TouringBubble
06-01-2010, 10:49 AM
Finally the time had come to install my clutch. This is the story ...
Made plans to go to GA and use the lift at my brother's shop. About a 160 mile drive.
Noticed some oil on the garage floor mid week. I'd had 2 other cars in the garage the previous week and wasn't sure which had leaked the oil. On Thursday I verified that it was in fact my car.
Oil was dripping from the flex pipe on the downpipe. I assumed it was the return line ... running the 10" or so down the pipe to the lowest point, then dripping. I was wrong ...
I still had my race tires on from the autocross and had to change them before the trip. While the car was in the air, I decided to check out the leak. I had planned to just address it while the DP was already off for the clutch. After looking at this, plans changed QUICK.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_455884809324_721224324_5958741_6334791_n.jpg
Oil return line was fine. he issue was actually a hole in the oil pan caused by the ill fitting downpipe. The flex section's braided cover had worn straight through the pan. I headed straight over the EPM to get it fixed before the trip. Q was very helpful in helping get the issue resolved.
This is the actual damage to the pan. This has not been touched yet.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs553.snc3/30261_455953219324_721224324_5960324_1228671_n.jpg
This is the cause.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_455944959324_721224324_5959973_5379799_n.jpg
The repair process ...
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs533.snc3/30261_455955144324_721224324_5960345_6627289_n.jpg
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs553.snc3/30261_455978954324_721224324_5961037_8133101_n.jpg
And fixing the downpipe ...
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs533.snc3/30261_455945084324_721224324_5959976_54026_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_456019449324_721224324_5962041_8215361_n.jpg
I left the shop around 3:00 am. 8:30 came really early and we headed over the GA to do the clutch. I slept while Katie was kind enough to drive.
We removed some stuff from the car ...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_456279019324_721224324_5969550_7914695_n.jpg
We found that the 6-speed install is a little more involved than the 5-speed. Mainly, the 6-speed will not clear the subframe. We disconnected the steering linkage, fully removed the TC and dropped the subframe completely. This is what we found inside ...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs541.ash1/31661_456535484324_721224324_5978991_1926748_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs541.ash1/31661_456541079324_721224324_5979157_3585801_n.jpg
The clutch disc was fine. Worn, but it had plenty of material left. The PP wasn't heavily glazed and was fine was well. The flywheel was the issue it seems.
Basically, the clutch held power fine, even at around 385 awhp on E85. It wouldn't hold on a launch though. It would slip through 2nd on even a moderate launch ... I'm talking a 2.0 60' ... not the 1.6's it used to handle.
When I took the replacement stock flywheel to be resurfaced, the guy told me that the flywheel was dished ... meaning that the friction surface was not level, which decreased grip levels. This makes the clutch slip prematurely. I can only assume that this is what happened to mine as well. On the brighter side, he also said once it happens once on a steel flywheel, it doesn't happen again. The replacement should hold much better than the one I removed.
Now, let's reinstall everything ...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs541.ash1/31661_456541144324_721224324_5979159_3717181_n.jpg
SPEC Stage III sprung 6-puck disc
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs601.snc3/31661_456691124324_721224324_5984904_6444908_n.jpg
And I stopped taking pics because we ran way late.
I hopped in the car ... and the clutch wouldn't depress ... luckily, it was just that we hadn't set the TOB in to the snap ring correctly. A quick removal of the slave cylinder and a flashlight fixed that.
But now it wouldn't go in to reverse. Dammit. That was an easy fix too once we figured it out. Adjustment for the shift linkage is at the base off the shifter ... which was not touched. The issue had to be the cables. they were set correctly and working correctly. But, minor assistance on the lower cable allowed reverse to be found. The cable needed to be shorter somehow.
Luckily, I remember that the shifter cable mounting bracket had a bit of play in it when I reinstalled it. I loosened the bolts, got my brother the hold it in first gear (which moved the bracket in the the correct position) and re-tightened. In all honesty, with that adjustment and newly greased aluminum bushings, it shifts better than ever before.
So, I drive the short distance to my parent's place for food, paying attention to how the car drives ... any odd noises or sensations. I do not notice that the speedo isn't working. I noticed that about 5 miles out of town as I was leaving.
So, I drove home from GA with no speedo and a CEL. The car says I did i in 9.0 miles, which is geographically impossible, lol. So, I get to fix that tonight.
Oh, I bought some speakers for the doors and rear deck too. Those will go in this week some time.
