On sale right now at eEuro is the Luk 228mm big clutch kit. Not only is it a great setup for a 1986-1990 Saab 9000, it’s also one of the best clutch upgrades you can get for a 1990-1993/4 Saab c900 turbo. Plus, right now it is marked at a whopping 53% off! So if you’re thinking about a new clutch kit, now’s a good time.

The difference is 8mm of additional surface area, which handles around 230-240 ft/lbs of torque. This can be a key upgrade if you plan to increase your horsepower. Some have been known to go up to as high as 240mm clutch in a c900 matched with a 9000 flywheel to accept horsepower gains up to and above 300hp. Although Saab was known to under-design many of their performance parts to prevent failure (they would have preferred clutch slip to transmission failure), the folks at eEuro don’t recommend much more grip than the 228mm kit considering the increased stress on your transmission.

I took the opportunity to install this clutch in my 1991 Classic Saab 900 when I was upgrading to T5 engine management system with a lightened flywheel (both should be available again soon) – jumping up about 30 hp from stock. I liked that it bolted to the stock dowel pins and was a drop-in upgrade. I have been running it for a few months now, and it has held up to everything that I have put it through. Like a kid with a new toy on Christmas, I went a little crazy with my new T5 setup to see what it could do (review to come), and the clutch never slipped once.

I have been through a number of different clutch swaps in various classic Saabs for many different reasons, but decided to replace it this time because the friction plate that presses against the engine flywheel had worn down about as far as it could go before becoming problematic. You can see in the pictures the difference in friction plate depth left over the rivets with the original clutch (red arrow) versus the new Luk clutch (green arrow). Within 6 more months, I would have probably been grinding down the rivets that hold the friction plates together.

Overall, the real difference in drivability with the new clutch is less or no slippage. However, now I feel more comfortable that the ceiling has been raised to make room for additional upgrades in the future. I highly recommend grabbing a kit for yourself while they are still so inexpensive.