So this weekend we were at lunch with some friends. We decide to have a moderate speed assault back to our friends house. Late 90's M3 convertible, 2002-3 not sure SLK AMG V6, and me in the s2k. So I spent about 12-15 min in high RPMs loving Vtec playing with 2 other great cars. So then we decide to start from a stand still and see how they would fair. I truly believed that we all would be about the same to 75 which is what we were to race to. So I am up against the M3 which I noticed was smoking like some blow by at higher RPMS earlier. I drop the clutch @ 3k and run it up to red right before the Rev limiter kicks in hit 2nd gear and nothing I am in gear and it bounced off the rev limiter. I try 3rd gear and slipped while in gear. Now I was busted for learning to drive my car. But this thing stunk like there was no tomorrow and I took it easy and drove around too help with the cooling in stead of stoping with all the added heat from running hard. The Car has 3500 miles and I have owned many standard cars and trucks and only had to replace the clutches on the trucks that I pull a trailer with. So have yall had this type of problem? Should I take it to the dealer ( I have bounced it off the rev limiter 15ish times)? Or keep driving and not sweat it. This is the 1st time I have had this happen and it scared my (Damage wise).

 

Might want to use the search function and look up Clutch delay on 04+ S2000.

This basically is a split second delay before the clutch actually engages.

 

I am aware of the delay, but should it allow it to slip from 6k to the rev limiter in that split 2nd? If so I will take it in to get the valve changed out because it would be easy to toast a cluch. I have noticed it in higher gears but never like this in the lower gears.

 

I would change out the slave cylinder or modify yours. This was one of my first mods. People have smoked their clutches b/c of this. If you do any sort of launching, the delay will kill your clutch. Look at these threads for more info:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=270439

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=275175

 

Thank you for the confirmation of the delay valve. I did not think it would be so bad. I am going to take it in the garage and have it swaped out this week. Thank you.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but what was the purpose for adding the slave cylinder delay? What function does a delay serve? Honda does not usually make it a habit of adding unnecessary complexity to its cars.

 

I think it was an attempt to slow down the rate at which rear diffs were getting blown. With the delay valve, you might burn your clutch once and stop and think about it before trying it again and maybe prolong its life. Without the valve, you can do clutch dumps and high rpm rapid shifts and the rear can just let go. Once it's gone, there's no saving it.

 

Yes, there is a clutch delay valve (intended to keep shock loads from busting the rest of the driveline).

Even without the valve, however, this car needs a hi-rev, side-stepped-clutch launch to avoid the slip you experienced. Not good for the aforementioned rest of the driveline.

If you just did this once, and the clutch seemed to recover, you are probably alright - no repair required. Try driving at 4000-5000 rpm in 4th gear, then giving it full throttle to see if engine speed stays proportional to car speed.

 

I did not have the slip on the launch was quite nice one of my best. It was the shift into 2nd I did it quick and fast also very good but I just stood still as the BMW left me. I then it the Rev limiter, tried 3rd. No go... Still slipping. Figured I better stop get in to gear and drove around to help in its cooling. I learned to drive on a 89 Probe GT which required some clutch slipping to get the car up and running to get the Turbo worked up and charged. But this in the s2000 scared me in the sense I was going to have to spend 1k to fix it.. More the the 1999 550 Ferrari, I got to drive pretty hard in the mountains in Saratoga area and was really worried I could not afford to fix it.


Thank you for the idea to check the cluctch. I will try it latter in the week. The car is parked for a few days until the weather is nicer.

 

Based on your first description:
You did not really "launch" in the traditional sense of the word. You would have never got away with dropping the clutch at 3K without that delay valve. The car would have immediately hooked up and bogged. That delay valve allowed you to do what the rest of us pre'-04 owners do to get going - a 3K clutch slip take-off, which is actually a pretty gentle take off for an S2000.