RD Motorsports "8 Puck" Clutch
 

I'm in the beginning process of doing some preventative clutch maintenance (~45k on an old school 6 puck) or have one on hand in case I blow it out at the dragon.

My friend @maisonvi; being the deal seeker that he is pointed me to this:
RD Motorsports

Clutch kit w/ pressure plate, TOB, and alignment tool for $275 shipped. Claims to hold 550 ft lb of torque (assume at the wheels from their description) and utilizes an ACT flywheel (this is extra but I could have my Streetlite resurfaced for cheap). No shit.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d...742823508e.jpg https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d...bb99267799.jpg

This 8 puck design can be seen in the Southbend Stage 3 Endurance here:
SBC Stage 3 endurance Mazdaspeed Clutch
http://www.shoprealtuned.com/v/vspfi.../SBC-MS3-2.jpg

I asked the question to the folks at RD Motorsports if they have had extensive miles on any of these guys at high power (I'd assume they do at this point) and how the engagement / daily driveability of these are / how heavy is the pedal really. I haven't heard back yet, but if they come back and say its better than a 6 puck in X categories then I might have to give it a shot.

Has anyone run these or know anyone that runs them with good or bad results? I have yet to find anything about them on MSF yet so I figured now would be a good time to start a discussion on what seems like a great clutch on paper.
@Mazdazilla6; I'm sure you're interested in this topic as well.

Hello there.

I have about 30 of these kits in circulation between the midwest and overseas. I first started working on a clutch after wasting a act 6puck in 10k miles. Over the past 2 years the clutch has evolved. In the beginning it was repucking the factory disc and using a heavier pp. Then I changed to a new disk setup. I have changed to an upgraded compound to hold more power. The pp is a 2800lb pressure plate and is prolly the heaviest on the market. For the speed6 I do a reinforcement for the top of the pedal to keep from cracking. With the adjustability of the pedal in the speed6 it can be dialed in and although it is heavier then stock it is still easy to drive and slipable. I personally have used it on a shop car making 500/515 and been at the track multiple times runing 1.6 to 1.7 60ft times without issue. The speed3 is a little more finicky with the added pressure. I have seen some slave cylinders not be able to hold. I have tried adding a spacer to the fork which seems to help the issue. I have looked into going to a wilwood slave but as I dont have a speed3 myself to play with have not had the time to pkay with that option. I have used a clutch setup for about 40k miles and then resurfaced it as I had it out changing the setup. It still had plenty of life left at that time. Any other questions just ask.

Thanks,
Ron
RD Motorsportz

You mean interested, like this?

http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...ch-kit-197798/

Lolol, yes Geoff I'm interested. I mentioned it to Ken yesterday when I was interrogating him yesterday about his clutch setup.

Taylor (don't remember his msf name) and I were thinking if we can get enough people interested we might be able to work out a group buy at a small discount.

@MiUnicorn;

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If a group buy is put together I'll be interested.

In 4 deets. I'm pretty much set on purchasing a SouthBend stage 3 Endurance. But if this looks promising I may be swayed.

I guess the only thing that is swaying me is that it is "the heaviest on the market". After running this old 6 puck for a year, it really takes the fun out of around the town driving. Race caring its totally fine. I guess really I don't think i will get legit answers on this topic unless someone chimes in about having used both and the difference.

I caught that as well. I really like the idea that the S3 Enduro is similar in weight as OEM. If this RD pressure plate is really that heavy I think it would be a deal breaker for me.

I'm not turned off by a heavy clutch. I've driven an ACT 6 puck ms3 and comparing it to my pop's 2014 camaro with an LS7 clutch, the camaro is more stiff IMO and has just as much, if not more, as an on/off feel and I still felt comfortable dailying it while I visited him.

The biggest factors for me are:
- Holding 500wtq
- Good price
- Has a decent life to it (assuming you drive properly)

If money was no object I'd go SB any day but I can't justify the price that it is. Right now the only other option I see viable is the ACT kit.

