Clutch...
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,404
Likes: 55
From: Glastonbury CT.
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'20, '21,'22, '23
Clutch...
My 2000 coupe puts out over 400 hp N/A and over 500 when on N20.
The other day I hit the nitrous and the clutch pedal went to the floor and stayed there. I panicked for a split second, put my foot under the pedal and lifted it up and put the shifter in neutral.
After about a minute everything went back to normal with no further problems. I called my merchanic and he said what occured was 'normal'
and the result of the clutch fluid heating to the boiling point ; the remedy is to drain out the fluid and refill with a racing, high temp fluid, which he did. I have not experienced problems since.
The question is......is this 'normal' and does the fix i.e. high temp fluid
sound right.
777
The other day I hit the nitrous and the clutch pedal went to the floor and stayed there. I panicked for a split second, put my foot under the pedal and lifted it up and put the shifter in neutral.
After about a minute everything went back to normal with no further problems. I called my merchanic and he said what occured was 'normal'
and the result of the clutch fluid heating to the boiling point ; the remedy is to drain out the fluid and refill with a racing, high temp fluid, which he did. I have not experienced problems since.
The question is......is this 'normal' and does the fix i.e. high temp fluid
sound right.
777
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 11,405
Likes: 26
From: Whippany NJ
CI 6-7-8-9 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
NCM Sinkhole Donor
Its not normal. It will happen if you didnt change your fluid regularly in the past. I never had a problem up until this year even with heads and cam 420hp to the wheels. then i found out I was supposed to change fluid on a regular basis. I never changed my fluid. too late for me now since my slave and other clutch components are now contaminated. Even if i swap fluids, it will return to black after a few hard runs which leads to stuck pedal. When i change out my clutch, I will replace everything and then change fluid at a regular basis.
Last edited by Ikester; Aug 31, 2008 at 11:11 PM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,404
Likes: 55
From: Glastonbury CT.
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'20, '21,'22, '23
Changing clutch fluid each oil change and using high temp fluid appears to be the answer.
Since you changed the clutch fluid to high temp fluid did the problem return ? It has not returned with me. Mabey I haven't push it enough.
777
Since you changed the clutch fluid to high temp fluid did the problem return ? It has not returned with me. Mabey I haven't push it enough.
777
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,987
Likes: 26
From: Kerrville, Texas USA Hook 'em Horns!
CentralTX Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
That happened to me. The fluid helped but eventually I had to replace the master and slave cylinders. While they were in there, I had a new Centerforce dual friction clutch installed.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 6,979
Likes: 31
From: Wichita KS
Happend to me after a cam install, I switched out the master, slave and also installed a centerforce dual friction clutch. Your stock clutch wont last much longer if you are at 400 rwhp and have already had the pedal drop to the floor.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,404
Likes: 55
From: Glastonbury CT.
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'20, '21,'22, '23
It seems like if you are at a minimum of 400 hp there is significant heat generated and this is cuasing the clutch fluid to boil, resulting in the clutch pedal dropping and staying down.
I've got a ZO6 clutch and so far so good.
777
I've got a ZO6 clutch and so far so good.
777
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,081
Likes: 0
From: Stillwater OK
I don't have any problems with my clutch after I started changing the clutch fluid every trip to the track or full days of hard driving. I also use normal DOT 3 fluid with an all stock clutch.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,987
Likes: 26
From: Kerrville, Texas USA Hook 'em Horns!
CentralTX Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
I used to have 381 rwhp and 372 tq and didn't have any problems. Over the winter, I did some more mods resulting in 432 rwhp and that's when the dead clutch pedal problem began.
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,987
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From: Kerrville, Texas USA Hook 'em Horns!
CentralTX Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Here is a link to a simple quicky DIY fluid replacement procedure.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 881
Likes: 0
From: Wake Forest NC
DOT4 synthetic fluid. It is compatable with the DOT3, so need to worry if you can not drain all of your fluid.
Here is a link to a simple quicky DIY fluid replacement procedure.
Here is a link to a simple quicky DIY fluid replacement procedure.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 24,987
Likes: 26
From: Kerrville, Texas USA Hook 'em Horns!
CentralTX Events Coordinator
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,404
Likes: 55
From: Glastonbury CT.
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17,'20, '21,'22, '23
That was an excellent read Cozmo.
I now use Motul RBF 600 which exceed DOT 3 and DOT 4 specs and has a much higher boiling point. It is pricey at about 20 bucks a bottle.
The clutch fluid now gets changed on each oil change.
777
I now use Motul RBF 600 which exceed DOT 3 and DOT 4 specs and has a much higher boiling point. It is pricey at about 20 bucks a bottle.
The clutch fluid now gets changed on each oil change.
777