heel2toe

iTrader: (41)

Hello,

Yesterday I was at an auto-x and upon coming into the pits from my 1st run in the 2nd heat of the day when i pushed in the clutch I felt something was off. It just didnt go in as smooth and linear as it usually feels. As I pulled into the pits I noted that my clutch now made a squeal or grind or really just scraping sound upon releasing the pedal. It sounds as if you can hear the clutch disc making contact with the flywheel and scrubbing until its fully engaged. At that point it seems to hold power fine and shifts feel pretty normal.

I only hear this engagement noise when taking off in 1st gear or reverse. I dont seem to hear it in any other gears when shifting but my car is a little loud. I'd think I'd be able to hear it though so it seems to only do it from a standstill.

I parked the car after that but did drive the car back home where it drove fine other than the aforementioned issues upon takeoff. The clutch and trans feel fine but I need to figure out what that issue could be. Ive pretty much accepted the fact that I need to take it apart but would like to know what Im getting into so I can be prepared.

I replaced the clutch a little over a year ago and it has ~20k on it with 150+ auto-x runs on it as well. I don't 2 step launch it but do slip it off the line trying to induce a little wheelspin so it doesnt bog. There is a chance I got the clutch too hot and glazed it but my stock clutch lasted me 72k so I think Im pretty gentle on my clutch. But certainly not saying that isnt a possibility. As my car has progressed Ive added more power and more grip so this certainly inst easy on a clutch.

Oh and my current clutch consists of a comp stage 2 sprung clutch, comp flywheel, oem tob and act monolock. Prior to this the clutch felt great and there were no strange noises lockout or anything like that.

Thanks in advance for all of your feedback!

EDIT: Videos from inside and outside the car:

LetsGetThisDone

iTrader: (1)

Does it feel like the clutch has a hard time getting the car to move, like it's not making enough friction?

heel2toe

iTrader: (41)

Hey thanks for chiming in! The clutch feels like it has the same holding capacity as prior. I drove the car home after the event.

FWIW I must have damaged it during my run which consisted of slipping it off the line then shifting to 2nd then finished the ~70 second run. I didnt feel any clutch issues during the run it was holding the power fine. I only noticed it when coming into the pits and pushing in the clutch and then once I came to a stop and tried to start again.

heel2toe

iTrader: (41)

The video doesnt really do the sound justice. It almost sounds like a power steering wine but its obviously not that.

I guess the question is what part could cause a scraping sound when the clutch is engaged but only during takeoff and not during shifts? If its something with the physical clutch like a spring popped out and logged in there or a snapped ear to the pressure place thatll be obvious when I pull it apart. But is there any chance its something internal within the trans or transfercase? If that's the case I'll pull it apart everything will look fine to me and then Ill be stuck in limbo with no gameplan moving forward.

LetsGetThisDone

iTrader: (1)

If it was the trans or tcase, the noise wouldn't stop. It's likely something with the clutch.

And I'm not talking about holding power once you're going. I'm talking about getting the car rolling. When my clutch was worn out, it would still hold peak torque, but it had a hard time getting the car rolling from a stop because it couldn't make friction while it was being slipped. It held fine once it was locked up though.

heel2toe

iTrader: (41)

Im really hoping the noise is isolated to the clutch.

As I said it only does it when Im first taking off from a standstill. So whats the difference from the clutch being slipped from a standstill vs between shifts? If there is something amiss from the clutch I'd think the noise would be apparent anytime its slipped or is there just way less slippage between shifts?

And yeah it doesnt really feel any different in terms of slipping it to get it going.

LetsGetThisDone

iTrader: (1)

There is way less slippage when you're shifting, and less load on the clutch. When shifting, the clutch is only slowing the engine down, and its only a little bit, and the engine is already slowing down because you're off the throttle. Starting from a stop, the clutch is trying to match the input shaft speed with the engine, and to do so it has to get a 3300lb object rolling...

heel2toe

iTrader: (41)

Wow this is all great info, thanks bud!