I'm definitely interested, I need to figure out what sort of power I'll be running as to not limit my power with this clutch. But definitely interested

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You probably drove the new version of it, which is about 1/2 the weight of the old one and realistically very similar to the weight of an OEM weight. LS7 is a much lighter, much easier to modulate clutch than a sub 2013/2014 6 puck.

If it's rated properly, this should hold all the torque a 3582 will throw at it (assuming you haven't switched turbos lol). Generally, the bigger you go in turbo size, the bigger the difference will be between peak hp and peak tq with hp being the higher of the two.

Oh it should hold for sure. NP.

At this point it's just me being a clutch snob.

Yea I'd put money on it's a new version. That was this past summer so not too long ago and the clutch was new. The heaviest clutch I've felt is @phate;'s FX400, even still, if I had to I could tolerate that.

For what it's worth, ACT rates the common 6 puck kit with streetlite flywheel at 530 ft/lbs.

ZX5-HDR6 // Advanced Clutch Technology

I think pedal feel has a lot to do with which car the clutch is going into, so it may be hard to get a good reference point there. If pedal stiffness is not much of an issue for you, or there is no guarantee of sorts that this clutch feels drastically lighter, I'd go with the proven design rated slightly higher.

There is no doubt there. Hydraulic efficiency and how much routing/hose is used plays a roll into how it feels as well as the weight of the vehicle.

That being said, I about shit myself when I felt your 6 puck for the first time and @maisonvi; not even making a blip of complaint with his either. I feel like I'm just a crying bitch until I realized they changed the material and pressure plate LOL

I'd feel comfortable running the RD kit. It's made by a reputable company so no issues there. But if it's hold like an ACT, but costs $300 less then I can deal with possibly a stiffer pedal.

Braver man than me. Better start doing some leg presses man. :arms:

Alright, I'm going in blind as far as hp/torque numbers are concerned. All I know is my internals are rated to about 600 so I'd like to sit between 550-600hp.

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I will say his 6-puck is much heaver than my 6-puck. That said, Geoff is still a cry baby.

For those guys with the heavy pedal feel. My girl drives speeds as well and drives on this clutch with heels. I use a heavier plate to aid in the segmented disc. I am not a fan of pucked clutches for daily drivers. They are to on off. Origionally I made this setup for myself and then ran it in a few friends cars and everyone started to fall in love with it. Most of the speeds in the Cincinnati area with replaced clutches run my setup and some have a couple years on them and see time at mid ohio, autox, and plenty of street racing. I would like to test the segmented setup in a car making between 630 and 730 hp and 550 to 600 ft bls. As on a bigger tirbo the tq comes in a little later and I suspect the kevlar material will hold it but cannt confirm that yet. My setup previously made 515 ft lbs at about 4150 rpms. The BNR s3 setup I ran for the end of the year was over 400 ft lbs at 3750 and stayed till 5200 peaking about 420 ft lbs at 4100. And that setup got beat on a lot.

Ah. So it is Kevlar....just like the SB Stage 3 endurance. Interesting. So that will probably give everyone a sense of the engagement (good engagement in general).

I have someone coming up from Cinnci for a rally in March I believe. I can give my impressions on it then...or if NATOR OH holds a meet in Toledo. Or if Ron wants to hold a meet and get some beers. Whatever! I really really want to feel this clutch. I guess it should be mentioned that I do this for a living as well. LOL That's why I'm such a clutch snob. Sorry in advance.

I plan to go with one of these when my 6 puck dies. Ron is a good dude and will take care of you. He beats the shit out of his personal car. I can tell you for sure its been ran through the paces haha.

Man up you puss.....Do some leg presses and build up the thigh muscles!! :popworm:

OH SHIIIIIIIIT!!! Look who it is ;) I should be ashamed. LOL :arms:
@Mazdazilla6; I think after some comments made on the book of faces, I think this is the way to go. We should set up a group buy if Ron would entertain it.

There's a dude that owns a MS3 w/ a old style 6 puck and this on his 6. Says the difference is significant in weight and engagement, so that's probably good enough for me TBH at that price.

I had a glance at that when I had a min in the shop tonight.

