Exedy KSB03 Clutch Kit Review - fits GC8-GDA WRX/STi

[jdmvip]

After a lot of reading and research I decided to have this installed in my GC8A 1993 Subaru Impreza WRX Type RA. I chose Exedy because you just can't go wrong with an Exedy IMHO, there's a reason they are the OEM manufacturer of clutches for so many cars.

I know in Subaru Legacy Sport until 1994 had a 225mm clutch disc, and so did my EJ20G engine. This KSB03 kit is a slight upgrade with a 230mm sized clutch disc.

I'm impressed with this kit so far, and when ordering from an authorized reseller off eBay you can get this kit shipped even to Canada for less than half the price Subaru will sell it to you. This is the same kit they use in 2002-2005 WRX.

*One note about fakes, don't be fooled, make sure you buy from an authorized Exedy retailer. There are all kinds of Exedy fakes being sold which are poor quality clutches from China.

You can also tell it's authentic by seeing the Exedy and Daiken logos stamped into the pressure plate and clutch disc.

Anyway, back to the review, let's talk about how this clutch feels. It feels fairly similar to my stock 225mm kit which is also an Exedy.

Engagement is smooth without any vibration, there's no surprises from this clutch, so daily driving and stop and go traffic is not an issue. It engages quickly and hard enough, maybe not as much as the aftermarket ones which are known to chew through Subaru transmissions though.

There's no slippage and these clutches are said to be good for a lot more than the 240HP my car makes.

My only complaint is that at first the clutch would squeak like bad truck brakes when taking off in 1st gear (that sound seems to be gone). Another annoyance is that when letting off the throttle, especially in 4th and 5th you can hear a rattling/vibration sound sometimes. This doesn't affect the functionality of the clutch and the sound is going away slowly and isn't really noticeable to passengers.

The clutch is functioning fine other than the annoying sound.

I'm happy with my OEM Exedy replacement, unless you have a very good reason I don't see why you'd want to go for something else, unless you were looking at a Stage 1 Organic from Exedy.