OK so tonight was my 1st time at the track in about 15 years. My best time was a 13.185 at 107mph with a R/T of .594 . Ya I know I suck but I will get better as the summer passes I promise......on to my problem.

Ready for my 11th run before they shut down for the night, I warm the tires pull up to the line and when its go time I let her rip and hit rev limiter real quick (????) shift to 2nd hit rev limiter again and I am moving pretty damn slow. Grab 3rd hit limiter again real fast with almost no acceleration.

I ease off it and finish with a whopping 18.308 at 67 mph. Clutch is slipping badly if I try and put any load on acceleration and is the most noticable in 2nd and 3rd gear but present in all 6. As long as I give it gas slowly the car goes fine but if I hit it at all something (the clutch?) starts slipping.

I drove home and on the highway was going about 80 at 2k rpm in 6th gear, pretty normal. Even at 80 if I hit the gas in 6th it slips.

Heres the kicker. By the time I get home ( about 45 miles ) it appears the slipping has disappeared. I was afraid to really hammer it but when I noticed improvement I did push a little hard away from lights and I wasnt feeling any of the slipping.

My car is a 2000 FRC and the clutch is a Spec Stage II with about 2k miles on it. Did I just get it to hot maybe? I dunno this is a new one on me. Help if you can. Thanks in advance for any advice.


[Modified by PHPD7102, 1:04 AM 7/8/2004]

 

I have a 98 coupe MN6. It has a stock clutch with 60K on the clock! (As you can tell In do not take it to the track) I do run it light to light when the opportunity arrises! I have the same problem as you! If I get the clutch hot or subject it to excessive abuse it will slip. If I drive it normaly for a short period it is fine.
Seems that the fly wheel and clutch lining get glazed and require a short period of normal driving and normal slipage to properly grip.
I can still do a side step and blister the tires if I need to!

BC

 

Wow! That's the first time I've heard of a Spec II doing that. I've had mine for 2 years and made lots of 1/4 mile runs, no problems like that. It sounds like it just got too hot, glad it came back. I'd call Spec, see what they say. Please keep us informed.

 

I'm sorry man, but I think the clutch is fried. I've done the limp home from the track myself and it will improve after the clutch has cooled down. With your numbers I'm betting you are putting down about 340 rwhp and torque, close right? Probably still using run flats? I've seen several posts about people frying spec IIIs after a trip or two to the track, haven't seen much input on the spec IIs. I do hear good things about the Spec V.

I could be wrong about it being fried, I'm not a mechanic, just my take on it. If it was a one time heat up issue, that would be a nice thought. I would go out on the street and "get on it" a bit, you wouldn't even have to break the speed limit (poke,poke), just burn some rubber and do some fast starts. IF it starts slipping again, then that's that, and you have my condolences...

Good Luck!

 

Ya I figure this weekend I will find a back road and do a couple quick starts and see how it acts when its hot.

My car is pretty much stock: Corsa exhaust and x-pipe, Blackwing intake w/ Haltech airbridge. I was running on F1's not run flats though. This was supposed to be my "test" trip before I put the rest of the mods I have for the car on. If the clutch is shot so much for the rest going on and having a dyno tune done......the money will used for a new clutch.

I'm sick of problems with Spec clutches. The first one I put on was so out of balance the whole damn car nearly shook apart and now with 2k miles on it this one goes belly up. I dont need anymore signs to tell me they make a crap product.

 

Yikes.

 

Try letting the car sit for twenty minutes or so between runs and you should be fine.

Mark

 

I feel your pain. I have a SPEC Stage 3 that vibrated like when it was installed. It took the installer 3 trips back and even some crazy techniques to calm it down. No more SPEC's for me. The next clutch I get will be LUK Gold series. Or an Exedy if I have big power. I've heard Exedy's have issues as well.

 

You replaced the run flats before I did, good move really, but the increased traction can transfer more to the clutch. So you are probably running around 325 rwhp then, but that clutch is suppose to be able to handle 530 lbs of torque.
If it is the clutch, and though I don't know what else it could be, I'm hoping it's not, I would definately try to get a refund at least on the parts cost. The real pain is in the labor of course, though not having headers yet will help you there.

The point about letting it cool down for 20 minutes between runs makes no sense to me. What if you are in or near the finals in bracket racing. Last 2-3 races are usually back to back.

Again, good luck, and let us know how it goes...

 

You replaced the run flats before I did, good move really, but the increased traction can transfer more to the clutch. So you are probably running around 325 rwhp then, but that clutch is suppose to be able to handle 530 lbs of torque.
If it is the clutch, and though I don't know what else it could be, I'm hoping it's not, I would definately try to get a refund at least on the parts cost. The real pain is in the labor of course, though not having headers yet will help you there.

The point about letting it cool down for 20 minutes between runs makes no sense to me. What if you are in or near the finals in bracket racing. Last 2-3 races are usually back to back.

Again, good luck, and let us know how it goes...

 

I fried two Spec 3s...they just didn't hold up...now have RAM 910 and happy.

But advice to let clutch cool a few minutes between runs is good sound advice.

 

Well the clutch is shot. It does ok until it gets hot then it starts slipping in 5th and 6th gear and if you keep driving long enough it starts doing it in every gear.

I see lots of posts saying their spec clutches hold up but......."it chatters", "it squeals", "it is/was badly out of balance". I have not seen very many posts saying its great no drawbacks.

I just dont think they make a very good product, at least for me anyway i have had nothing but bad luck with them.

Since I probably wont go over about 430rwhp anytime soon I am considering going to a stock Z06 clutch, anyone think that might be to weak for me at the track or should it work ok?