I'm all for helping set up a group buy but I'm not in any financial situation to go spending money right now so I'll have to hold off til spring and just pay full price. I don't really know what's required to set up the GB (assuming Ron wants to) and I'm not sure how active @Raider; is currently.

I do not mind working a group buy for these. It would have to be for the clutch itself, "disk, pressure plate, tob, and alignment tool". I could entertain doing the flywheel if you guys wanted to as I can prolly get a touch better pricing but shipping is prolly what will get some peeps on that. Most times I dont have enough wiggle room in prices as I try and keep things cheaper to start with as 90% of my profit is building cars. However I can work this for the community to help get some more out there.

Who all is down for a group buy?

I think just the clutch kit minus the flywheel would be fine. There's plenty of places people can get an ACT flywheel and I imagine it'd be less of a hassle for you not to have to get them and then get them to other people. Plus those who already have an ACT kit will probably just have the flywheel resurfaced so they won't need one.

Count me in on group buy




How about that basketball game Geoff, must have been heartbreaking for you.

I am familiar with the vendor, and we are talking in the staff section about low-volume shops/members and a "grass roots" type setup.

As for allowing a GB, they are supposed to be VIP only. But since the company is going to do offer a discount, and I know the vendor is not someone like the Sandal Shop, or other ghetto scammer scumbag stuff, then go for it. If the owner of this forum has a problem with it, he will act.

Count me in as well, speed6

Tight. @Mazdazilla6; you want to talk with Ron and include me or do you want me to get it going?

Will this clutch kit work with a fidanza flywheel or just the act?

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Seems like just ACT, but the company that he works with might be able to make one that will work with the Fidenza. I think they did that in the past.

Group buy rules for Vendors

1) Group buy shall have a start date and end date.
2) A list of members will be shown in the GB thread and updated accordingly by the organizer of the GB.
3) Price of the item WILL be posted in the GB post.
4) Organizer of the Group Buy will be responsible for keeping the members up to date.
5) The post of the GB will contain descriptive information pertaining to the sale of that item.

Rules per the sticky ^.

Before we go setting this up I think we would should get an interested list going. If you're interested copy the list and add your name. I'm going to start it with everyone who's already said they're interested.

1. HawkeyeGeoff
2. Robander3
3. MiUnicorn
4. davychronic
5. 865ms3(?)
6. LSMS3TMB(?)

I'm totally open to help set up the group buy but I'm not sure we're really allowed to moderate it since we're not the ones selling it, I believe it's up to Ron. With that said, if he needs any assistance I'm open to help.

I bought this setup like 6 months ago, maybe more, but haven't gotten to drive it yet (since my car hates me and wants me to die a slow and painful death). At this point, I can only say the pedal feel is essentially exactly like the ACT -puck I had.

Was your 6 puck a sprung or unsprung disk?

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If it can be done with the fidanza flywheel I'm definitely interested.


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Sprung, but that should have no bearing on pedal pressure, since it uses the same PP.

@REBarker; @ZX299; Is there a certain reason you want a Fidanza? The ACT flywheels are less money and the prolite is still only 16lbs (stock is 26). Keep in mind the lighter you go, the more chatter there will be.

I like the idea of replacing the center pad instead of the whole thing. I'm good with either, just looking at different options.

I'm still a bit iffy on this clutch setup for a speed 3 since it's really only been tested on a 6. I've been looking at the southbend stage 3 endurance. I have a bad back and pinched sciatic nerve so a hard clutch is kind of a turn off for me. Stock clutch already hurts...lol.

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^ What he said plus I'm already running the fidanza with the stock clutch. Would just prefer not having to get a new flywheel although it would still come out a bit cheaper then a southbend clutch.


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You can get the flywheel resurfaced at plenty of places, and it's not expensive either. A flywheel that hasn't been overly mistreated should last a couple hundred thousand miles.

Reasons for a softer clutch are definitely understandable. I made a post in Ron's FB group and got some good responses. I'll try to find out which ones were from speed3 owners and post em up here.

Sounds good. Thanks. I may be getting surgery soon so after I recover hopefully I won't have to worry about the stiffness of the clutch.

