[MikeyB]

Had my Excedy single plate clutch in for around 4000 miles, driving home today, changed down from 5th to 3rd at about 60mph, floored it and the clutch felt like it was slipping slightly.

Changed back up to fifth and thought nothing of it. Then, pulled into the outside lane, put my foot down (still in 5th gear) and my foot off the clutch, the engine reved up without increasing speed as if the clutch was slipping...

My question is, do I ignore this and just see how it is in the morning, or is the clutch on the way out? (hope not as it cost £850 with the flywheel!!)

Cheers, MikeyB

Hoppy

Sunds like clutch, and will only get worse. Fix it quick and you might not need a flywheel.

Richard.

Daz1121

Thats not alot of miles for a new clutch. My ones done 70K and thinking of changing for an exidy as gettting a slight bit of slip so want it replaced before I damage the flywheel.

RLE

iTrader: (2)

Do you have any good luck Mikey?

I'm thinking about getting one of these clutches from API so will keep my eyes on this thread to see how it's diagnosed. Hope you get it sorted.

[MikeyB]

Morning all, went out late last night to a quiet industrial estate and performed a couple of hard launches. 5K, side-step the clutch.

Car bogged down the first time, and the second wasn't great either so I just came back home.

Anyway, driving to work this morning, the clutch feels perfect again!

To be honest, I don't really understand how a clutch works, but do you have to give it this kind of abuse every now and then?

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Mike,

That clutch should not have any high spots and is / was in perfect condition when we refitted it on the new gearbox.

It can take a while for clutches to totally bed in. BUT I would have thought that by now it should be well bedded, especially after a few launches etc.

See how it goes. It may be ' just one of those things ' that happen from time to time. I spun a clutch up big time, when Pat and l started mapping last week. Didn't bode well, but it didn't happen again, even after we had mapped and increased the torque and power by quite some way. Nope, I've no idea either.

Please confirm for the benefit of the readers that this is not an APi supplied clutch we are talking about here.

David

[MikeyB]

Cheers for the reply David, will just keep my eye on it... still saving the pennies at the moment for the AP Racing brake upgrade!!

Anyone want to buy a kidney?

[MikeyB]

OK, thought the clutch problem may of been a one off, but I can get the clutch slipping in any gear now except 1st.

Here's a video of exactly what's happeneing, this is in second gear, up a fairly steep hill, with my left foot NOT resting on the clutch at all.

http://www.mikeyb.co.uk/scooby/clutch_slip.wmv (280Kb)

When the clutch slips, the car vibrates very violently. Just the same as if you get it wrong when setting off in first gear.

Does anyone know if clutches have any adjustment, or is it foooked?

Not a happy bunny at all.

911

That sounds like a slipping clutch and you need to fix it pdq.

API Exedy will fix it.

[MikeyB]

Thing is, when Dave and the team at API had the clutch out 2 weeks ago, he said it was in near perfect condition??

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

That is exactly like Alan Bells was.

Clutch master cylinder was first at fault, then the clutch pedal adjustment itself was causing the the clutch to not release fully, thus fecking the clutch.

Get it sorted properly.

alanbell

iTrader: (6)

Ill second that

[MikeyB]

Cheers for the advice, clutch master cylinder from Subaru is £128 + fitting.

Is there anything else related to the clutch that could go wrong..? The flywheel is brand new as that came with the clutch.

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

Yes, the clutch pedal adjustment!

Alan's needed a massive adjustment, and all that had happened was a gearbox change.

Check that first. if the pedal isnt hitting its stop when your foot is off it, then adjust it.

[MikeyB]

OK, really daft question, but never done this before...


...how do I adjust it?

911

Get under the dash.
Find the top of the clutch pedal and you will see the travel stop Steven is on about.
iirc you need about 1mm of gap when you gently press by fingers onto the clutch pedal to be right. That means about 10mm on the rubber pedal pad of 'free=play'

Try bleeding the clutch well before you buy a new one.

