wroblewskievo

iTrader: (2)

i just picked it up at the book store. it has a review of the evo mr and has an evo vs. ktm 950 adventure dirtbike. plus alot of other import stuff. sorry if this is a repost.

Silver03_Rocket

Was it in the April Mag? If so I cant find it

wroblewskievo

iTrader: (2)

it says spring 2004. it's a brand new magazine from r&t. the more i look through it the more evo stuff i find. it pretty much praises the evo throughout the mag. it's a real cool mag.

iwantaskyline

i browsed through it... in the review of the MR they wrote that it might make it stateside, and the next evo will have around ~280hp. i forget the exact details.

mitsuatb

iTrader: (6)

Did anyone notice that the Evo won the comparison, but it was declared a draw since the Evo lost its clutch?

This was a test on dirt!!! With a professional driver!!! Traction would have to be limited and the driver knew how to handle the clutch. Even with 4WD the clutch should have been able to hold up, since the tires would have spun and take some of the load off of the drivetrain.

On asphalt I can understand burning the clutch up, on dirt that is pretty bad.

One of the main reasons for not buying an evo yet is the fact that the clutch seems so weak. If it was a trival job to change it, I wouldn't worry, but that is a major job and if you put in a good clutch they will try to void drivetrain warranty.

I liked the comparison and the Evo but this test is another red flag on the clutch, I don't know what to think.

sr20det91

iTrader: (59)

Yea, did you also see some of the tests they were putting the car through. The guy was beating the living crap out of it. The clutch in the EVO is just as it sould be, enough to hold the power and weak enough to not break the drive train. I've had my EVO to the track quite a bit not to mention many street launches with no problems at all in the 22K miles I've had. 90% of the time it the driver and not the clutch thats screwing up.

Point is, dont let clutch worries keep you from getting an EVO. If you know how to drive without being hard on your equipment you'll be fine.

Fireball

iTrader: (15)

Agreed... I have 20k miles on mine, stock clutch, still going. Not sure how you can burn it out on dirt, w/o just riding it all the time.

evo542

the stock clutch is weak for a reason, to not put too much stress on the tranny. which would you rather replace?

mitsuatb

iTrader: (6)

I would rather replace the clutch than the tranny, no question about it. I am puzzled that I need to make that choice.

The transfer case and the trans are the only parts of the drive train that see the full shock and horsepower of a clutch drop.

The front and rear axle only see half the power.

It is a clever, (And expensive for the owner), to build in a hydraulic restriction at the slave cylinder that causes the clutch to slip. This will reduce shock to the driveline, and limit and/ or prevent damage to the parts that Mitsu has under warranty.

So what they should of done was use a clutch that can tolerate slipping very well. That is what they seem to have missed, or perhaps they felt the cost was too high. Motorcycles have clutches both wet and dry that handle slipping very well. Perhaps that can't be done in a car due the greater size and weight.

What my concerns are:

1). I have to replace the clutch. (Cost$$)
2). I have to worry about the quality of the repair to the clutch. (Rather not have dealerships touch the car).

I have a Z28 6spd with 90K on two clutches. One was changed under warranty due to a rear main seal leak oiling up the plate. So I have around 60k on the current clutch, with 275hp and 325ft/lb, the clutch is handling as much power as the stock evo.

Sports cars are a sickness, and I don't expect the same reliablity as some economy car. I like the handing of the Evo, much tighter than my Z28. I don't know what I will do, thanks for your inputs. I think the car is great fun, I guess I haven't decided how much I want to spend to play.

evo542

because if you don't launch it properly some part of the drivetrain will break, but if the stock clutch is weak it is less likely for that to happen. and if you want a decent job on the clutch you have to select a professional shop to do this and yes the installation isn't cheap, around $500 or so+the cost of new clutch which is around $1K

evo542

imo, the stock clutch should do fine around 300whp how much do you plan to upgrade if you do get it

mitsuatb

iTrader: (6)

I would keep it stock, for at least a few years. Pretty complex car, hard to upgrade without losing something. Not always alot of testing in aftermarket products. I would install the brake air guides, over priced but I think they would help the life of the front brakes and don't seem likely to cause problems.

I looked at an '03 with 54 miles, but it had a sunroof.

I am considering an RS but the A/C missing would be a problem, same reason I didn't order the 1LE suspension on my Z, in '95 you couldn't get the HiPo suspension with A/C. That let them run the A/C radiator without the A/C for increased cooling. I also didn't want a red or white car.

The MR is interesting also, if it is really going to be sold here, but I can just imagine the mark-up's at the dealers. I like a 6spd, perhaps a lower first gear to keep people from having to slip the clutch?

Well, thanks again for your post.