Clutch Slippage
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Clutch Slippage
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.
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.
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Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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.Kurt Rahn wrote: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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
oh really? how many pro solo launches do you have on that clutch?Kurt Rahn wrote: 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.
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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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.
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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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.
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.
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Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Re: Clutch Slippage
Good point. I'll just pull the clutch fuse!Steve Ekstrand wrote:Fuse.
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Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
Henry went thru two in his twin charged model before ending up with a competition clutch
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Re: Clutch Slippage
Stock clutches can hold up to abuse. My ES MR2 clutch had over 600 ProSolo launches on it when I sold it.Marshall Grice wrote:Kurt Rahn wrote:
oh really? how many pro solo launches do you have on that clutch?
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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.Eric Clements wrote:Stock clutches can hold up to abuse. My ES MR2 clutch had over 600 ProSolo launches on it when I sold it.Marshall Grice wrote:Kurt Rahn wrote:
oh really? how many pro solo launches do you have on that clutch?
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Re: Clutch Slippage
Kurt Rahn wrote: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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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...
Keith
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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. }:)Kurt Rahn wrote: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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
Just yank the motor out, it was soooo easy with everything out of the car Jk
~Lily
Re: Clutch Slippage
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!Ed Holley wrote: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. }:)Kurt Rahn wrote: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.
Last edited by Kurt Rahn on Tue Sep 11, 2012 10:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Re: Clutch Slippage
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.Lily Liu wrote:Just yank the motor out, it was soooo easy with everything out of the car Jk
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Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Re: Clutch Slippage
Bring it, big boy! Remember, I said slight slippageTom Denham wrote:See ya next event mmmuuuhhhaaaa }:)
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Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
Kurt Rahn wrote:Bring it, big boy! Remember, I said slight slippageTom Denham wrote:See ya next event mmmuuuhhhaaaa }:)
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Re: Clutch Slippage
Kurt Rahn wrote:... 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.
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Re: Clutch Slippage
I think I know who you should talk to about where to throw your 'clutch change' party. ;)Kurt Rahn wrote: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.Lily Liu wrote:Just yank the motor out, it was soooo easy with everything out of the car Jk
Re: Clutch Slippage
I can feel the excitement building.Marshall Grice wrote: I think I know who you should talk to about where to throw your 'clutch change' party. ;)
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Re: Clutch Slippage
well since it was posted in the events section we might as well turn it into an event, right?
Re: Clutch Slippage
I think we're on the same pageMarshall Grice wrote:I think I know who you should talk to about where to throw your 'clutch change' party. ;)
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Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.
Oversteer is better than understeer because you don't see the tree you're hitting.