New clutch in, is it acting normal?

[Venom351R]

My friend Chris and I installed my Spec II clutch today b/c the stock one was slipping and wouldent hold the power from the Paxton S/C. After we got it in we took it out for a test run. I got on it hard in second gear ( 5-6 PSI ) and it still slipped when it got up to 5,000 RPM's. I was expecting it to hold even though it wasent broken in yet but is it normal for it to slip even if its rated to hold more HP then the car is making if its not broken in yet

Other thing is that I can feel my clutch pedel vibrating at low speeds ( 1,000-2,000 RPMs) when Im in a high gear like 4th. Is this the normal clutch " chatter " or "vibration" that I will have until the clutch is broken in? Only thing I can think of for why the clutch may have slipped is b/c when we were cleaning the surface of the flywheel ( Yes it was resurfaced ) and the clutch its self w/ brake cleaner we accidently sprayed WD-40 on the clutch ( grabed the wrong can ). Could there still have been WD-40 residue on there clutch causing it to slip or is it just not broken in and will slip regardless.......Thanks

~ T.M ~

 

[94TURBO5 O]

My Spec is solid. I was told to break it in when I had it installed with my Tremec and I did 5 hard powershifting runs right afterwards and I have had no problems. It does not sound normal to me.

 

[Venom351R]

My Spec is solid. I was told to break it in when I had it installed with my Tremec and I did 5 hard powershifting runs right afterwards and I have had no problems. It does not sound normal to me.

I thoght it wasent a good idea to get on it hard until it was broken in, like 500 street driven miles then you could pound the piss out of it

 

[Joes95GT]

I thoght it wasent a good idea to get on it hard until it was broken in, like 500 street driven miles then you could pound the piss out of it

The break in period is always one of those debated things between gearheads. Some say 50, some say 500.

Either way, that thing should bite hard whether it's been 'broken in' or not. Let it go for a few days, drive the car regularly until Friday. Try to put 100 miles on the car, and then try it again. I don't think the WD40 would cause all that hell, but it's possible. Let everything dry out, settle, and 'break in' some more before you start jumping to conclusions.

Joe

 

[cb18201]

i do 500 to be safe, its only 500 miles, a few days worth of driving, its worth it so you dont break anything

 

[Venom351R]

well Im going to drive it alot tomorrow in alot of stop and go traffic and get some miles on it. It did feel alot better after I got home VS when we first took it out after the install. At first the clutch would engage almost right when I started to let the clutch out, now it dosent engauge until futher up and just feels more smooth then did did at first.

 

[mo_dingo]

My car does the same thing you are talking about. I replaced the clutch about 5k miles ago, and it still does it. A little less frequent though.

I replaced everything except the bellhousing & the clutch release lever.

I think the only way to find out what is causing the problem would be to jack up the rear end, remove the dust cover on the bell housing, start the car and get up to 35-40 mph. Watch the release lever & pressure plate carefully.

I haven't done this because I am lazy, and used to it now.

The pedal "chatter" has to do with the pressure plate, TOB, release lever & the fork holding the TOB on.

The flywheel/clutch disc have nothing to do with it.
Scott

 

[Imyourzero]

My friend Chris and I installed my Spec II clutch today b/c the stock one was slipping and wouldent hold the power from the Paxton S/C. After we got it in we took it out for a test run. I got on it hard in second gear ( 5-6 PSI ) and it still slipped when it got up to 5,000 RPM's. I was expecting it to hold even though it wasent broken in yet but is it normal for it to slip even if its rated to hold more HP then the car is making if its not broken in yet

From what I hear, the first 500 miles are supposed to be EASY miles...as in no burnouts, no WOT runs...just normal driving with a lot of stop-and-go if possible. I need a clutch soon, and I'm going for a SPEC Stage 2, and it's going to be hard not to get on it for 500 miles but that's only 2 tanks of gas. Not worth messing a $300 clutch up!

