Well, I finally hit 600 miles today, and I did a couple of VTEC launches. All I have to say is WOW! This car has some power!!

Right after I did a VTEC launch, and then slowed down again in a nearby light industrial area, I met a cop going the other way. I wasn't going super fast, but probably fast enough to get a ticket. What are the chances of that?? The only two cars around were me and the cop. I wouldn't try a VTEC launch in a residential area, because the last thing that I want is to hit somebody (person or car).

Jason

 

You mean like droping the clutch at 6000rpm?

 

Mmmm hmmmmm.... Or thereabouts.

 

Wouldn't that be bad for clutch among other things?

 

I'm sure that dropping the clutch at or around 6000rpm isn't necessarily good for the car. But then again, if you want to preserve the car and it's innards, why not just flat bed it home from the dealer, remove the roof on your garage, have a crane lift the car off the truck and put it down in your garage with goose down pillows under each of the four wheels. Then, once you can afford it, construct a humongous house sized vaccum, and park the S in there. That way, there's no chance that the dust would scratch the paint as it floated by in the air.

Sorry...had to vent. But yeah...about that launch. I'm no expert, I've just read more about this car than is construed as "healthy" for a normal person. At any rate, like I said, it's probably not great for the clutch, but I think the car is basically made to rape on the road. So replacing a clutch is probably not a big deal for some people. If you bought it to look hot on the road, well great, excellent choice. Maybe some others ("toewsj" I'm guessing is one of them) bought it to make it grab it's ankles everytime they got behind the wheel.

 

Actually the clutch is the least of it. Doing 6K holeshots is great for your 0-60 times but it IS a tremendous shock to the drive train. Do it often enough and things like your differential will break, transmission shaft bearings, halfshafts, etc.... If you ride out the clutch it will mitigate most of the shock at the expense of the clutch, sidestepping will shock the drivetrain.

There is a difference between driving your car and abusing it. Race drivers learn this because the guys who use up their cars never get to finish the race. A certain sensitivity to mechanical stresses is not a bad thing.

 

I'm fully aware that it's not good for the car, but it's not something I do all of the time. I would say that you would not have fully appreciated the car, unless you do a VTEC launch. I tried it twice last night, and I probably won't try it again for a while.

It probably won't have any problems til after I sell it anyways!! I certainly not going out of my way to abuse it. It's my baby!!! You should see how much care I put into waxing it last night!!

Jason

 

About launches,

What about putting the rev between 6000 and 7000rpm and smoothly removing your foot from the clutch while pressing the "accelerator" (don't know the exact word)

The aim is to stay over 6000rpm without spinning the wheels and hurting the clutch... (it was ok on my subaru impreza turbo but it was also a 4WD....)

 

6-7k and "Smoothly" letting the clutch out?

Can you smell it already? (How much is a new clutch anyway?)

-- Aaron

 

Slipping the clutch with the rpms at 6-7000 rpm is a big no no...it will definitely smoke the clutch.