Competition Clutch Stage 3 Ceramic Clutch Kit

Competition Clutch Stage 3 Ceramic Clutch Kit (K20A2/K20Z3)

Somewhere between a stock replacement and a 6-puck drag disc is where most fast street K-series cars actually live. The Competition Clutch Stage 3 ceramic clutch kit (8037-2600) covers that middle ground for the 02-06 RSX Type-S (K20A2/K20Z1) and 06-11 Civic Si (K20Z3): a segmented ceramic sprung disc with a performance pressure plate, rated by Competition Clutch for up to a 150 percent torque capacity increase.

What It Is and Why It Works

This is the 2600 Series street/strip kit, which some catalogs label Stage 3.5. The disc uses segmented ceramic facings across a full circle instead of individual pucks, so you get most of the bite and heat tolerance of ceramic without the full on-off engagement of a puck disc. The sprung hub damps shock loads through the DC5 and FG2/FA5 6-speed, which is what keeps this kit usable on a car that sees traffic during the week and a track or strip on the weekend. If your K20 has bolt-ons, cams, or moderate boost and the stock clutch has started to slip on the freeway pull, this is the logical next step up.

In the box: the performance pressure plate, the segmented ceramic sprung disc, release and pilot bearings, and the alignment tool. No flywheel is included. This kit also drops straight into K-swapped EG, EK, and DC2 builds running the K20A2-pattern 6-speed, which is most of them.

Specs

Fitment

Six-speed K20 cars only. This kit does not fit the base RSX or the 02-05 EP3 Civic Si, which run the K20A3 with a 5-speed and take a different clutch. K-swap builds on the RSX Type-S 6-speed are covered.

What to Know Before You Buy

Ceramic friction always costs you some manners. Engagement is quicker and firmer than stock or any organic disc, and a little low-speed chatter, especially cold or when creeping uphill, is normal behavior, not a defect. It gets more pronounced with a lightweight aluminum flywheel and with worn engine mounts, so sort your mounts first if they are original. Pedal effort goes up with the performance pressure plate, though not as brutally as a Stage 4 or 5 setup.

If your Si or Type-S is stock and mostly commutes, step down to the Stage 2 street series and keep the stock-like feel; overbuying clutch is the most common mistake in this category and the chatter will annoy you every day for years. If you are past roughly 300 wheel torque on slicks, look up the ladder at a 6-puck or twin disc instead. Plan the job right: resurface or replace the flywheel, do the rear main seal while you are in there, and follow the 300-mile break-in before the first hard launch. The K-series clutch master and slave cylinders are also known weak points; if yours has a soft pedal now, replace them with the clutch and bleed the system properly.