Clutch Slippage

[Kurt Rahn]

About 2-3 times over the last 2 mos. or so, when I've been on the freeway and downshifted from either 6th into 5th or 5th into 4th, it seemed like my clutch slipped a little bit. It was so slight I could never confirm it with the tach, so I just wrote it off to turbo lag. On my way home from nats, I happened to be looking right at the tach going up a hill and saw the needle go up for a second, then settle back down as the plates caught.

My question is this: Is there something relatively quick/easy/cheap I can do this early on to either repair the clutch, or at least preserve it longer, or am I on a long and perhaps not-so-slow path to needing a new clutch? There's only 41K miles on this one and I'm pretty easy on clutches (I've never had to replace one on a prior vehicle before it had 120K+ miles on it.

[Jonathan Lugod]

About 2-3 times over the last 2 mos. or so, when I've been on the freeway and downshifted from either 6th into 5th or 5th into 4th, it seemed like my clutch slipped a little bit. It was so slight I could never confirm it with the tach, so I just wrote it off to turbo lag. On my way home from nats, I happened to be looking right at the tach going up a hill and saw the needle go up for a second, then settle back down as the plates caught.

My question is this: Is there something relatively quick/easy/cheap I can do this early on to either repair the clutch, or at least preserve it longer, or am I on a long and perhaps not-so-slow path to needing a new clutch? There's only 41K miles on this one and I'm pretty easy on clutches (I've never had to replace one on a prior vehicle before it had 120K+ miles on it.

thats the unfortunate truth of owning a turbo stock car w/ an lsd. Especially in autocross where we demand the cars be pulled out of corners with high demand.

[Marshall Grice]

There's only 41K miles on this one and I'm pretty easy on clutches (I've never had to replace one on a prior vehicle before it had 120K+ miles on it.

oh really? how many pro solo launches do you have on that clutch?

I think car manufacturers these days don't have much incentive to make the clutches too strong. they just end up having to warranty transmissions instead of clutches. I only got 56k out of my evo clutch and that is on the high side.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Fuse.

[Bobby Beyer]

I got something like 80k on the clutch in my mustang with dozen of 150 shots of nitrous on MT cheater slicks but the tires were the weak link so it was never an issue. I've heard the 8 bolt diff on the Camaro got away with being too weak for the torque the engine put out because the rear tires were to narrow to ever get enough traction to break it.

Its better for the OEM's to have the clutch be the weak link in the drivetrain since its less likely to be a warranty claim vs say a transmission or an axle.

[Kurt Rahn]

Did I seriously put this post in Events? Totally faded. Mods, feel free to move it to Off Topic, which is where I thought I posted it.

Anyway, what I'm hearing is there's nothing I can do but try to baby it and start saving my pennies. Okay, Marshall, yeah, there are those pesky ProSolo starts. Let's see...three El Toros and a Finale, so 48 starts, plus practice starts, 4 per, so total 64 starts. Yeah, I guess that could help it on to oblivion.

[Kurt Rahn]

Fuse.

Good point. I'll just pull the clutch fuse!

[Justin Tsang]

I don't think the Mini has a very good clutch, my friend's 2011 Mini will roast the clutch every time he launches it.

[Mako Koiwai]

Henry went thru two in his twin charged model before ending up with a competition clutch

[Eric Clements]

oh really? how many pro solo launches do you have on that clutch?

Stock clutches can hold up to abuse. My ES MR2 clutch had over 600 ProSolo launches on it when I sold it.

[Marshall Grice]

oh really? how many pro solo launches do you have on that clutch?

Stock clutches can hold up to abuse. My ES MR2 clutch had over 600 ProSolo launches on it when I sold it.

I didn't say all stock clutches are junk. It just seems that many of the newer cars come with junk clutches on purpose. Or maybe it's just that turbo cars are inherently harder on clutches? either way, would you consider yourself to be "easy on clutches" with 600 prosolo launches? that was really my point.