I do autocross with my car so I will be beating on it a little bit.

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@REBarker; Seems only one guy who has a 3 has commented so far.

Here's what he said:
The ACT 6 puck in reference was the stiffer old version. All of the rest have been 6 owners but no one has really complained about a stiff pedal and early model 6's are notorious for having stiff pedals.

Was this 6 puck a sub 2013 or a newer version (much lighter weight)? The old 6 puck has an exponential curve on the PP design so it would get harder to push it down as you went.

Sent while granny shifting, not doubling clutching like I should

It was an early 2012, but with the updated pad material.

It seems like no one comments about the clutches for the 3s...lol. thanks for looking.

I'm just not sure if I wanna spend the 275 + the flywheel and then it either kill my slave cylinder or just not last long between daily (100ish miles a day) and autox. But auto the same time, the whole south Bend kit I can get for 1244 shipped and I have seen reviews of it saying it's a better clutch feel and lasts longer.

All I know is I need one soon. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...33caf02024.jpg

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I will not be offering a flywheel mating option other then the ACT. I have only used it with the streetlite, pn 600640, however have customers using it with the prolite without issues as well. I have done 3 revisions on the clutch setup for this setup along not only with material and disk but with distance on the pressure plate to reduce chatter and help with the speed3 no having the adjustable clutch pedal. I would not want to put someone with a setup that I have not ran myself and tested.

That's good to hear. Do you have anyone that has a speed 3 and has your current clutch kit(it know every car it's different and there are a blend lot of vsriables, just looking for something that has worked already)? If so, what kind of driving do they do and how many miles have they been able to go so far without resurfacing the flywheel or having it fail? I have about 380 tq and autox my car so I don't want to get this and have it only last 10k miles which would be about 5 months for me.

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Okay so I THINK thats the old pressure plate. Super super heavy.

Sent while granny shifting, not doubling clutching like I should

The speed6 will be much more abusive on clutches TBH. They are heavier weight and awd. Speed3 will have no issue with durability if speed6 doesnt.

Sent while granny shifting, not doubling clutching like I should

Yeah, I figured that much. Just not as many reviews from the speed 3 side on lifespan, pedal feel and overall drivability (on/off feel or more sprung like a stock clutch)

From early impressions the one dude stated its a significant difference between it and the old 6 puck for the better for both.

Sent while granny shifting, not doubling clutching like I should

My interest has definitely been piqued. What about the clutch pedal assembly issues? Does the 2nd gen MS3 not have problems with that breaking when paired with a heavy duty PP? I'm also concerned about the slave cylinder crapping out on me. Or that a first gen issue as well?

There are different revisions of slave cylinder, the old ones fail more than the new ones. It's like 80 bucks and very easy to change.

Pedals cracking only pertains to the 6.

So essentially there are no causes for concern? I'm just being extremely anal because this is my daily and I don't have cash or time to throw away.

Other than there's not really a whole lot of data on it and exactly how they've been utilized, no not really.

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Here are a few customer cars and whats done.

Cpe atmosphere turbo kit on a speed6 that is freektuned with 20k miles in less then a year. "Over all I like the clutch. I get the chatter at idle in neutral with stock engine & trans mounts. I also get a vibration around 1800rpm, but that is probably the lightened fly wheel & that's easy to avoid. At first the pedal seemed super stiff. But, now I don't even notice it until I get in a car with a stock clutch. Works great & hopefully lasts a long time. I have over 20k miles on the clutch.

Gt3076 speed6 that has gone through 2 trans, a tc and still on the same clutch "About 18 k miles on my car, and it's been absolutely abused. Still holds strong. Appx 350 hp/tq"

Gt3076 twin scroll, built motor, speed6. "I only have 5 or 6k on the one in my 6 but those were all very abusive miles. The pedal isn't as stiff as the ACT 6-puck in my 3 and the engagement range is much longer but I can't say how it compares to stock."

Bnrs3 speed6 "I really like it. Grabs strong. have about 10-15k miles on mine, that includes about 5 autox sessions, 2 track days at mid-ohio, and plenty of street shennanigans. Mazdaspeed6, pushing between 300-350 awhp. There is some chatter when in neutral, but never has affected performance."

