to live with: 1) 5th is straight cut, so cruising is via a straight cut path (4th is direct) 2) the 5-speed gearbox sits slightly farther back than the 4-speed, meaning the noise is closer to you; the 4-speed gubbins are almost in the engine bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny. Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 With the roof on (which is almost never) the straight cut box would cause earache after a while, but in normal circumtances it's no problem..........the induction noise and exhaust both outweighed the g/box noise on my HPC.........the bloody fuel pump was even louder 😬 Kenny SLR400 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R400 NOT Posted March 13, 2004 Author Share Posted March 13, 2004 Thanks a lot More comments welcome along with information on the paddle clutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Wright Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 Don't know about the paddle clutch, but I have the Quaife 5 speed SCB fitted to my VVC (road use only) and love it to death. Personally I think it sets the Caterham off and even when your not going anywhere in a hurry it still sounds as though you are. (if that makes sense) Drove it back from UK to Germany no problems at all. 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevefoster Posted March 13, 2004 Share Posted March 13, 2004 I went from SC to Semi heli. Very happy with that. I think a 4 sp straight cut is easier to live with than a 5 sp as the top gear is quiet. Hants (North) and Berkshire Area club site here My racing info site here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smurfy Posted March 14, 2004 Share Posted March 14, 2004 You can get a straight cut 5 sp with top gear (5th) helical then you have a silent 4th and 5th. Sure 1 2 and 3 are noisy, great ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkfish Posted March 14, 2004 Share Posted March 14, 2004 Peter I've got a SC Quaife Gearbox in my HPC and think its great. It is noisy and does sound like a bag of marbles but in my opinion adds to the experience. I'd only consider swapping it for a sequential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R400 NOT Posted March 14, 2004 Author Share Posted March 14, 2004 Thanks again More comments welcome along with information on the paddle clutch 😬 Peter and The Clan ------------------------------------ M.E. Support - Bringing Awareness to Myalgic Encephalopathy and Related Conditions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFA Posted March 14, 2004 Share Posted March 14, 2004 Peter, Straight cut noise - as previously stated its only a problem with the roof on. The nise it does make is great - makes it sound like a proper race car! Induction and Exhuast noise are still the most prevalent. A paddle clutch uses 3 or 4 pads made of sintered material instead of the circular plates of an ordinary organic clutch. A paddle clutch will put up with abuse more and will not slip. The paddle clutch might be slightly sharper in operation. Pedal effort will be the same for either type. An organic clutch will last longer if driven sensibly. If you do many track days or drive the car very hard a paddle clutch is the best way to go. Fat Arn Slay the K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 Hi, suggest careful consideration before buying a paddle clutch if you do many road miles. The clutch is on/off, which sounds fine when typing this, but is actually a real pain on take-off, junctions, traffic and dont even bother trying to park the way the chaps want you to on the ferry ramps ! If your 7 is for blats to and from track days, then paddle assembly will be fine. Please also bear in mind that there is a lot more drive train shunt and clonking with a paddle. I ended up changing my drive shafts, having elliminated the diff and new gearbox, only to be advised " they all do that sir". Having run a paddle clutch I have selected an organic type second time r ound ! Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R400 NOT Posted March 15, 2004 Author Share Posted March 15, 2004 I would probably only use this car on the road so any other comments about the paddle clutch and/or 5 speed Quaife are welcome Peter and The Clan ------------------------------------ M.E. Support - Bringing Awareness to Myalgic Encephalopathy and Related Conditions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECR Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 The most relevant thing when discussing paddle clutch plates is the material they are faced with. The options are Sintered, Cerrametallic or Organic. When I first fitted a paddle plate I fitted a sintered plate (cause it was a "racing" clutch. This WAS difficult when moving off from a standing start (traffic lights etc) but I got used to it. I subsequently fitted a cerrametalic plate and the difference was marked. It is much closer (but not the same) to a "road" clutch and in my estimation quite acceptable for road driving (once you have got used to it) I would guess that organic plates are even nearer to road plates but will also wear more quickly. So you really need to define which plate you are going to consider if you want meaningful comments As far as the driving experience goes the paddle plate has no springs in it to take up any shock when the drive engages. This does not feel as bad as it reads however.... You can get a paddle plate with springs, but this seems neither fish nor fowl to me.... As with most upgrades the main "advantage" of a paddle plate is its reduced weight. Because it is lighter it allows the engine to spin up more freely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino ferrana Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 Sgt Peter do I understand that you intend to use the car mainly on the road? I can't understand why you would want to fit these bits unless you are doing a lot of track work or have a highly tuned engine. Both will reduce the useability of the car by quite a bit for no real benefit on the road. The straight cut will be really loud and I find them really irritating and fail to see the point unless you have a lot of power. Likewise the paddle clutch is not a great option for lots of road use as you are likely to stall or involuntarily wheel spin more than with the standard set-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I reply to every thread Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 I have a paddle (sprung) & straight-cut HD Quaiffe box. I drive my car mostly on the road & have no issues re either. I honestly find the paddle no more difficult than any other plate & it took no time to acquaint myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julians Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 Does a paddle clutch put more strain on the gearbox, hence meaning more frequent rebuilds? I assume from the description of one that it does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgrigsby Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 Yes it does.... speaking from the experience of 4 gearbox rebuilds last year!! although not always caused by the clutch it definetly didn't help Edited by - rgrigsby on 15 Mar 2004 17:52:00 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
se7enmad Posted March 15, 2004 Share Posted March 15, 2004 dino ferrara - why on earth would a straight cut gearbox reduce the useability of the car 🤔 the straight cut on my otherwise standard Vx 1600 is the best investment I have done on my 7. First of all I got rid of the disappointing type 9 ratios, secondly it has done many more miles than I did with the type 9 (which had problems with the 1st). I've done a few thousand miles with two gearboxes in two different cars and apart from a slight issue I have with engaging third in racing with the present box, I have absolutely no problems or difficulties to report. julians - Paddle clutches put more strain on the gearbox? or is it that one launches more aggressively when they have a paddle clutch as there are less losses? What about the crank side if anything ? I had a paddle clutch (sintered) in my shopping trolley 1340 mini c/w with 285 cam a few years back. Did a few thousand miles of err ...shopping trips with no problems on a standard box. Ok so no oodles of torque in it but... Antonella 1998 Caterham Classic my site here more photos here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R400 NOT Posted March 15, 2004 Author Share Posted March 15, 2004 ECR: Thank you for your help And I believe it is a Cerrametallic paddle clutch. dino ferrana: I am not fitting the bits but I am looking at a car that already has the bits fitted I welcome any other information or points of view on either of the issues. As I mentioned before, I would probably only use it on the road but I might get the craving to do some track days 😬 😬 Thanks lads Peter and The Clan ------------------------------------ M.E. Support - Bringing Awareness to Myalgic Encephalopathy and Related Conditions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
don_g Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 Beware the twin plate cerametallic clutch!!! It will make hill starts fearsome, and the drive train noise loathsome. I know - I've just removed one and fitted a more standard clutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino ferrana Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 Se7enmad: Why would it make the car less useable? Because the box makes a huge whining noise all the time. I like hearing my engine not an unnecessary (on a road car) and irritating noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny. Posted March 16, 2004 Share Posted March 16, 2004 The whining noise simply isn't huge, it's not as noisy as the exhaust or the induction as I said before. The 6 speed in the R is damn near as noisy as my s/cut in the HPC. The only time I'd agree it can be heard is dawdling in traffic in second.......once the cars going again it's drowned out good style Kenny SLR400 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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