RKS

After one year(about 30K miles) my ACT clutch is shot. The pressure plate collapsed and the clutch itself is worn down.

I drive a lot for work but it is mostly highway miles. I don't try to 'chirp' third and every citation I receive I have report to the bar association so I have been driving very mildly for the last few years.

I have no explanation on why it is shot so quickly. Could it have been a faulty installation???

I am going back to OEM.

After needed repairs I am going to try to sell my 95 SE (keep the 2K2) and talk my wife into a G35C to hold us over until I get my JD; hopefully then I can afford to deal with expensive German machines and their inherent electrical issues.

Craig Mack

Bad installation? Improper break in? If it was improper break in, you should have noticed it well before 30,000 miles. Maybe it was one single event? Did you ever downshift into first gear at 30+mph?

The ACT's are bulldog's, they just don't "wither away".

xHypex

iTrader: (1)

I do it all the time. It's called autocross.

I like my ACT, but that's still really TBD. If your clutch survives then anyone's should.
-hype

Craig Mack

You downshift into FIRST gear @30mph all the time huh? I find it quite hard since our transmissions weren't made to do so. Don't you find it HARD to put the shifter into first when going above 5mph??? The one time I downshifted into first at 30mph I roasted my clutch. You could smell it. I gaurentee that you do not do that all the time or you would be switching out clutches weekly.


What's TBD?

Feel like a hardass today?

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

To Be Determined..

and don't argue with Matt.. you could learn a thing or two

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

back to the question..

are you sure the flywheel was resurfaced? i always thought that ACT pressure plates were the same ones as the OEM ones

ejj

iTrader: (5)

Its called rev-matching. You can get it into first just about any speed you want (within the range of 1st gear of course) if you know what you're doing.

If you do it properly it won't "roast" the clutch. Again, that is if you know what you're doing.

Craig Mack

I guess he's a really good driver then. I wouldn't want to take any chances...

ejj

iTrader: (5)

Neither would I. I can do it, but don't see the need to (mainly because I don't autox).

RKS

He claims it was flywheel was resurfaced but I am not even close to being a mechanic. I did mention it before the install however.

He is also saying that my slave and master cylinder should be replaced. Total for a new clutch/pp and the 2 cylinders including labor is $600 or about 2 payments of a g35c.

Big_Ham

iTrader: (1)

Since when are payments on a G35c $300/month?

The one I priced out will run me about $500 a month with a $10k trade in + down payment.

Sprint

iTrader: (10)

depends on downpayment and also if he is leasing

ericdwong

Yeah modified OEM plates. They are OEM plates but with higher spring rate, thus the harder pedal and the lower release point.

Anyway, doesnt ACT have some sort of warranty? Sounds like a manuf. defect.

Victim64

90 days

95emeraldgxe

i have a rough idea on what rev matching is, but how do you know what is the "ideal" rpm to get it to? is it practice, or is it written in stone somewhere?

MaDMaX024

try this:
in second gear at 25mph..if your car is anything like 3rd gen VEs (mine) you should be at about 2300rpm.
shift into third (putting you at 1500rpm).
cruise at 25mph, clutch in, blip throttle, hold at 2300, release clutch slow, if it bogs, you're not doing it right, if you dont notice a difference, you've done it correctly.
rev matching doesnt have to be exact, but it pains me to drop into 3rd at 85 from 5th..thats like 3100-6300 real fast and it jumps and makes all sorts of scary noises..i know its hell for the car so i revmatch.
you'll get good and 5-2 downshifts will come real easy at cruising speeds (for me its anything slower than 55 into second, third until 85, then 4th the rest of the time). practice, learn your revs and practice practice practice. its like launching with minimal wheel spin, it comes with time.

RKS

See the post below yours...

Not leasing but we try to get a hefty down payment when buying a car.

Big_Ham

iTrader: (1)

Hefty isn't even the word for that downpayment. $300/month is on a ~$15,000 finance (give or take). I'd call that an enormous downpayment.

Axel

iTrader: (3)

I race solo-1 and I revmatch all the time. For example, I go down the straight, hit the end of the straight at around 90 mph, hit the brakes with my toe at the end of the straight prior to the turn which slows me down to about 55 mph. At the same time, I press the clutch in, switch to neutral, blip the throttle with my heel to roughly 5700 rpms, downshift to second, release the clutch (by now I'm at 55 mph) and take the turn. It's called heel and toe. You rev match to downshift so as not to cause engine compression. It's very smooth once you know how to do it. I learned on a F2000 open wheel racecar. My first day, I destroyed the gear box (well, I didn't literally destroy it, but it wasn't pretty). After some practice, it becomes second nature.

ThurzNite

iTrader: (13)

i put my act in back in january. driven 5000mi. It's ok. For the past 3 gas tanks, i've changed my driving from babying to a lil more agressive. NOT GOOD! This thing wears quick. i'm now back to carefully rev-matching all shifts. And the all important stop->1st gear is still difficult to do w/o making a "juttering" noise or riding the clutch. I'm absolutely sure we did the install correctly...not sure what it is.

Downshifting...I can never hit 3->2...no matter how well I rev-match, it always jerks...so I stopped doing that.

Jae