Those are just a few updated reviews after people have been runing my setup for a year or 2. Personally I abuse my speed6's more then anyone else and always on the same clutch setup. It sees road race time, street racing, dig racing, drag racing, drifting, gap trips, and hooning. Never an issue or premature wear problem. Theoretically there should be noechanical change between a 3 and a 6 however the hydraulic ststem in a 3 is a weaker system which has resulted in less pedal travel then a 6 and lower engagement. I always suggest replacing tour slave on a 3 or 6 to have a fresh unit with your fresh clutch. Also on a 6 to inspect the clutch pedal prior to installing a clutch because if the pedal is cracked you WILL ruin a clutch.

Man id love to grab one in a group buy but there just isn't enough speed3s for me to pull the trigger. I'll just sitback and wait to hear results then hopefully pull the trigger on a full price one.

Ill get a review on it for you when I do it.

It would be nice if the ms3 had a stainless line we could swap as well.

Sent while granny shifting, not doubling clutching like I should

For those worried about the slave...they blow on acts too. For this reason I've been throwing a slave on every clutch job we've done. It's not fun when that thing blows apart.

$100 now vs. Having to deal with that later sounds pretty worth it...besides, don't really wanna have to take it all apart again.

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Slaves' like $40 man, you're gettin ripped off!

With that said, I think a lot of people think they have bad slaves when they don't. If/when you ever have the trans off/slave off, the boot will fill with fluid on the slave. Before you start to do anything with the new clutch/trans back together, you have to take the boot off and drain it, then start the bleeding process and you're good to go. That boot holds a surprising amount of fluid and pressure and will fuck with things.

All the ones I've messed with have exploded. We've put them back together, but they never hold. I about expanded my garage into my laundry room..... Haha

Here is a customers with a gen1 ms3 on a bnr s4 and built motor.

I've had it in my car for about 5k miles I would say(MS3). Took some getting used to the single mass flywheel but no big deal. Pedal is pretty heavy, when I jump in someones car with a stock clutch I think WOW that's really light. This has never been a problem unless I'm stuck in serious stop and go traffic. I'm currently maxed out on 93octane around the 340hp mark and no signs of slippage, it actually grabs very hard.
My biggest issue is the chatter which can be pretty loud if my car is warmed up and I'm sitting in a drive through. So much so that I have to push the clutch in so it stops to remind myself its just the clutch, I do have 80duro JBR mounts as well. Aside from that it does its job and I haven't had any real issues yet.

Hmmm. My setup is going to be the exact same except gen 2 and more power... So what would the price be if we get this group buy going?

Sorry I have been sick the past few days. I could do a shipped price to lower 48 for $250 with a group buy of at least 3. If we hit like 8 I could drop that to $240 shipped to lower 48.

If I get the heaver act flywheel, streetlite, and this clutch, how bad of a chatter are we talking? Are passengers going to think something is broken, are people going to tell you at a red light that your car is broken?
Or just some vibrations?

I ask because this 2nd gen speed3 will be daily driven by a lady and I can tell her to suck it up about the stiff pedal, but if she will be driving around with the noise of jingling keys in the bell housing it might be better to spend the $$ on the DMF

Alright so I've finally been able to get a couple hundred miles on this clutch and I love it.
A few things to note. GEN1 MS3.

1. BLEED the clutch very well. This should be a no-brainer but seriously, this will change how the clutch feels/engages/performs by a ton.

2. The pedal is smooth, very close to the ACT 6-puck, but the engagement of the clutch is considerably smoother than the 6 puck was.

3. Though I haven't put any real power to this yet, the clamping force feels like that of my twin-disk.

I'll update if anything changes, but for the money, I don't see this being beat.

How about stiffness of the pedal? Suitable for around town or city driving still?

Good to hear. This is something I would be interested in as well.

Much much stiffer than stock. I can only compare it to the ACT's, which is a really common clutch on this platform. The stiffness doesn't bother me at all, just takes a minute to get used to after jumping out of my 6 with a stock clutch.

