havoc742
15+ Year Contributor
- 110
- 0
- Jul 29, 2004
-
Sacramento,
California
I keep reading these threads about the ACT 2100 vs 2600. I also keep seeing threads about clutch slippage and engagement/disengagement issues. There is alot of good advice and great troubleshoooting tips in these threads but I've noticed a major issue that is being overlooked and could possibly be costing alot of DSMers unnecessary headaches and dents to the wallet.
About 3 weeks ago I called up R//RE to order my new ACT 2600 with race disc to replace the POS exedy clutch the previous owner had in my '93 TSI AWD (of which 2 have exploded in less than 7k mi). The guy on the other end asked the usual what do you have done to your car and what are your plans. I told him I have a ported 2G mani, 16g, custom full turbo back cat eliminated straightline exhaust, etc and rev limit launch my dsm. Much to his dropped jaw surprise nothing has broke in 3 years of hard launching abuse on my stock drivetrain.
To no suprise of my own he recommended 2 options in his professional opinion. 1)2600 with street disc, 2)2100 with race disc. Obvious reason is to alleviate some stress on the stock drivetrain. Not so obvious reason is an issue already surfacing due to the pressure plate that the previous owner used. The pedal box Z bar linkage.
This issue only applies to 1G pedal boxes. I know alot of people have never had any issues to there knowledge of bent linkages in the pedal box. However, the guys at R//RE see this quite a bit. The linkage in question is the one that goes from the clutch pedal to the master cylinder behind the gas pedal. This linkage is pretty susceptable to bending and twisting due to heavy pressure plates such as the 2600 and 2900. The two most common fixes are to remove the linkage and weld in a stiffer thicker bar or rod or to just spend the $100 and buy a new linkage.
I see alot of recommendations for washers behind the pivot ball, bad clutch fork, imroperly adjusted pedal throw, bad slave cylinder, and over torqued pressure plate. I am not saying any of these issues are not valid in anyone particular case. I am just recommending that the next time anyone has an issue with slippage or engagement/disengagement to never forget to check your pedal box or recommend to someone else to do so. You could save yourself or a buddy alot of labor, money and headaches.
One other issue I see missed alot and is more common with the Fidanza flywheel mated with the 2600, is the warping our bowling of the flywheel. The added pressure from the 2600 and up pressure plates causes the flywheel to bend towards the block in a bowl like fashion. As many know aluminum is not very flexible and has very little tendancey to return to shape once deformed. The only way I know to check for this problem is to remove it and lay a perfectly flat object across its surfaces. a 6" metal ruler works rather well, so does a small torpedo level.
EDIT: Also, You should always replace your fork and pivot ball when replacing your clutch assembly. Its only $70 at R//RE and it eliminates any question about those parts being faulty. Also don't forget to put a decent washer behind the pivot ball.
I hope this helps some out there having clutch issues in their 1G.
About 3 weeks ago I called up R//RE to order my new ACT 2600 with race disc to replace the POS exedy clutch the previous owner had in my '93 TSI AWD (of which 2 have exploded in less than 7k mi). The guy on the other end asked the usual what do you have done to your car and what are your plans. I told him I have a ported 2G mani, 16g, custom full turbo back cat eliminated straightline exhaust, etc and rev limit launch my dsm. Much to his dropped jaw surprise nothing has broke in 3 years of hard launching abuse on my stock drivetrain.
To no suprise of my own he recommended 2 options in his professional opinion. 1)2600 with street disc, 2)2100 with race disc. Obvious reason is to alleviate some stress on the stock drivetrain. Not so obvious reason is an issue already surfacing due to the pressure plate that the previous owner used. The pedal box Z bar linkage.
This issue only applies to 1G pedal boxes. I know alot of people have never had any issues to there knowledge of bent linkages in the pedal box. However, the guys at R//RE see this quite a bit. The linkage in question is the one that goes from the clutch pedal to the master cylinder behind the gas pedal. This linkage is pretty susceptable to bending and twisting due to heavy pressure plates such as the 2600 and 2900. The two most common fixes are to remove the linkage and weld in a stiffer thicker bar or rod or to just spend the $100 and buy a new linkage.
I see alot of recommendations for washers behind the pivot ball, bad clutch fork, imroperly adjusted pedal throw, bad slave cylinder, and over torqued pressure plate. I am not saying any of these issues are not valid in anyone particular case. I am just recommending that the next time anyone has an issue with slippage or engagement/disengagement to never forget to check your pedal box or recommend to someone else to do so. You could save yourself or a buddy alot of labor, money and headaches.
One other issue I see missed alot and is more common with the Fidanza flywheel mated with the 2600, is the warping our bowling of the flywheel. The added pressure from the 2600 and up pressure plates causes the flywheel to bend towards the block in a bowl like fashion. As many know aluminum is not very flexible and has very little tendancey to return to shape once deformed. The only way I know to check for this problem is to remove it and lay a perfectly flat object across its surfaces. a 6" metal ruler works rather well, so does a small torpedo level.
EDIT: Also, You should always replace your fork and pivot ball when replacing your clutch assembly. Its only $70 at R//RE and it eliminates any question about those parts being faulty. Also don't forget to put a decent washer behind the pivot ball.
I hope this helps some out there having clutch issues in their 1G.