Made plans to go to GA and use the lift at my brother's shop. About a 160 mile drive.
Noticed some oil on the garage floor mid week. I'd had 2 other cars in the garage the previous week and wasn't sure which had leaked the oil. On Thursday I verified that it was in fact my car.
Oil was dripping from the flex pipe on the downpipe. I assumed it was the return line ... running the 10" or so down the pipe to the lowest point, then dripping. I was wrong ...
I still had my race tires on from the autocross and had to change them before the trip. While the car was in the air, I decided to check out the leak. I had planned to just address it while the DP was already off for the clutch. After looking at this, plans changed QUICK.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_455884809324_721224324_5958741_6334791_n.jpg
Oil return line was fine. he issue was actually a hole in the oil pan caused by the ill fitting downpipe. The flex section's braided cover had worn straight through the pan. I headed straight over the EPM to get it fixed before the trip. Q was very helpful in helping get the issue resolved.
This is the actual damage to the pan. This has not been touched yet.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs553.snc3/30261_455953219324_721224324_5960324_1228671_n.jpg
This is the cause.
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_455944959324_721224324_5959973_5379799_n.jpg
The repair process ...
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs533.snc3/30261_455955144324_721224324_5960345_6627289_n.jpg
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs553.snc3/30261_455978954324_721224324_5961037_8133101_n.jpg
And fixing the downpipe ...
http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs533.snc3/30261_455945084324_721224324_5959976_54026_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_456019449324_721224324_5962041_8215361_n.jpg
I left the shop around 3:00 am. 8:30 came really early and we headed over the GA to do the clutch. I slept while Katie was kind enough to drive.
We removed some stuff from the car ...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs513.ash1/30261_456279019324_721224324_5969550_7914695_n.jpg
We found that the 6-speed install is a little more involved than the 5-speed. Mainly, the 6-speed will not clear the subframe. We disconnected the steering linkage, fully removed the TC and dropped the subframe completely. This is what we found inside ...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs541.ash1/31661_456535484324_721224324_5978991_1926748_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs541.ash1/31661_456541079324_721224324_5979157_3585801_n.jpg
The clutch disc was fine. Worn, but it had plenty of material left. The PP wasn't heavily glazed and was fine was well. The flywheel was the issue it seems.
Basically, the clutch held power fine, even at around 385 awhp on E85. It wouldn't hold on a launch though. It would slip through 2nd on even a moderate launch ... I'm talking a 2.0 60' ... not the 1.6's it used to handle.
When I took the replacement stock flywheel to be resurfaced, the guy told me that the flywheel was dished ... meaning that the friction surface was not level, which decreased grip levels. This makes the clutch slip prematurely. I can only assume that this is what happened to mine as well. On the brighter side, he also said once it happens once on a steel flywheel, it doesn't happen again. The replacement should hold much better than the one I removed.
Now, let's reinstall everything ...
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs541.ash1/31661_456541144324_721224324_5979159_3717181_n.jpg
SPEC Stage III sprung 6-puck disc
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs601.snc3/31661_456691124324_721224324_5984904_6444908_n.jpg
And I stopped taking pics because we ran way late.
I hopped in the car ... and the clutch wouldn't depress ... luckily, it was just that we hadn't set the TOB in to the snap ring correctly. A quick removal of the slave cylinder and a flashlight fixed that.
But now it wouldn't go in to reverse. Dammit. That was an easy fix too once we figured it out. Adjustment for the shift linkage is at the base off the shifter ... which was not touched. The issue had to be the cables. they were set correctly and working correctly. But, minor assistance on the lower cable allowed reverse to be found. The cable needed to be shorter somehow.
Luckily, I remember that the shifter cable mounting bracket had a bit of play in it when I reinstalled it. I loosened the bolts, got my brother the hold it in first gear (which moved the bracket in the the correct position) and re-tightened. In all honesty, with that adjustment and newly greased aluminum bushings, it shifts better than ever before.
So, I drive the short distance to my parent's place for food, paying attention to how the car drives ... any odd noises or sensations. I do not notice that the speedo isn't working. I noticed that about 5 miles out of town as I was leaving.
So, I drove home from GA with no speedo and a CEL. The car says I did i in 9.0 miles, which is geographically impossible, lol. So, I get to fix that tonight.
Oh, I bought some speakers for the doors and rear deck too. Those will go in this week some time.