 

[Venom351R]

From what I hear, the first 500 miles are supposed to be EASY miles...as in no burnouts, no WOT runs...just normal driving with a lot of stop-and-go if possible. I need a clutch soon, and I'm going for a SPEC Stage 2, and it's going to be hard not to get on it for 500 miles but that's only 2 tanks of gas. Not worth messing a $300 clutch up!

yeah the next 450 miles are going to be easy driving, I only got on it twice, I doubt that would mess it up or would it , I dont think two quick blasts would frig up a new clutch would it? Its feeling alot better now anyway then what it did. I got my Spec II from JD's Performance for $280

 

[Rootus]

My Spec Stage 1 acted a bit stupid for the first couple hundred miles -- chattering, slipping, grabbing hard, etc. But then it settled in pretty good and drives real nice now, every bit as smooth as the stock one was. So I'd give yours a little time before getting too worked up about it.

 

[94TURBO5 O]

I always go against the grain and do a lot of stuff people tell me not to sometimes and the clutch/Tremec break in was one of them. I have no negative results due to my lack of abilities to follow the rule.

 

[Venom351R]

I always go against the grain and do a lot of stuff people tell me not to. I have no negative results due to my lack of abilities to follow the rule.

I never have that kind of luck w/ anything I do like that so I'll take the route of the 500 break in since its still my daily driver and that clutch wasent free.

 

[mytight95]

are you sure you have the quedrant adjusted right. I know you can get it one or two clicks off and it will dramatically make a diff. When i had my clutch installed about 1.5 years ago. This was out of adjustment, i took it down the road, it slipped higher rpms. I brought it back to the shop just a few minutes later, and they adjusted the quadrant for the pedal PROBLEM SOLVED. so i would at least try that



jason

 

[Venom351R]

are you sure you have the quedrant adjusted right. I know you can get it one or two clicks off and it will dramatically make a diff. When i had my clutch installed about 1.5 years ago. This was out of adjustment, i took it down the road, it slipped higher rpms. I brought it back to the shop just a few minutes later, and they adjusted the quadrant for the pedal PROBLEM SOLVED. so i would at least try that



jason

Thanks I'll keep that in mind. I have 100 miles on it now and I can tell it grabs so much harder then the stock clutch. Just under normal driving and light accerlation its easy to see that the stock was slipping alot and not just in the upper RPMs b/c it feels like a whole new car. I only got on it once today and yup still slipped but that was w/ a hard pull in second gear. Im going to give it the 500 Mile break in and if it still slips after that then I'll see about adjusting it. Hopefully it will hold enough to get it dynoed on saturday, I think it will hold in 4th, just that second or third run blast is still to much for it to take until its broken in.

 

[mytight95]

if it slips on the street, in a lower gear then it will prolly slip on the dyno in 4th


just my .02 you can adjust it in like 5 seconds under the dash

 

[Venom351R]

just my .02 you can adjust it in like 5 seconds under the dash

where is it under the dash and how do you adjust it Im kinda stupid when it comes to this stuff b/c this is my first aftermarket clutch.

 

[mytight95]

kinda hard to explain there is a quadrant, you have to release it kinda, and then push the pedal to the floor, and it is selg adjusting after that.


jason

 

[95red]

could it be slave cylinder?

 

[Venom351R]

kinda hard to explain there is a quadrant, you have to release it kinda, and then push the pedal to the floor, and it is selg adjusting after that.


jason

well I mentioned that to chris ( friend who help me put it in ) and he said it was possible. From what I keep hearing from other spec owners is that it will keep slip and chatter ( even though mine dosent do that bad ) and act all funny until it is broken in. well 1 1/2 more days until the dyno, hopefully I can break it in enough to hold on the dyno, Id really like to see what my Paxton is putting out.

 

[94TURBO5 O]

When mine was first installed it would grab hard as hell instantly and when you let off the gas while driving slow it will buck like a mofo. I stalled like crazy the first week or so whenever I would pull off from a stop! Very embarrasing.....It never slipped though but I didn't use any WD 40 on it . I got some on my belt one time and it slipped so bad I just went and bought another belt.