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I recently had a fidanza flywheel and a Spec stage 1 clutch installed by Jeff @ MaximumTuning. I have about 1300 miles on the set up. When I try to push it, it moves, but when I shift hard from 1st to 2nd, believe it or not, I cant tell if the wheels are spinning or if it is slipping.. Usually, on any other car, the tires would screach but I don't hear anything. I can hear the motor reving and I feel it pulling but, for some reason, the wheels dont seem to be spinning. Can a brand new clutch and flywheel setup slip? Is there any way it could of been installed in an incorrect manner? This is really pissing me off.. HELP!!!!

 

It will slip if you dont break it in properly.

 

What now. Can I still break it in properly if I tried to push it too soon? I hope i didnt screw anything up!!!

 

...after giving it wot before breaking it in right..u cant re-break it in. you already went past that stage whether you did it right or not. break in is usually the first 500 miles easy not above, I dont know like 3k rpm? or somethin like that. no dumps and no quick trips up to wot during that first 500 miles. I didnt break in a spec stage 2 on an un re-surfaced flywheel..needless to say, it didnt last long

 

You don't even know if it's slipping or not....



Figure out whats going on first before you blame the clutch or the installation.

 

I say I dont know if it's slipping or not because the car has alot of power. Sometimes, on dusty or moist roads the wheels just spin for no reason. I was thinking that the wheels were just spinning on the shifts.. Anyway, I'm going to try to drive slow and carefully for the next 500 city miles. I hope that works. Anyone else have some advice or personal experience with this?

 

By the way, thanks for the feedback guys...

 

I have to disagree with the "no trips up to high RPM" ... The clutch is fully engaged and mated to the flywheel ... why should it matter how fast it goes up there. Now granted I am not going to advise it, you should be able to go up to near redline (not under extreme throttle) and shift without hurting. Just don't pull the clutch hard.

 

im scared now. im driving ms daisy for the next month or so. No down shifting for me, no hard shifting just simply driving like an old man. I cant afford a new clutch right now!!!! im pissed!!!

 

Downshifting has nothing to do with the clutch if you rev-match or double clutch. Improper break in of a clutch will not necessarily make it inoperable ... it will probably just chatter in the future. As stated, you don't even know if it is slipping.

 

my experience is that 'break in' of a clutch is only to avoid chatter.

It does make sense to take it easy for a couple weeks, but to say it loses clamping power because if an improper break-in is ridiculous. It will have as much torque capacity regardless of breakin or the presence of chatter. You'll only lose torque capacity by destroying the disc - which I'd hardly call a break in issue.

What's amusing to me is judging a clutch by the ability to spin the tires. That's just - amusing.

Dave

 

When everything is engaged, the car pulls like a ****!!! Its when shifting gears that I feel the sluggishness/slipping...

 

First of all figure out if you're slipping the clutch or not......do you notice a really bad smell after your shift(s)? If you smell anything out of the ordinary, a pretty nasty smell, your clutch is slipping.
Clutch break-in is not only for chatter purposes but to get the disk to evenly wear, glaze, and seat properly on the flywheel to get the most surface area to mate the clutch disk to the flywheel. Thats part of what determins a clutch slipping bad. Its just like breaking in brakes...

 

I don't notice a clutch smell but I do notice a burning smell regularly...I have been trying to keep the rpms very low for minmal slippage..I'm stressing over this crap...i've been driving stick for a long time... i've had clutches last me 150k miles with no problems...it' not like i'm a newby driver...