tranny trouble?

[boosted92laser]

Well, I finally got my car running good after putting it back together. But now I think the trans is messed up. I came to a stop coming home from work the other day and when I went to take off, The engine revved and I slowly took off. It acted like the clutch was slipping. I hope not since it is a brand new stage 2 clutch. But anyway, I took it for a drive today and noticed that it is only like that in 1st and 2nd, once I hit 3rd, it seems to be fine. It accelerates smoothly and doesn't rev excessively once I hit 3rd. Is my transmission messed up or do you think it is the clutch.

By the way, the flywheel was cut for the aftermarket clutch. I changed the tranny fluid when I put the motor in, along with the t-case and the rear diff. Recently I put a new turbo on it, and had to put a new valve cover on it because it cracked and made an oily mess under the hood. Would that have anything to do with the tranny slippage?

Thanks, Bill

 

[5150DSM]

Didn't see it in your profile. What kind of clutch did you put in?
What step height was cut? Was shimming reccomended by the manufacturer? Is the tachometer revving with the motor? My first thought is that the step may have been cut incorrectly; however, a broken dif in the tranny will act similar. A little more info please and I can probably help you better.
Aloha

 

[boosted92laser]

I'm not sure what brand the clutch is, but the pressure plate was red. It has a 6 finger disk, and is supposed to be a stage 2. I'm not sure what was cut, because it was done by the previous owner. I think I am going to pull the trans to get to the clutch and see how it looks. The tach is revving with the motor.
How will i find out if it is a broken diff in the tranny?

 

[TurkF26]

If the diff broke in the tranny/spider gears seized together, when you drain your tranny fluid you will see lots of metal pieces in the fluid.

When you pull the trany off again, i would personally replace the flywheel as well. I have never stepped a flywheel with an aftermarket clutch. Everytime i have done a clutch job for someone or for myself, i have either replaced the flywheel with a fidanza, or had a stock clutch resurfaced at a machine shop.

 

[boosted92laser]

i drained the tranny fluid and it still looks brand new. i also changed it before i put the rebuilt motor back in and it didn't have any metal shavings in it then. I am in the process of pulling the tranny now, but it is going a bit slow since i have to do it in my driveway, luckily it is concrete. with work, it is taking even longer, since by the time i get out of work it is dark and cold. but i am off on friday so i will finish pulling it then.

 

[5150DSM]

If the diff broke in the tranny/spider gears seized together, when you drain your tranny fluid you will see lots of metal pieces in the fluid.

Not necessarily. I broke my dif in three whole pieces that continued to work(more or less) for a month after it happened. Up to the point that it fully failed I had no metal in the fluid. In the end, the fluid looked like silver spray paint but I never did pull much in the way of metal chunks out of that tranny.

I would crack the side cover on the tranny and take a good hard look inside, just to make sure. I honestly still think clutch, it wasn't shimmed properly or they used a non-OEM throw-out bearing, something along those lines. How are the springs on the disc, do they rattle around or are they firmly fixed in the hub?
Aloha

 

[boosted92laser]

i put a new throwout bearing in that i got from the dealer. i pulled the transmission and got the clutch out. i will take a couple of pictures and past them in a bit. any input would be great.

 

[Apeximprt2nr]

Did you properly go through the break in period with the clutch? Have you tried adjusting the master cyl. rod?
It sounds like the clutch isn't fully engaging.

 

[boosted92laser]

Here are a couple of pictures of the clutch disk. The pressure plate and flywheel still look great, the flywheel actually still has the cross-hatches from when it was cut. But the disk is glazed over a bit more than I like to see in 150 miles. It almost looks as though the clutch material is warped. There is wear on the top and bottom portions of the pads on the disk, but none in the center of the pads.
After I got the clutch and flywheel out i put the flywheel on the table and the disk and pressure plate on and there was barely any space between the pressure plate and the flywheel where the bolts hold it together, not even a millimeter. Every clutch that I have done in the past, though they have been on chevys, there is a decent sized gap that is closed when you tighten the bolts.

 

[boosted92laser]

Also, the springs are all tight.
When I was getting ready to pull the tranny I pulled it up on ramps, but it was slipping so much it barely made it up the ramps. Once I got the tranny out and was unbolting the pressure plate, it smelled like burnt clutch.
I think I am just going to order a new flywheel and an oem clutch and put it in and see how it acts.
Does anybody else have any ideas? I would appreciate any help I can get.
Thanks in advance.

 

[twicks69]

did you properly torque the pressure plate when you installed it?

