JoNNiE

Summer is coming up soon and i plan on attending some driving events for the summer. My concern is the clutch. I realize that it is going to undergo a beating during the driving events and right now the clutch already tends to feel a little awkward. The clutch makes a squeek sound and sometimes tends to feel "mushy" when engaging and disengaging the clutch. Under high rpm's the clutch feels extremely loose and soft. Do i have anything to be worrieda bout? Should i replace the clutch? Do you think it can undergo 1 or 2 driving events? Im thinking about attending some HPDE's up in Gingerman raceway. Thanks for all the help

Chris F

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JoNNiE &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Summer is coming up soon and i plan on attending some driving events for the summer. My concern is the clutch. I realize that it is going to undergo a beating during the driving events and right now the clutch already tends to feel a little awkward. The clutch makes a squeek sound and sometimes tends to feel "mushy" when engaging and disengaging the clutch. Under high rpm's the clutch feels extremely loose and soft. Do i have anything to be worrieda bout? Should i replace the clutch? Do you think it can undergo 1 or 2 driving events? Im thinking about attending some HPDE's up in Gingerman raceway. Thanks for all the help </TD></TR></TABLE>

If it's slipping at all at WOT you will seriously scorch your flywheel. You should try changing it ASAP. Is it?

RTW DC2R

try to start from a stop in like 4th gear and see how bad it is.

hungsteR

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RTW &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">try to start from a stop in like 4th gear and see how bad it is. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What does this accomplish? If the clutch is gone, will it not go at all if you start it in 4th?

Chris F

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hungsteR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

What does this accomplish? If the clutch is gone, will it not go at all if you start it in 4th?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Try to launch in 3rd or 4th... if it grabs, and the car bogs, your clutch is fine.

If the clutch continues to spin, then your clutch isn't strong enough.

It's one way to do it. My brand-new Action 1MD wasn't strong enough to hold up to this test with the turblow, but the 2MD can.

-Chris

JoNNiE

how do i determine if a clutch "slips" or not? i do not understand what it means when the clutch slips. I will try to launch in 3rd tomorrow and let you guys know. Thanks for all the help

Chris F

If your clutch is slipping, the motor will keep spinning, but your wheels will not be.


The working parts of a clutch are the friction surface of the clutch, and where it meets on the flywheel. The flywheel spins with the motor, and the clutch spins with the rest of the transmission (and the wheels, if you're in gear.)

If the clutch is strong, the engine and tranny will try to spin the same speed with the clutch let out. The clutch friction material will grab the flywheel with a lot of force, and the motor will bog (or even stall!) if you're starting out in 4th gear like this example.

If the clutch is weak, you'll let out the clutch, and your motor will stay at high RPMs, the wheels will start spinning slowly, because the friction material on the clutch is burnt or gone (no longer sticking to the flywheel).

Did that make sense?

Cliffs: If you can manage to hold the motor at high RPM's while launching in 4th gear, your clutch is slipping a lot. Don't do this too much, because your clutch and flywheel will get hot after a few seconds.

JoNNiE

Ok so say i try launching in 4th, say slipping the clutch at 4k rpms, if the engine bogs or stalls, my clutch is ok, but if it stay around 4k rpm or even higher, then the clutch needs to be replaced?

Chris F

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JoNNiE &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok so say i try launching in 4th, say slipping the clutch at 4k rpms, if the engine bogs or stalls, my clutch is ok, but if it stay around 4k rpm or even higher, then the clutch needs to be replaced?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep. Try to keep the RPM high, let the clutch out not too quick but pretty quick, like you were launching in 1st gear. The car should almost stall.

JoNNiE

Nice i'll do it tomorrow and let you guys know waht happened... thanks for all the help

JoNNiE

Ok so today i tried launching in 4th, and as you gyus predicted, the engine bogged. My question is, why is it that sometimes my clutch still feels weird? and i did notice a smell after i launched. Problems?

Chris F

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JoNNiE &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i did notice a smell after i launched. Problems?</TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Don't do this too much, because your clutch and flywheel will get hot after a few seconds.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yep. Your clutch is probably OK.... the smell is clutch smoke

I don't know what you mean by "feels weird." You're gonna have to describe it better. It might be nothing.