Clutch Break-in [Merged 5-8]

[GSX_RCR]

Since it won't ever see the streets, how do you suppose I break it in? Dyno? Do a few "easy" 1/4 passes? Chance it and run it on the streets for a few short bursts around the block? *Oh yea, there's no exhaust*

 

[2point3Tsi]

Make sure to slip it driving around a little bit before you lay into it on the track. Mine went from grabby as heck to smoother in about 25 miles now at 1500 miles it feels stock-like(i.e. foot knows how to shift again )

 

[dnhieu]

in theory yes. make sure everything is in working condition obviously. check your clutch pedel adjustment, no air in the lines, no weird noises, and most of all make sure you can get through the gears fine.

are you running a 6 puck disk? i ask because i have herd from other members locally that act actually recomends you breaking it in with 3 hard launches . so, we definetly launched the car 3 hard times after we installed my buddys clutch 2 weekends ago with no slippage...

 

[emoguitarboy]

Its a street disk and a 11.5lbs flywheel, along with the braided steel clutch line, so I will be bleeding the clutch line as well. Also I orderd the shift fork and ball joint.

 

[Mr Peepers]

i dunno why everyone thinks you need to break in a clutch. their is nothing to break in. most people ushally take it easy for 1k miles tho...

From my understanding, you want the friction material to wear into the friction surface, eliminating any high spots. It's more likely to slip under high load if less than 100% of the face isn't in contact, causing a lot more heat than gradual break in. Heat kills organic material clutches, and causes stress cracks on the friction surfaces. You most likely won't have enough torque to make it slip even if it's not broken in anyway. Disc material determines break in procedure as well.

 

[dnhieu]

if your flywheel is new/turned (like it should be) their shouldnt be any high spots. i ushally give a few hundred miles myself just to make sure everything is in working order from the fairly major job that has just been done. in my experiences this has always worked fine for me...

 

[Mr Peepers]

^I agree, but during the machining process and on new flywheels/PP there is a surface that promotes wear for the break in period, almost similar to cylinder honing and rings. Certain clutches are more sensitive to break in procedures, ACT 2600 isn't really one of them.

It's probably not necessary but a good idea just in case.

EDIT: I thought about it some more: The friction surface isn't what's considered the high spot, but the friction material. The surface of the clutch disc itself will not be perfectly flat like a machined flywheel or new pressure plate. The machined flywheel and pressure plate has a rough surface to "hone" the friction material flat, from what I'm guessing. This will also cause the clutch to grab harder during the first miles, since there is more "bite" on the friction material.

 

[dnhieu]

It's probably not necessary but a good idea just in case.

im not disagreeing with you. i completly agree, but i also think that alot of these companys say this stuff to save their own butt...

 

[emoguitarboy]

Yea, someone's going to have the used flywheel turned while we're taking everything apart... so they should have plenty of time. Yeay for hard as hell to work on drive trains.

So if I do some light stop/go and work heavier and heavier it should be "broken in" within the first day?

 

[GRNDSM]

ACT clutch does not need a break in for its sake. But you should brake it in for your drivetrain’s sake . ! It is EXTREMELY grabby when it is new and you can easily damage your drivertrain with it.

And there isn’t any magical number of miles. It all depends on what type of driving you will do. Driving 500 miles on a highway will do nothing! You need to get stuck in a 30-60 min bumper to bumper jam

 

[emoguitarboy]

Ok, I'll just hit up powers or academy on sunday at about 2PM that's usually jam packed.

 

[montuner]

i have a 92 tsi awd with minor mods, and i am looking to run a big 16g eventually with the supporting mods, now my ?"s are;will an act 2100 do the job or should i get something different(my goal is 350awhp with daily driven reliability with the 16g) and how long should i break in the clutch for??1000 miles 1500 miles(obviously there will be no racing or launching in that time).

 

[silver bullit]

2100 will be good.
2600 is if you plan on making more latter on the road.

Id say 1000 city type driving, or 1500 miles highway... Take it easy no racing 6k revs, launching, etc...

 

[greddyturbo19]

i say get a ACT 2600. so that way in the event you get a 2100 and you do more upgrades you might have to upgrade the clutch once again. so get the ACT 2600

 

[qiklitltsi]

2100 should be perfect for the mods you are planning on. It says only 500 miles is need for a proper break in in the manual for the 2100.

 

[dsmsucks]

I would screw the act and get a fidanza 2.1. You can get them from ebay for 269shipped and they handle 379 of torque. They only need a 50mile break in

 

[spinninfwdlaser]

Many people "break them in the way the car will be driven" with great luck. I can say we broke one in with driving it hard, and had no problems.

 

[turbotalawd]

You shouldn't break the clutch in by only express way miles. The best way to break the clutch in is to keep using the clutch as you would in traffic so it can seat to the other surfaces. Hence "city driving". AMS told me about 1000 miles. You can take it to redline unless you have ALOT of power but just dont make it slip. No launching and no hard shifts.

 

[illeffekt vr-4]

The 2100 will work fine for your goal but the 2600 might be a better option just in case you decide to go bigger (which most of us do anyways). 500 miles of city driving (stop and go) will be enough to break in the clutch.

 

[force it in]

My Fidanza 3.2 came with a note suggesting a 700 mile break in period. The waiting is the hardest part.

 

[1gDSM4g63]

I would screw the act and get a fidanza 2.1. You can get them from ebay for 269shipped and they handle 379 of torque. They only need a 50mile break in

The Fidanza 2.1 needs a longer break-in period than 50 miles. The Fidanza 4.3 is a 100 mile break-in period only because it's ceramic based unlike the 2.1 which is kevlar like most clutch and will require a much longer break-in period. However don't rely on meeting the recommended break-in and go wild on the clutch after 1 mile past the break-in period.

 

[-TunedDSM-]

I got a deal on my new ACT 2100 from my buddy and I like it, wish I had a 2600 for future mods but oh well. It feels practically stock, but holds up well. I broke mine in for 500 miles, never taking it above 3k and never went full throttle. I've got over 5k on the clutch and havent had any other problems

 

[dsmsucks]

The Fidanza 2.1 needs a longer break-in period than 50 miles. The Fidanza 4.3 is a 100 mile break-in period only because it's ceramic based unlike the 2.1 which is kevlar like most clutch and will require a much longer break-in period. However don't rely on meeting the recommended break-in and go wild on the clutch after 1 mile past the break-in period.

Shawn Raines <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hello,
>
> Thank you for your inquiry. With the 2.1 clutch kit
> a solid 50 miles
> of city driving would help the material seat
> properly and give you
> the performance you need. For the turbo Eclipse
> applications the
> torque capacity of this kit is 379 ft. lbs

With that being said I put over 150 before I made a pull

 

[montuner]

thanks for all the help...i went to Fftec and had them order the 2600 with a street disk so its not not un-bearable in traffic or on trips. and hopefully she'll be on the road by next weekend.

 

[gijoe985]

Should it be only city, or can it be some laid back 55mph highway driving... I figure going over the pass here isn't that much work and it'd be an easy 250 round trip...

 

[Mr Peepers]

Highway driving will do nothing, you want to gradually wear in the surface and you do that by city driving; stop and go. My take on it is that you shave the friction material(clutch disc) to perfectly match the friction surface(flywheel and pressure plate). Light city driving will give the clutch plenty of time to cool off between slipping.