S2K_Stylist

ok... you guys will probably think I'm stupid or something.. but last time I was trying my 0-60 and then I reved my car up to 5,000 RPM... when I let off the clutch... the meter just jumpped into red and it went back and forth... after that.. I smelled some horrible burning smell... can you guys tell me what the hell happened..? and did I do some massive ugly damage to my car? cause the next day I drove it.. the smell was kind of there.. but just really faint. and I got 615 miles on the car only... any remarks would be appericated.. thanks guys

'02 Black on Black S2000
'02 Civic Si (crapy car)

Sideways

Was it that terrible clutch smell? 615miles? Sounds like abuse.

jguerdat

Welcome to the slipping clutch syndrome. The pressure plate doesn't clamp tightly enough to prevent slip unless you pop it. The usual tactic is to rev to >6k RPM and pop or sidestep the clutch so very minimal slip occurs. This makes it tough on the drivetrain so expect problems if you do it a lot (blown diffs, transmissions and clutches are most frequent but axles and various CV joints are possible). That doesn't mean that the drivetrain is very fragile but it's no 9" Ford diff...

S2K_Stylist

aww man.. so how can I fix this problem? get a better clutch? and if so.. any suggestions? I see "stage 2 racing clutchs" on sale in ebay for like.. around 150 bucks, is it worth getting or is it just some piece of crap that they sell online? and thanks for the reply jguerdat!

jguerdat

You really need to define what you're trying to accomplish first. The stock clutch is fine as long as you pop it. The trick is to not let the engine bog and, even with a different clutch, there's not enough torque to keep the wheels spinning without revving into VTEC and popping it. A stronger clutch will just prevent the slip, not the engine speed drop.

S2K_Stylist

I don't know... I'm still new to the racing world... I know what you guys mean by bog.. like when I let the clutch out and the engine speed just drops and the car feels like its running in mud or something... but I don't get what you guys mean by popping the clutch.. and should I put on more miles before I start doing these things? cause the book said just watch the first 600 miles.

thanks, alex

MacK430

if you want to burn out your tires...rev it up to 7000 and side step your left foot from your clutch onto your rest pedal...you should feather out the gas afterwards....have fun...oh yea, dont forget to have two hands on the wheel or else your back end will spin out and you might loose control of the back end...peace!

jguerdat

"Popping" the clutch means releasing it all at once - no slip. Either move your foot up fast enough that the pedal never touches your foot during its upward travel or simply slide your foot to the left, completely off the pedal so your foot remains on the floor while the pedal moves up. The idea is to have complete engagement as rapidly as possible. This leads to best acceleration but is hard on other parts of the car. This is not a good drag car - expect to spend money on repairs.

The mileage on the car doesn't affect the clutch action (I'd probably put 100 miles on a new clutch, just like new brakes, before first beating on it) - 600 miles is an engine thang. It sounds very much, however, that you should drive more normally until you get experience in the car. While it's not a drag race, I'd suggest at least a few autocrosses with knowledgeable, experienced drivers (those who consistently beat almost everyone else, not someone who just beats those in his v=class, although you may end up with the same guy/girl).

There are far too many horror stories on this board of those who have never driven RWD, raced competitively, etc. that have damn near killed themselves and others trying to show off or otherwise getting in over their heads. Popping the clutch is a relatively easy thing to do but it frequently implies other things going on around you and I'm here to caution you.

"Cockiness is that feeling you have just before you know better."

S2K_Stylist

whao.. thank you 2, mack430 and espically jguerdat, you guys been awesome. I was wondering how I can find out info on where to when auto crosses are happening. If you guys can, please email me some info bout it? my email address is bow01@earthlink.net or where I can find info bout it.. I wanted to do the dragonball run.. but that seems so far away... thanks
- Alex

jguerdat

Check with the official SCCA Solo web site for info not only on the local chapter but for at least some info on local events. There are also a number of CA folks here that can talk you through local issues.