Clutch or slave dying in less than 10k miles?

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:06 am

. . . Is this possible? Could this be something simple like bleeding the clutch..??

I probably put 5k (10k at most) miles on a brand new clutch and slave and something’s definitely going. It hasn't been uncommon for it to grind going into first gear while slowing down, even if I had to clutch in for more than a reasonable amount of time. It grinds pretty often going from first to second when I know the clutch was pushed in completely. Those two symptoms have been present maybe a week. The clutch pedal has been getting softer the last two-three days, but felt fine before that. Then lastly, a couple times I've gotten into my car to start it and the clutch pedal is half way pushed in. I'm not driving any different than I ever have with my past clutches and although I'm not very friendly on the clutch I'm not to harsh. Especially considering I'm only making probably 50whp due to a busted piggy back and can't rev above 4k rpms. Every time I've been driving the clutch has been engaging faster, instead of engaging halfway through the pedals travel it's doing it almost off the floor. Oh and I can release the clutch with no gas at a dead stop and it just rolls forward no problems.

The clutch is a 6puck, 900lbs PP, pot flywheel on the F28 transmission. My prior clutches, even my 6puck 1200PP clutch lasted 25k miles before I upgraded to the F28, it felt fine before I pulled the tranny and got quiet a bitch of harsh driving on the track.

Thanks,
Danny

frplymstr · Post by **frplymstr** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 4:14 am

I have an F16 in my Cielo & I had the same issue with the clutch pedal. The gears kept on loosing the correct placement & I had to continually readjust the clutch cable where it attached to the release lever. By the end of it the clutch pedal itself was nearly touching the back of the firewall.
What was happening was that the Release lever that pops out the top of the gear box was loosing the weld. I put a little pressure on it and the lever arm snapped right off.
I am luckely enough to have a Mig welder which I used on the job so no need for me to pull the whole gear box out. It is now working like a dream again.
This might not be the same problem but thought I would add the comment for something to check.

exist3nce · Post by **exist3nce** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:45 am

That sounds like exactly what happen to me when my slave started leaking slowly. Peddle just got softer and softer and it was harder to engage gears. Check your brake fluid, is it going down? If it is, then most likely the slave is leaking.

Post by **PrecisionBoost** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:27 pm

Thus the reason for me suggesting the aftermarket F28 slave a few weeks back.

Personally I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and get something reliable than convert a slave system from a significantly less powerful gearbox

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:07 am

PrecisionBoost wrote:Thus the reason for me suggesting the aftermarket F28 slave a few weeks back.

Personally I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and get something reliable than convert a slave system from a significantly less powerful gearbox

I'm talking to them about that slave to see if it's any heavyier duty than the F18 slaves.

Still though I don't see why it would go out this quickly. If this was common then people wouldn't even bother using the modded F18 slave on F28s that see anything more than calm street driving because that's all mine saw and it's gone. Assuming it is the slave that's going on me.

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:24 pm

exist3nce wrote:That sounds like exactly what happen to me when my slave started leaking slowly. Peddle just got softer and softer and it was harder to engage gears. Check your brake fluid, is it going down? If it is, then most likely the slave is leaking.

Brake fluid seams fine. How much would it drop? It's seams slightly low, but it could be normal.

I take it your going with the F18 internal slave on your setup?

PrecisionBoost wrote:Thus the reason for me suggesting the aftermarket F28 slave a few weeks back.

Personally I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and get something reliable than convert a slave system from a significantly less powerful gearbox

I just checked with them. The F28 slave is nothing more than a modded F18 slave.

exist3nce · Post by **exist3nce** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:27 pm

kinkyllama wrote:
exist3nce wrote:That sounds like exactly what happen to me when my slave started leaking slowly. Peddle just got softer and softer and it was harder to engage gears. Check your brake fluid, is it going down? If it is, then most likely the slave is leaking.
Brake fluid seams fine. How much would it drop? It's seams slightly low, but it could be normal.

I take it your going with the F18 internal slave on your setup?

PrecisionBoost wrote:Thus the reason for me suggesting the aftermarket F28 slave a few weeks back.

Personally I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and get something reliable than convert a slave system from a significantly less powerful gearbox
I just checked with them. The F28 slave is nothing more than a modded F18 slave.

Nope not immediately. We're going to try an external slave that operates the clutch release lever. I'll go with the one Chris recommended as a backup if it doesn't work out.

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:58 pm

So do you guy think this is a slave problem or what?

exist3nce · Post by **exist3nce** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:55 pm

kinkyllama wrote:So do you guy think this is a slave problem or what?

Thats what is sounds like from what you described, but I guess it could also be the master cylinder too? If its leaking internally, maybe its not building enough pressure for the slave.

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:49 am

Anyone think it could be anything else? I really can't afford to tear apart this gearbox and then find out it was something simple or buy a buncha spare parts to have on hand untill when open it up and see what's wrong.

When I get in my car and the clutch pedal is all the way to the floor it wasn't like that went I turned off the car and left it. It seams to only happen when it's been sitting over night.

If feels nearly the same as the times my slave died before. Only thing is I don't think the slave is just going out like it did before. The two times I've gone through slaves the clutch pedal felt like this for maybe 50 miles tops then it wouldn't work at all. I've driven 350-500 miles like this and it just gets worst, now it's fully engaged into gear about 1/10th" off the ground

exist3nce · Post by **exist3nce** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:37 am

Hate to tell you man, but that sounds EXACTLY like what my slave did in late December when it slowly gave out. Gradually got worse and worse. The longer I left the car, the more mushy the clutch peddle would be when I returned. It eventually got the point where if I left it overnight, I would have to pump the clutch about 15-20 times before there was enough pressure to operate the slave.

Have you been watching the brake fluid level?

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:00 pm

exist3nce wrote:Hate to tell you man, but that sounds EXACTLY like what my slave did in late December when it slowly gave out. Gradually got worse and worse. The longer I left the car, the more mushy the clutch peddle would be when I returned. It eventually got the point where if I left it overnight, I would have to pump the clutch about 15-20 times before there was enough pressure to operate the slave.

Have you been watching the brake fluid level?

Well I'll just be happy if that is it so I can order a new one now and have it ready.

Yes, hasn't seamed to change. How much of a drop in fluid show I see?

exist3nce · Post by **exist3nce** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:56 am

kinkyllama wrote: Well I'll just be happy if that is it so I can order a new one now and have it ready.

Yes, hasn't seamed to change. How much of a drop in fluid show I see?

For mine it was very slight at first, but then started to drop noticeably. Went from the max to min mark in about 3 days of daily driving, then I just parked it lol.

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 1:30 am

exist3nce wrote:
kinkyllama wrote: Well I'll just be happy if that is it so I can order a new one now and have it ready.

Yes, hasn't seamed to change. How much of a drop in fluid show I see?
For mine it was very slight at first, but then started to drop noticeably. Went from the max to min mark in about 3 days of daily driving, then I just parked it lol.

Hmm... I don't think it's moved but I can't be sure it hasn't just a little. I've put a decent amount of miles (350+) on it since this started happening. I really don't think it'll hold much longer so I'm parking it untill I my new F18 slave arrives. I wish I had the money to buy a bunch of these things for a discount cause I know I'll we will all be going through them.

I still don't see why it crapped out so fast...I'm afraid what it'll be like when I actually have my car running