blue by you

iTrader: (5)

My shop put in a Diamond Stage 2 clutch package from TDP and I finally got to drive it last week running on the base tune for my new 408. Well, it felt soft and not right to me. It previously had a SPEC 3 in it and it definitely felt like there was a clutch in it, but now it seems like it's soft and engages fairly close to the floor. I told the shop owner about and he tried to tell me that it's supposed to be like that. It still feels to me like there is air in the system and I have owned/driven the car for the last 8 years, but it's like he doesn't even want to listen to me. He tells me that it's supposed to feel like a stock clutch, which I don't doubt. So I guess I will just see if it holds up when it gets it's dyno tune on the 13th. If it doesn't hold up on the dyno and it gets smoked, I'm assuming I can bitch about it then and if it does make it, I will have to try and bleed it some more when I get it back. If anyone has any experience with this clutch, please chime in. Thanks, Jess

Jim_PA

iTrader: (9)

Did the shop shim the clutch for you?

blue by you

iTrader: (5)

No, they didn't and from everything I've read and talking to Jason at TDP, his clutches don't need a shim behind the slave...

therobman

iTrader: (39)

my stage 2 felt as soft as my ls7 thats just how it feels

Jim_PA

iTrader: (9)

If it's bled properly and there's not a master or slave problem, it almost has to be shimming if it's engaging right off the floor.

My stage 1 had a little more than 1/4" of free play. I used 1/8" shim to get it closer to where most say it should be.

I spent a few hours over a few days measuring and re-measuring making sure it wasn't me. I'm using a factory aluminum bellhousing - what are you using?

KTK Z28

iTrader: (6)

I'm running the same clutch package and mine feels soft as well (using the Tick master as well). It is definitely stiffer than the stock LS1 clutch, but doesn't feel like an aftermarket unit at all. Still grabs well at full throttle though, haven't had any problems with mine.

Are you using a tick or Mcleod master cylinder?

blue by you

iTrader: (5)

Stock master with drill mod-replaced at 80K, car now has 107K and new stock slave. I guess I will see how it holds on the dyno and maybe try bleeding after I get the car back....

BrntWS6

iTrader: (7)

Really? These clutches are that soft? I was planning on ordering a Stage 2 tomorrow but I'd like to know there is a sticky clutch in it, not something that feels spongy like the stock POS.

Jim_PA

iTrader: (9)

The stage 1 I got uses the same pressure plate as the stage 2. The pedal feel is not spongy at all.

TDP

iTrader: (23)

It really shouldn't be that soft. It does not normally have that hard of a pedal, like some clutches do. But it should be a little harder than stock, but not too much. "Soft" is relative to the person driving the car. I would replace the master, as its very common for fluid to bypass the internal seals inside the master, causing a low/soft pedal, especially if the master is original. Just a stock master will do the job, assuming it's bled properly. The best method for bleeding the clutch is a pressure bleeder, like the one we use from Motiveproducts
If there is still an issue after replacing the master, then the clutch is 100% warrantied. Even if it just doesn't feel right to you, I'll be glad to send a replacement.

TDP

iTrader: (23)

You are right, a shim is not going to "fix" anything really. I see this subject come up all the time. Simply put, there is a gap between the depressed slave cylinder/TOB and the pressure plate fingers. There has to be somewhat of a gap here so there is no constant tension on the fingers. A shim will reduce that gap. Resurfacing the flywheel, for example, will increase the gap. It's not going to hurt anything by making the gap as small as possible. Since a shim will make the gap smaller, it will allow the slave to contact the PP with minimal travel, yielding a higher clutch pedal. However, the difference is not a lot in the end.

BrntWS6

iTrader: (7)

I don't mind a soft pedal....as long as it really grabs when you let the clutch out.

strokerrace

iTrader: (8)

I had a time getting mine bled right but after I did its been firm as I would want it to be. Its firmer than a Spec 3 Ive driven but I wouldnt gauge the holding power or anything off of if its a workout to get it to the floor or not. Ive driven several stock "sports cars" that were new and all of their clutches were crazy soft yet would hold the stock power without fail. Get the stage 2 diamond.

therealcreeper

iTrader: (37)

my stage 2 with a tick master is VERY stiff (and no I'm not just lazy, I literally had to reinforce the firewall it was flexing so bad, granted it was an a4 to m6 swap so it didn't have the factory reinforcement but still)

I've always had a suspicion that something is wrong with my slave, even with a stock replacement clutch and stock master it was 5x stiffer than stock. I replaced the clutch because the friction material ripped off and wedged itself in the pressure plate so I figured maybe it was just friction material jammed in there from the beginning that was making the clutch so stiff, but now that people are saying that this clutch is soft I'm thinking maybe my slave does have a problem

could someone (preferably with a tick) get an approximate measurement of how much force it takes to depress the clutch?

blue by you

iTrader: (5)

It feels stiffer than the stocker, but it just seems to me that it engages too close to the floor, which is leading me to believe it still has a bit of air in the system because it was fine before new clutch, flywheel and slave....

strokerrace

iTrader: (8)

I had to adjust my master out 1/8 of an inch past the brake pedal for proper disengagement. Bled like 2 gallons of fluid through it before i finally got all the air out. Probably a bleed issue. Try the jmd method that worked for me.