[MikeyB]

OK, checked the adjustment and I don't think it's anything to do with that, as there is plenty of play at the top of the pedal.

I've got the car booked in at HDC Subaru in Hebden Bridge on the 16th April.

Here's another vid of the problem in 5th gear. Filmed at Bruntingthorpe.

http://www.mikeyb.co.uk/scooby/clutch_slip_2.wmv (336kb)

Somebody has suggested maybe oil has gone onto the clutch??

911

Not bad suggestion, but oil would be dripping from the bell housing by now too.

[MikeyB]

Your supposed to reply saying "Yes, that'll be it, it won't cost you anything to fix, it'll sort itself out"

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

subarus "dont" tend to sort themselves out

911

And that is the truth!

[MikeyB]

Clutch is slipping easier and easier now, the cars not booked in til next Monday but I'm going to park her up til them tonight, just hope I can get home!!

Also, gears and becoming harder and harder to slot in, they feel really clunky at the moment, even more than normal...

Can't wait for the 'judder free' AP organic clutch to be installed!!

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

May I ask how much the AP unit is costing inc. fitting (and flywheel skim?)
JohnD

[MikeyB]

Around £500 for the clutch, plus £150 for a new flywheel + fitting.

Not good to say the Exedy cost me £850 4000 miles ago..

silent running

ANy update? My AP's just gone after about 40k miles so I was thinking about trying an Exedy instead.

[MikeyB]

Right then, I have had my new clutch installed by HDC Subaru (Halifax).

First of all, a massive thumbs up to Howard who did all the work in one day as promised which is just how a garage should be.

I've now got the AP Racing Organic clutch installed and all I can say is the car is now an absolute dream to drive, NO JUDDER, no violent vibrations, just drives like the day I bought her. (a massive sigh of relief).

The Excedy Single Plate paddle clutch is in a right mess:

(Large Pic Here)

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(Large Pic Here)

(Large Pic Here)

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(Large Pic Here)

When I first took delivery of the car after the rebuild from ScoobyClinic, the car judderded and shook violently if I got the clutch 'wrong'.

(I thought this was a characteristic of the Excedy clutch, but I've since been told otherwise)

I've since spoke to Kev @ ScoobyClinic and he's informed me this is a wear and tear item and there's nothing they can do about it.

I've since worked out that this issue has cost me nearly 2K. £850 for the original clutch, £500 for the AP clutch, + fitting, fuel, etc...

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Mikey That clutch didn't look at all like that when we refitted it after the straight cut conversion, OR we wouldn't have fitted it.

It has had a hard time though, but the pictures are not un-typical for a ceramic clutch doing its job. Part [ or maybe all ] of the problem is that the ceramic material is very aggressive and you cannot run a cast iron flywheel with a ceramic or the heat cracks and blisters will appear almost immediately.

A steel billet flywheel resists that. BUT the cover plate pressure pad is always a cast iron piece in a sngle plate [ essentially modified standard ] clutch cover. They upgrade the spring clamping pressure but otherwise leave it alone. The ceramic tears the cast iron to bits just the same as it would a cast flywheel.

All manufacturers single plate ceramic covers that I have ever seen, do the same. It is meant as a competition clutch after all and would not be expected to last in a day to day hard driving road car situation. You know the sort of maintenance that rally and race cars get. Which obviously isn't practical on a road car.

Wear and tear is what it is. 'Fair ' wear and tear, is another matter.

David APi

[MikeyB]

Hi David, I've only had the new gearbox in for around 8 weeks, could this of happened in that time, if so, why the sudden failure?

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

Yes it could. Paddle clutches are *******s for every day use, and are only intended for motorsport application IMO. They do not like being continuosly slipped, which is what happens on daily drivers.

That is wear and tear for a paddle clutch IMO.

APIDavid

iTrader: (4)

Thanks Steve, perfectly put in 2 lines, where I take 2 para's.

David