clutch time...

nervekiler

Registered User
ok there is obviously somethign wrong with my clutch. its not slipping but instead the grab point when i let out the pedal is gettin further and further towards fully extended. at the rate it has gone in the last two weeks i dont expect to be able to drive my car at the end of this month unless i fix it.

my clutch grabs good and does not slip. but the catch point in the pedal just keeps gettin farther and farther out. i am afraid one day i will go out there and let my clutch out all the way and it wont grab at all.

so heres my question. is this the clutch goin out? or the slave cylinder? do i maybe just have low fluid level in the hydraulic clutch thingy? i dont know much about SC clutches but am willing to learn. what do i have to do to get the "grab point" back to the middle of the pedals range of motion?

thanks for your time
 
sounds like your clutch is gone, replace the clutch disk, friction plate, slave cylinder, pilot bearing.

Dont use centerforce, i think my stock clutch with 192000 miles on it had more holding power than the centerforce when i put it in. you may want to try one of the new ones bill has at supercoupeperformance.

If you need anymore advice just shout ill get right back to you. also my buddys firebird got that bad. we were going motocross riding on a saturday and he told me to move it to the other side of the driveway so he could get the trailer out. i got in and backed outa the driveway but when i stuck it in first and let the clutch out i didnt go anywhere. i was like umm now what. lol

Chris
 
thanks for the reply. i would also liek to hear what others have to say.

i dont have much money so if i do haev to replace all that stuff i will most likely go with the cheapest replacement clutch i can find.

its kinda sucky i haev a list now of stuff i have to replace. coudlnt it just be simple like im low on fluid or maybe only one part goin out?

i do appreciate the reply though. i just am dissapointed with the amount of things i may have to replace..

*just re-read this.. i sound like a little whining bitch. but oh well. thank you for the reply pearlwhite. this wil be my first repair done to my new SC and i guess now im starting to understand why these cars are said to be expensive maintenience cars.

any idea what the total cost of all that would be? to get it done by a mechanic and just for parts alone (i might be able to do it myself with a friends help) i am goin for the smallest amount of money i will have to pay since id like to be able to go somewhere cool next month for spring vacation.
 
Go with a Luk Clutch, they are really good. And that is what came in a lot of them. I have had great luck with them. Mine only cost like 127 bucks.
 
that price will work for me. where can i get a Luk clutch for our SC's? ill go search but i doubt ill find what im looking for.

thanks for the help.
 
The part number is 07-070 I have not been able to get in contact with my tranny guy to find out where he got mine for so cheap. I did find out that Pep Boys can order the Luk Clutches with a lifetime warranty for 199.99. I will keep looking. Here is a number for Luk, they can give you the number for distributers in your area. 1800-274-5001, ask for customer service.
 
the pilot bearing is what the shaft of the transmission rides in, it is only a $6 part and you should replace it. When you replace the clutch you want to replace the throw out bearing as this is what actually activates the clutch. The only problem is that on the SC the T/O bearing is part of the slave cylinder. Get one from AdvanceAutoparts.com and you will not have a problem. This is the part that takes the most abuse in the clutch assembly and SHOULD BE REPLACED if you are putting a new clutch in. Also if you are useing the stock flywheel you may want to take it to have it turned on the lathe so that the clutch grips it better.


This is just my two cents and if you dont wnat to hear it then dont but its always better to spend the money now then pay double later when it fails. Im not saying it will fail but its always better to be safe then sorry!

IF you need any tips on doing it yourself i can be of some help also so just ask. I have done a couple of these and it helps to know what tools to use when and there are a few little tricks

Chris
 
try here

people seem to be badmouthing centerforce alot, but i've heard alot of good comments about them. the only reason i went with LUK is because I found a package deal pretty cheap.


for an LUK try here ($230 for everything).

http://www.dialaclutch.com/standard3.htm?source=goto

here is the cheapest deal i have found. it includes everything. the clutch, pressure plate, throwout bearing, pilot bearing, clutch slave cylinder and a clutch centering tool.

enter "frp" for the coupon code and you will get free shipping.....i think.

i just got mine last week and am waiting for the weather to break to put it in.

Jeff
 
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does the pepboys one come with the slave cylinder and pilot bearing?


....normally the kit for the t-bird doesn't come with a slave cylinder, which costs $80 and a pilot bearing for $8. The site i suggested includes both in their package. Whatever you choose, do your homework to make sure the pepboys comes with this stuff if you choose to buy from them.

Jeff
 
Anyone know the holding capacity of the LUK clutch? I was looking at getting the Centerforce DF, any opinions on this from those out there that use it?
 
Centerforce are junk, use it only if you want to do the job twice. When my tranny went the LUK clutch grabbed strong enough to smolder the tires from a second gear start and then into third gear. I never had any problems with slipping. Centerforce are junk they burn out in about a year if your lucky. The LUK is about 30% stronger than stock. They also use LUK clutches in a lot of heavy equipment trucks like dump trucks and stuff like that. So i don't think you will have to worry about slipping.
 
.

well, it sounds to me that people like you are the ones that PROBABLY have no first hand experience from using centerforce. In turn you just go around badmouthing them.

I've never personally used the centerforce, but up until about a month or two ago, I had never heard anything bad about them. They were recommended to me by many people. If it wasn't for the price of one, I would have gone with them instead of LUK. The centerforce dual didn't come as a complete kit, and to get all of the parts that I got with the LUK kit would have cost me around $400.

Jeff
 
I do have experience with CenterForce and they are junk. I installed a CF1 on my car and didn’t even last 6 months when the weights broke. Any way paid $200 for my CF1 I will gladly trade it to you for a LUK. By the way the CenterForce pressure plate is made by LUK . ;)
 
I'm not sure where people get that a LUK clutch has more holding power than stock. The stock clutch IS LUK. Luk is what you get just about anywhere you look. Centerforce even uses a LUK core for making theirs. It's all the same stuff. Centerforce adds weights to the PP to increase holding force at high rpm. I'm sure there are other differences, but you can't tell by looking at them.

I got my replacement clutches from AZ, and they had LUK stamped right on them as well. All three that I got worked just fine and stood up to a lot of abuse. In fact the minor slip that I got off the line made for some nice 1.99 60ft times on true street tires. I fugured I killed it for sure, but when I pulled it out it still looked fine, so I put it back into another car.

Now I have a CF DFII in my high HP car, and I find it hooks well enough to break axles..... Haven't had any real issues with it yet, but time will tell I guess.

If it were me, and I AM cheap as well, I just replace the actual disc, the slave and TO bearing, and the pilot bearing, but only if it is rough or dry. I also replace the rear main seal at the same time, and if the front tranny seal is leaking, do that as well. I usually get out for less than $150, and no regrets.

Before you do any of this, try bleeding the clutch. pass enough fluid through it to get all the black fluid out. It really is supposed to be clear!
 
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