So im feeling more and more confident that it is indeed the clutch which makes me think I should pick up a replacement so I can have a little downtime as possible.

So now the questions is what part could have failed on the clutch that would still allow it to work but cause this noise? I know its like going in blindfolded but couldnt hurt to ask...

Popped spring lodged in there broken ear on pressure place, warped flywheel clutch pad ripped off? What would allow the car to still drive yet be broken?

white_turbo

iTrader: (2)

My car has the weird "feel" on the clutch pedal when I come in after an autox run, although mine doesn't make the noise like yours (perhaps because mine is still OEM clutch). I believe that's a sign of the clutch beginning to go. And sure enough, after another half-yr of autoxing, my clutch now slips on WOT.

LetsGetThisDone

iTrader: (1)

I'm gonna go with nearly worn out, and the material is flaking off the disk, and allowing some of the rivets to hit the flywheel or pressure plate. Only way to know is to take it apart. Hurry up and do it, it only takes me about 2.5-3 hrs to get my trans out...

heel2toe

iTrader: (41)

Ugh if the clutch failed on me that quickly then Im at a loss as to what I would replace it with.

And Im not saying that's wrong because this is all speculation but how the eff does my stock clutch last me 72k and I cant even get 20k with this one? Yeah my car is making more power than when I first got it but I was also making good power on the stocker. And even so 20k is like really crappy.

And the clutch adjustment rod still have plenty of travel to play with since as its wears the engagement poiint moves upward and I move the clutch back downward to compensate. Just seems like the thing may have disintegrated for whatever reason vs my stock clutch which wore nicely and didnt flake off or anything like that.

And shut it I hate doing the clutch on this car and am not looking forward to it at all! I spent more time just finagling the stupid thing out and back in relative to unbolting everything.

Is there anything useful I could see from popping off the inspection cover?

LetsGetThisDone

iTrader: (1)

The back of the flywheel? lol

The rubber plug on the bottom you can see the pressure plate fingers and TOB and see if something broke.

Easy way to get the trans out is to drop the subframe to the lowest point you can still have the driver side main nut and big bolt hold in up. Take the nut and bolt out of the passenger side and pull it all the way down. Then get the trans off the dowels and rotate it counter clockwise so the part where the tcase bolts up clears the subframe, then pull if off, then it comes out by letting it down and taking it in the direction of the ACD pump or intercooler spray reservoir..

heel2toe

iTrader: (41)

Haha yeah didn't think I'd be able to see much from the inspection plug but if a finger did snap off I could see that as I spring the clutch. And maybe there will be a ton of clutch material just chilling in there? I just remember seeing the TOB and clutch fork...speaking of which I hope popping the TOB isnt any different with my ACT monolock on there. Its simple in stock form just not sure if that clip changes things...

And interesting technique. I didn't drop or loosen the subfame but that'll prob make my life way easier. But I also did it on a lift last time and think Ill be on jack stands this time around.

Since you just loosened it Im guessing you didnt have to disconnect the steering column splines and all that jazz correct?

PAdutch

iTrader: (9)

My initial instinct was a throw-out bearing, but I would think you would hear it at every shift. Maybe you cant hear it because of road/engine noise and such. Reason I say this is because the TOB is loaded up while you have the clutch is disengaged because it has to pull the fingers out.

My next guess would be that its worn out or there is a piece of debris in there.

LetsGetThisDone

iTrader: (1)

I always do mine on a lift . And no, the splines stay on, that why I leave the main nut and bolt with a few threads engaged on the driver side. It prevents the splines form pulling apart. That is a b!tch to get back together if the column pulls apart lol. Next time I do the trans, I'm just going to take the shaft off the rack to save the potential headache.


You pretty much ruin the monoloc to get it off. You just pry it apart with screwdriver same as stock, but the monoloc gets all bent up. I think that's why ACT gives puts a new one in every clutch kit, it seems like its a one time use deal..