clutch life
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 0
From: Katy TX
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
clutch life
With the stock clutch, what has been everyones average mileage before
replacement. During replacement, has the pressure plate shown possible
premature fatigue? I understand the driver has a lot to do with the clutch
life, I've driven manuals most of my life. The concern that has brought me to
ask all of you this is due to having 2500 miles on my 04 and I seem to
find that the clutch has lost some of its hookup force. I have made one 4500
hole shot, and due to the stock shifter, POS, I do not power shift. And please chime in on a good replacement for the disc and/or combination for standard driving with a little excitement now and then.
replacement. During replacement, has the pressure plate shown possible
premature fatigue? I understand the driver has a lot to do with the clutch
life, I've driven manuals most of my life. The concern that has brought me to
ask all of you this is due to having 2500 miles on my 04 and I seem to
find that the clutch has lost some of its hookup force. I have made one 4500
hole shot, and due to the stock shifter, POS, I do not power shift. And please chime in on a good replacement for the disc and/or combination for standard driving with a little excitement now and then.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
Re: clutch life (dadsturn)
I haven't got to that point yet either, however when my time comes I also plan to upgrade the slave cylinder and also add the ability to externally bleed the system. Something to think about. Other then that, I am going to watch the replies :lurk:
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,190
Likes: 0
From: Jonestown, TEXAS
Re: clutch life (vettenuts)
Once you glaze the disc its all over. If you made that hole shot you probably burned it. As long as you don't hammer it you should be Ok for a long time. But if you drive like a bandit you will need to change it out or else you get the Peddle to the ground syndrome!! :cheers:
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 10,649
Likes: 32
From: Central Florida
Re: clutch life (dadsturn)
There are many opinion on this subject. Mine follows.
I had a 98 M6. Bought it new. Drove it 32K miles. No hard launches. Never a clutch issue.
New 01 Z06. drove it 22K miles. Made about 100 drag passes. 90 with stock tires. About 10 with DR. Clutch hydraullics became impaired and pedal began to stick, despite regular changing of the clutch fluid. Clutch replaced. PP, flywheel, and rotating disk showed no signs of failure. It was the hydraullics that were the issue.
Same experience with my 02 Z06. Made it to 125 passes (with 17K street miles), all but 10 were on DR. Clutch pedal began to stick. All the while, changing the clutch fluid regularly. Again the clutch was replaced in its entirety. No sign of failure in the PP, flywheel, or rotating disk. But the replacement clutch works fine again.
What I've learned is that clutch life is related directly to drag launches and burnouts. If you are a regular racer, you will need to replace a stock clutch periodically. If you don't race or do many strong launches, the clutch should last a very long time. A few launches won't make the clutch fail or substantially reduce its life.
JMO.
Ranger
I had a 98 M6. Bought it new. Drove it 32K miles. No hard launches. Never a clutch issue.
New 01 Z06. drove it 22K miles. Made about 100 drag passes. 90 with stock tires. About 10 with DR. Clutch hydraullics became impaired and pedal began to stick, despite regular changing of the clutch fluid. Clutch replaced. PP, flywheel, and rotating disk showed no signs of failure. It was the hydraullics that were the issue.
Same experience with my 02 Z06. Made it to 125 passes (with 17K street miles), all but 10 were on DR. Clutch pedal began to stick. All the while, changing the clutch fluid regularly. Again the clutch was replaced in its entirety. No sign of failure in the PP, flywheel, or rotating disk. But the replacement clutch works fine again.
What I've learned is that clutch life is related directly to drag launches and burnouts. If you are a regular racer, you will need to replace a stock clutch periodically. If you don't race or do many strong launches, the clutch should last a very long time. A few launches won't make the clutch fail or substantially reduce its life.
JMO.
Ranger