Also, it will take a little time to bed in a 6-puck. Just be careful, 6-pucks are usually the future cause for a tranny rebuild -- it is fairly abusive. As well, it will be quite abusive to the pressure plate and flywheel friction surface.

If the pressure plate wasn't torqued to spec, or the flywheel was machined improperly with the wrong step, these will cause a slipping issue.

 

[boosted92laser]

I think that the flywheel was cut too much. I torqued the p. plate to 14 ft/lbs. I can't break the clutch in if it is slipping so bad that it barely moves. Why are 6 pucks so abusive to trannys? I only have minor mods, so I think that I will just buy a new flywheel and oem clutch to put it back together.

 

[twicks69]

I think that the flywheel was cut too much. I torqued the p. plate to 14 ft/lbs. I can't break the clutch in if it is slipping so bad that it barely moves. Why are 6 pucks so abusive to trannys? I only have monor mods, so I think that I will just buy a new flywheel and oem clutch to put it back together.

Check out RRE's page for some more information: http://www.roadraceengineering.com/clutchandflywheeltech.htm


Personally, you are going to be better off with a decent flywheel like an ACT streetlite or a Fidanza unit. This along with an ACT2100 and a street disk for your power levels, especially if you ever intend on modifying the car more than its current state. Be sure to replace the flywheel bolts and throwout bearing when you are ready to re-install the clutch/flywheel assembly.

 

[ekanddsm]

Not to add insult to injury, did you put the clutch disc in the right way.
The pressure plate surface should contact the clutch disc friction material berfore the cover touches the flywheel. I know this sounds basic, but it can be overlooked if your in a rush. Or you simply could have the wrong clutch cover. Just a third party view looking in.

 

[boosted92laser]

Not to add insult to injury, did you put the clutch disc in the right way.
The pressure plate surface should contact the clutch disc friction material berfore the cover touches the flywheel. I know this sounds basic, but it can be overlooked if your in a rush. Or you simply could have the wrong clutch cover. Just a third party view looking in.

The disc was installed correctly. And the pressure plate surface did contact the disk before the cover touched the flywheel, but there wasn't much of a gap between the cover assembly and the flywheel, maybe a millemeter, if that.

 

[boosted92laser]

Check out RRE's page for some more information: http://www.roadraceengineering.com/clutchandflywheeltech.htm


Personally, you are going to be better off with a decent flywheel like an ACT streetlite or a Fidanza unit. This along with an ACT2100 and a street disk for your power levels, especially if you ever intend on modifying the car more than its current state. Be sure to replace the flywheel bolts and throwout bearing when you are ready to re-install the clutch/flywheel assembly.

Thanks for the website, it gave me some usefull information.
I don't have the money right now for a Fidenza flywheel and an ACT clutch. I don't plan on doing many mods to the laser until after i finish my motor/drivetrain swap into my summit. And that is going to take quite some time. So i think I might just throw a stock flywheel/clutch on it for now, but I can't make up my mind.

 

[burnnxs]

have you tried adjusting the clutch?

 

[boosted92laser]

I tried, but it didn't seem to work. And I can't adjust it more since the trans is out.

 

[boosted92laser]

Does anybody know where I can get a reasonably priced stage 1 or 2 clutch and flywheel?

 

[twicks69]

you should not be looking for any type of clutch which is designated as "Stage 1" or "Stage 2".

You should be looking at quality clutches and not Ebay clutches.

ACT, RPS, Slowboy, Centerforce, etc. should be ones that you are looking at.

You have nearly a stock car --

You should be looking at something like a ACT2100 pressure plate with a organic street disk (sprung).

If you want to see alot more life out of the disk, I would opt to talk to the guys at Horsepower Freaks, about the South Bend Performance TZ Full Face sprung Kevlar disk:

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/pri...99/South_Bend/Clutches-Flywheels/Clutch_Disks

This disk can be used with either a ACT 2100 or 2600 pressure plate with no issues.

Or...the pressure plate and disk for $265.00:
http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/pri...nd/Clutches-Flywheels/Clutches/part/TZ_Series

A fidanza flywheel will be around $200-230 also. Expect to pay a few more dollars for a ACT streetlite flywheel.

Either way, you are looking around $360 for a pressure plate and disk from every other manufacturer out there for a 2100 type clutch. (ACT 2100, SBR 3500, Centerforce dual friction).

 

[boosted92laser]

Thanks Twicks69, that is the kind of information that i was looking for.

 

[wvturbo2]

Buschur has a deal on act clutch and flywheel package. Also check out extremepsi.com