[Tom Denham]

About 2-3 times over the last 2 mos. or so, when I've been on the freeway and downshifted from either 6th into 5th or 5th into 4th, it seemed like my clutch slipped a little bit. It was so slight I could never confirm it with the tach, so I just wrote it off to turbo lag. On my way home from nats, I happened to be looking right at the tach going up a hill and saw the needle go up for a second, then settle back down as the plates caught.

My question is this: Is there something relatively quick/easy/cheap I can do this early on to either repair the clutch, or at least preserve it longer, or am I on a long and perhaps not-so-slow path to needing a new clutch? There's only 41K miles on this one and I'm pretty easy on clutches (I've never had to replace one on a prior vehicle before it had 120K+ miles on it.

See ya next event mmmuuuhhhaaaa }:)

40 thousand on mine when i replaced it, but I burned that puppy up by loading up the drivetrain before launching. You might want to think about a flywheel also, Mine looked like a reading rainbow sign or an acid trip take your pick.

[Keith Brown]

I don't know about the newer cars with that blowy fan thingy... but my 02 Cooper got a new clutch at about 75k. it was a book rate 12 hour job that took me about 15 hours in the driveway... first instruction, remove front bumper...

[Ed Holley]

Did I seriously put this post in Events? Totally faded. Mods, feel free to move it to Off Topic, which is where I thought I posted it.

Anyway, what I'm hearing is there's nothing I can do but try to baby it and start saving my pennies. Okay, Marshall, yeah, there are those pesky ProSolo starts. Let's see...three El Toros and a Finale, so 48 starts, plus practice starts, 4 per, so total 64 starts. Yeah, I guess that could help it on to oblivion.

When you decide it's time, throw a "re-build" party. It will make those 15 hours less painful. I for one would come. And I have tools. Most are standard as opposed to metric. But we can make them fit. }:)

[Lily Liu]

Just yank the motor out, it was soooo easy with everything out of the car Jk

[Kurt Rahn]

Did I seriously put this post in Events? Totally faded. Mods, feel free to move it to Off Topic, which is where I thought I posted it.

Anyway, what I'm hearing is there's nothing I can do but try to baby it and start saving my pennies. Okay, Marshall, yeah, there are those pesky ProSolo starts. Let's see...three El Toros and a Finale, so 48 starts, plus practice starts, 4 per, so total 64 starts. Yeah, I guess that could help it on to oblivion.

When you decide it's time, throw a "re-build" party. It will make those 15 hours less painful. I for one would come. And I have tools. Most are standard as opposed to metric. But we can make them fit. }:)

I'm gonna put you down as a "yes" on the RSVP list then BTW, I'm a mechani-moron, so you'd pretty much be telling me what to do!

[Kurt Rahn]

Just yank the motor out, it was soooo easy with everything out of the car Jk

Actually, given how tight the engine bay is, I was seriously thinking about doing that. Keith's post about the front bumper seems spot on at a minimum.

[Kurt Rahn]

See ya next event mmmuuuhhhaaaa }:)

Bring it, big boy! Remember, I said slight slippage

[Justin Tsang]

I installed an aftermarket LSD on the mini before, it's actually not too difficult to remove the transmission. Since you have to remove the entire front end, everything is easily accessible.

[Tom Denham]

See ya next event mmmuuuhhhaaaa }:)

Bring it, big boy! Remember, I said slight slippage

[Bill Schenker]

... BTW, I'm a mechani-moron, ...

BUT A GREAT PIT CREW MEMBER! Thanks again for all you help in a futile cause, Kurt; you truly were wonderful.

And if you're serious about a clutch changing party, I'll be there: I have a pretty good set of tools, but no air tools.

[Marshall Grice]

Just yank the motor out, it was soooo easy with everything out of the car Jk

Actually, given how tight the engine bay is, I was seriously thinking about doing that. Keith's post about the front bumper seems spot on at a minimum.

I think I know who you should talk to about where to throw your 'clutch change' party. ;)

[Ed Holley]

I think I know who you should talk to about where to throw your 'clutch change' party. ;)

I can feel the excitement building.

[Marshall Grice]

well since it was posted in the events section we might as well turn it into an event, right?

[Kurt Rahn]

I think I know who you should talk to about where to throw your 'clutch change' party. ;)

I think we're on the same page