The pedals on the stock speeds are incredibly light, so I personally like the heavier pedal better. A lot of the reason I like it better is because it's a much smoother mesh area than stock. Stock, you can feel the real on/off area where the pedal pressure really changes on you. With this, it's consistent pedal top to bottom.

This is also way way way way way more streetable than my twin disk was.

Sorry gents. I have almost finished moving from my 1200 sq ft hole in the wall shop to my 5000 sq ft nice shop. If you gents are still interested I will get the group buy set up now that I have wifi setup and a my office is organized so I can keep track of everything.

If it's going down in like 1-1.5 months then I'm in.

I would be interested in the group buy as well. I am building a motor and want a fresh clutch while everything is apart.

I'm in for the group buy as well. I'll need a new clutch before summer

I second this, I might have a few bucks by then

Do you offer clutch disc resurfacing? As in resurfacing the disks you sell as well as resurfacing stock discs with a harder inorganic compound?

I'm in for a kit

Count me in o the kit as well! Woot Woot!

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I'm in as well. Will be needing a replacement clutch within a week or so, as my OEM clutch is no bueno. Also, was looking for more information, and the RD Motorsports website doesn't appear to exist right now?

I can redo material on anything as well. However I personally have not used and tested anything other then the setup that I offer. I hate to guess with how much something may hold or not without testing it myself first.

The website is currently changing domains and down until that is done. rdmracing.com is a mirror site and is up and working currently. We are in the process of revamping everything currently so please bear with us. I have copy and pasted most quotes into here from customers.

Alright gents due to people needing clutches at different times instead of a group buy what I am willing to do for people from msf is a standing price. $250 shipped. Everything is made to order (sometimes I have 1 or 2 on the shelf). I will also try to have one with me at epic nator meet in April for those that would like to see one in person. Just message me on here of go through the website and tell mention you are with msf and I will get you taken care of.

RD Motorsports "8 Puck" Clutch
 

Pm sent

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...f82b8d3d37.jpg

Got mine today, wont have time til mid may to put it in but I will be sure to report on here about pedal feel, break in, etc...

Does anyone had any additional reviews of this clutch on a MS3 Gen 1? I was hoping some additional feedback would have come in by now...

Any update or review about the clutch ?

what happened with the Wilwood slave?

Pics of space on the clutch fork ? is it in between slave and fork ?

what is used for the spacer, where is it placed. can it be done with trans installed in car

What company is manufacturing the disc/pp and providing the material ?

What would it take to hold 550 tq at the crank while dropping the clutch in second at the track ?

results ?

I know its been over a year but in case anyone in the future comes across this and thinks it sounds like a good deal, DONT BUY THIS CLUTCH or do any business with this douchebag.

The clutch disc itself seems pretty good but the pressure plate he provides in this kit is a $32 pressure plate from rock auto and will barely hold stock power level. I couldnt even make 20 psi on my 5858 without it slipping. So obviously im pissed about having to pull everything back apart to throw in a new ceramic act clutch and pressure plate. Its not even the money im pissed about its more the time of pulling everything apart again and my time is more valuable than anything.

If i ever make it to Ohio where this Rich douche is at i will make it a personal goal to bitch slap his punk ass.

The pressure plate he provides in the kit would really only grab the outside 1/3 of the disc and never made full contact. I have pictures if anyone wants but fuck this guy.

@xfeejayx;

Couldn't hold K04 launch, where the stock clutch had no issue at all. Mine had contact across the whole pressure plate, but all the friction surfaces were toast from slippage. Also the shortest engagement zone I've ever felt (people probably couldn't daily this), and unnecessarily high pedal force.

He's out of business, fyi. Don't think you could buy it if you tried, but I certainly don't recommend trying.

RD Motorsports "8 Puck" Clutch
 

Strange, for me daily driving this clutch felt just like stock, really smooth engagment.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...51c6d8233b.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7b731f9856.jpg

sounds like there are some QA issues here, or multiple sources for pressure plates.

I took very few pictures before I threw this shit away, but the pic I have looks like the pressure plate is different. So add that to the list of his fuck ups.