Problems with Spec Clutch?
Problems with Spec Clutch? My Mechanic is having problems installing a spec stage 1 clutch. Can't get it to disengage. Anyone else have any kinds of problems with them? The car is a 2002 Trans am 6sp obviously. There was also a Shim? that came with it and said sometimes it is required, he put that in and it still doesn't work. Right now Im trying to get the SPEC Clutch part # for him from the clutch I got from KYSpeed so my mechanic can call SPEC technical support and troubleshoot it. Though FRCBobby hasn't been on since the 13th....
I'm here and more than happy to assist you. In F-body cars the shim is a must, it says this on the paperwork included in every SC09 kit that we sell. That being said it sounds like the shim was initially left out and that it was then installed after the fact. Did the addition of the shim change the engagement point at all? It should have, as it forces the assembly to have a .115" taller height. If ther was no change in the engagement point with the addition of the shim then this may very well point at an issue of air in the system. Has the installer bled the hydraulics? I ask because these days lots of poeple neglect this important step. Let me know a little more and we can proceed from there. Thanks!
My mechanic bled the system SEVERAL times he said, he is positive there is NO air in the system. He did install the shim afterward, he said it did NOT change the engagement point. I gave him your number and extension (109) so you should be hearing back from him shortly. Thanks everyone for all your help, hopefully I get this resolved quickly.
It is quite difficult for the addition of the shim to have no affect on the engagement point. This is due to the shim making the assembled height .115" greater. This is why I suggested that the issue is more likely hydraulicly related. Of course anything is possible...the down side is that you will need to pull the clutch to assess the stack height and thus the clutches adherence to expected geometry. Of course, you could always opt for an adjustable master cylinder (a la Tick) but it really shouldn't be required. Keep me posted and I will be happy to assist you further. Thanks,
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Teching In
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I had all new hydraulics.......... new stage 3 and new billet Al flywheel both spec, and my disengagement and disengagement was too far down the pedal. I then tried a ram adjustable master cylinder........that put the engagement and disengagement where it needed to be only worked for normal driving, now I'm trying the tick master to see if it changes anything. had another spec before the 3 and it worked great, bang 2nd, 3rd, and 4th all day.........after the 3 it won't disengage to hit the gears. Crap part is you destroy your transmission in the process of trouble shooting.........I'll have replaced all the parts (except new clutch) several times and rebuild the trans. and the crap still won't shift.........at what point can you recognize something is different from old spec clutch and new ones?
https://ls1tech.com/forums/manual-tr...must-read.html
It is quite difficult for the addition of the shim to have no affect on the engagement point. This is due to the shim making the assembled height .115" greater. This is why I suggested that the issue is more likely hydraulicly related. Of course anything is possible...the down side is that you will need to pull the clutch to assess the stack height and thus the clutches adherence to expected geometry. Of course, you could always opt for an adjustable master cylinder (a la Tick) but it really shouldn't be required. Keep me posted and I will be happy to assist you further. Thanks,
Last edited by A_Cool_Name; Aug 31, 2009 at 01:01 PM.
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Verdad Gallardo Cool, I appreciate your situation...we check each part for proper stack and actuation before shipping and I am confident in their similarity of the kits. That being said, I am happy to have you send the unit back to me for assessment...because despite my confidence in consistency anything can happen. Give me a call and I will issue an RMA#. It really is that simple.
Pythias, the same goes for you too. I am happy to check the unit out for you. If I may ask, what flywheel are you using?
Pythias, the same goes for you too. I am happy to check the unit out for you. If I may ask, what flywheel are you using?
Im using the stock flywheel, my mechanic said he talked to you today, he is pulling the tranny again to see if the measurements match up, if they do he said its prolly either the slave that your sent or the master cyclinder from autozone.
lol, I never trust parts like that from autozone!
Sounds like a hydraulic issue for sure.
I've learned that measuring using the method in the sticky in this forum is a must. I don't care what Jeremy at SPEC says. Mine didn't take the shim. Had I used it, I would of had a clutch that failed prematurely.
Measure during installation, replace the slave at a minimum, and bleed properly. I put pressure (10-14PSI) through the cap and bleed with someone working the pedal in the car. It's a one shot deal...
I've learned that measuring using the method in the sticky in this forum is a must. I don't care what Jeremy at SPEC says. Mine didn't take the shim. Had I used it, I would of had a clutch that failed prematurely.
Measure during installation, replace the slave at a minimum, and bleed properly. I put pressure (10-14PSI) through the cap and bleed with someone working the pedal in the car. It's a one shot deal...
Teching In
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 35
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Read:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/manual-tr...must-read.html
I always here everyone talk about stack height.........when quote "we check each part for proper stack and actuation before shipping" do you do this under a simulated load (simulating the effect of centripetal force and other forces acting in the system when actuating the fingers)? The force exerted on the fingers of PP and the magnitude of the distance the slave is displacing the fingers should generally be constant, may be a function of RPM or other variables to some extent I can't see what is exactly happening when someone is racing so I don't know for sure I can only speculate (so you could observe how how clutch responds to factory hydraulics in your testing), so I am interested if its done this way. If it is I'd be more inclined not to blame the clutch, but if it isn't tested this way the forces acting on the clutch can play a huge role in how the clutch disengages at high RPM. Ex. maybe the force required to properly disengage the clutch at high RPM exceeds design specification (if it does I can only speculate why because i didn't design your clutch). Again, if I knew how you tested clutches for quality I might be more inclined to put blame on something else, otherwise there are many variables to consider besides stack height.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/manual-tr...must-read.html
Cool, I appreciate your situation...we check each part for proper stack and actuation before shipping and I am confident in their similarity of the kits. That being said, I am happy to have you send the unit back to me for assessment...because despite my confidence in consistency anything can happen. Give me a call and I will issue an RMA#. It really is that simple.
Pythias, the same goes for you too. I am happy to check the unit out for you. If I may ask, what flywheel are you using?
Pythias, the same goes for you too. I am happy to check the unit out for you. If I may ask, what flywheel are you using?
I always here everyone talk about stack height.........when quote "we check each part for proper stack and actuation before shipping" do you do this under a simulated load (simulating the effect of centripetal force and other forces acting in the system when actuating the fingers)? The force exerted on the fingers of PP and the magnitude of the distance the slave is displacing the fingers should generally be constant, may be a function of RPM or other variables to some extent I can't see what is exactly happening when someone is racing so I don't know for sure I can only speculate (so you could observe how how clutch responds to factory hydraulics in your testing), so I am interested if its done this way. If it is I'd be more inclined not to blame the clutch, but if it isn't tested this way the forces acting on the clutch can play a huge role in how the clutch disengages at high RPM. Ex. maybe the force required to properly disengage the clutch at high RPM exceeds design specification (if it does I can only speculate why because i didn't design your clutch). Again, if I knew how you tested clutches for quality I might be more inclined to put blame on something else, otherwise there are many variables to consider besides stack height.
Last edited by A_Cool_Name; Aug 31, 2009 at 01:01 PM.
Well 750$ later its running again with a diff slave from the one sent with the SPEC clutch, and my stock clutch. Not happy about that but I guess it could be worse. I left you a voice mail Jeremy to find out where I need to ship the SPEC clutch to, in order to get it warrantied.
Tony
Tony
