OK, so while I'm replacing the engine, I plan on soing something about the clutch. In the past few months, I've noticed that engagement has gotten softer when accelerating hard and a slight "chirp" when going from a stop into 1st when I've been doing a lot of driving. I think it needs replacement.

I really like whatever mystery clutch is in there (something of older FM flavor) and like the pedal effort. Might it be OK to just replace the clutch disc and keep the current pressure plate?

Now the fun of selecting a disc....or deciding to shell out for an entirely new FM clutch kit.

 

I dont see why you can't just put in a disc.
act or exedy should do the trick. As long as its sprung and non puck

 

Had heard the PP wears out in time to the clutch, that the tensile strength eventually goes into metal fatigue from the heat and repeated flexing.

If it's an old FM happy meal, it's probably an ACT XTSS or HDSS, both great setups, used the XTSS twice in my cars.

 

I've had a pressure plate fail, for the ball ache it is in changing one is replace it whilst your motor is out.

 

Is it the slave to fork chirp?

 

I would try to figure out what that chirp is. As far as replacement, the Miata seems to have a decent and simple selection for clutches. What type of driving are you planning (auto-x, drag, DD, etc)?

 

If you don't to much drag racing, a light-weight flywheel is a good way to make the car feel a little more peppy. I've had quite a few in a lot of my cars, and I just like the way it allows the engine to rev.

That is...if you haven't installed one already.

 

Car has the older version FM clutch (ACT) and flywheel.

As for the shirp, I've heard it from other types of cars with aftermarket clutches as well, so I don't think it's any problem. Replacing the disc as opposed to the whole unit is a matter of cost and time right now.

 

I have FM's new stage 1 clutch and I like it. Pedal effort is half that of the Clutchnet clutch it replaced (bonded organic disk, red pressure plate on that one).