Clutch slipping in Fourth at highway?

[graf703]

So I'm on the highway and I downshift to pass, and the clutch slips at a little bit over 3000... i'm thinking wtf, new south bend clutch under 3000 miles? I try accelerating out of fifth it holds. I try it out of third it holds. Its only slipping in fourth gear.

Also, water wouldn't come up to temp at highway speeds. Pulled over let it warm up in less than five minutes. Go back out and it went back down? Any suggestions? The thermostat is 4 months old.

I'm sad.

 

[Defiant]

So I'm on the highway and I downshift to pass, and the clutch slips at a little bit over 3000... i'm thinking wtf, new south bend clutch under 3000 miles? I try accelerating out of fifth it holds. I try it out of third it holds. Its only slipping in fourth gear.

You have the most power versus load in 4th. Check your master cylinder adjustment. Your clutch is slipping. I'm not guessing if you've already burned it up.

Also, water wouldn't come up to temp at highway speeds. Pulled over let it warm up in less than five minutes. Go back out and it went back down? Any suggestions? The thermostat is 4 months old.

Throw that thermostat away. Replace with a factory-spec, factory-temp thermostat. Are you running a 160° thermostat? That would be the problem.

I'm sad.

Of course you are. You own a DSM. Get used to it.

 

[tsi_daggie]

i'm thinking wtf, new south bend clutch under 3000 miles?

did u install the clutch? if not who did? did they machine the flywheel? if not it will eat your clutch.

i had a new centerforce clutch, idiot who installed it did not machine the flywheel and it ate the clutch in about 500 miles. so it is very possible that your clutch is already toast.

 

[graf703]

I did the clutch. We did a engine swap and put it in then. We had the flywheel machined by NAPA.

I am not sure what thermostat I'm running. It hasn't had the problem before now. What is the factory spec temperature?

Defiant, By master cylinder adjustment I assume you mean screwing the rod in and out to set the clutch right? I'll try it again. Thanks for the advice keep it coming!

 

[steve]

I did the clutch. We did a engine swap and put it in then. We had the flywheel machined by NAPA.

What step height did you tell them to machine to?

Steve

 

[graf703]

Yeah about the step height... I hadn't read the vfaq yet. So i'm hoping they just did it right, either on accident or purposefully because i didn't specify.

Good news is i lengthened the rod out a bit and It just held on the highway so, I'm hoping that it is fixed. Now I just have to get the temperature back up and i'm set! thanks for the advice.

 

[graf703]

I'm really trying to the underheating problem out. It is a 180 thermostat.

At idle the car warms up.
On the highway it cools back down to the lower bracket of the thermostat gauge.
The fan is not stuck on.

So. The thermostat isn't stuck open because it would not build heat at idle, right?
What else could it be? Thanks for the help!

 

[steve]

So. The thermostat isn't stuck open because it would not build heat at idle, right?

Nope, it's very possible that the thermostat is stuck open. At idle while the car's not moving there is little airflow to remove the heat from the coolant and the car warms up and the fans come on as needed. On the highway in 30 degree weather you have far more cooling airflow than you need but because the thermostat doesn't close you overcool.

Steve

 

[Tongboy]

I had the exact same problem with my thermostat, idling it would bring it up to temp but driving around it would cool back down. it was the t-stat, a new factory temp one fixed the issue and the car warms up 10x faster then before now.

its a super simple job to change the t-stat on our engines though, its a 10 dollar job and worth it

 

[dsm4life]

.......I'm Sad..... You own a DSM. Get used to it.

I am so use to it now.

 

[graf703]

Thanks. I think i'm going to try and change it tomorrow. I wish i had a garage, there is a bit of snow up here still! Clutch slipping problem is now intermitent. What would be the progression of problems for having an incorrectly stepped flywheel? Are these picky enough that a regular machinist wouldn't know to do it, or by default should their standard procedure follow? I really don't want to have to pull the tranny again.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Defiant]

http://www.roadraceengineering.com/clutchandflywheeltech.htm

 

[graf703]

So. The car was not slipping for awhile (about a month) and now it is slipping again even in third. Readjusted the clutch. And now i'm starting to run out of rod to lengthen it out. What else could be going on here? Thanks for any advice.

 

[Defiant]

So. The car was not slipping for awhile (about a month) and now it is slipping again even in third. Readjusted the clutch. And now i'm starting to run out of rod to lengthen it out. What else could be going on here? Thanks for any advice.

Guess Who probably didn't machine in the flywheel step.

 

[graf703]

napa is in trouble with me. If I can't sort this out without dropping the tranny i'm gonna be pissed. Although, the steps did look like they had been resurfaced, how much material do they take off the disc in general?

 

[graf703]

So how many times is it safe to resurface a flywheel? I think this will be at least the third time if it need to be completely redone. But I still have less than 3000 miles on the new clutch/resurfacing. My dad is concerned that it can't be resurfaced again. so mad

 

[Mindslayer]

Alot of dsm pop out of 4th gear or third. Adjust your wired clutch line by the battery I don't know whats its call off hand right now.

 

[graf703]

Pretty sure it is still in gear, it does it in third and fourth. For now I'm just assuming the flywheel step needs to be done again... ###! So in three weeks when my trimester is up I'll go home and spend my whole break changing it... In the meantime, no boost for me

But here's a question. Is the best step height .610 for stock clutches or just performance clutches. I'm just wondering if it is ~.614 or so if i should blame napa or my ignorant self. Or SBR for not telling what the recommended step height was someplace.

 

[graf703]

The ouput shaft to the transfercase seal in the bellhousing went bad.... slinging oil onto the clutch.... Just replying the fix