The clutch on my 2003 ap1 started slipping while on the highway (RPMs would rise drastically faster than usual with minimal acceleration). I parked the car for a few hours then drove it again with the slipping clutch and made it all of about a mile before I completely lost engagement and the car would not move. I can go into gear just fine but when I compress the clutch to go into gear the car won’t move and also will not stall when in gear at a standstill with the clutch pedal no compressed. For a few weeks there was this metallic pinging sound that could be heard when the engine was above 4k both in neutral at a standstill and while driving. The same sound could also be faintly heard when shaking the shifter when in neutral. That sound is no longer there now that the clutch completely stopped engaging. I can start the car no problem. Any idea what this could be?

 

Unless something is physically blocking the release fork from returning to the engaged position (unlikely), then the clutch is worn out or broken. Either case would be pulling the trans to fix. The pinging you heard may have been a spring or finger breaking from the clutch.

Typically with a worn clutch you will start noticing some slipping that will continue to get worse. It happening this suddenly, along with the noise you heard, makes me think something within the clutch broke as I mention above.

 

It sounds like a worn out clutch

How many miles are on the car and is it the original clutch? Or...is there an aftermarket clutch in the car?

 

the clutch in our cars is a sensitive area. there is a ton of options but even great name brand ones will come with a annoying noise called clutch buzz you def wont want that in a daily. spend the 800-1k and get a ACT HEAVY DUTY clutch kit and flywheel from ebay or any site you catch it for sale.

got mine from ebay.

it has the oem flywheel bearing,oem throwout bearing,oem exedy clutch disc and the act heavy duty pressure plate it has 40% more clamping force over stock and guys love this setup some beat on it with 400whp! get this and a flywheel the flywheel is sold seperate and while your in there is a great time to do a upgrade to a 12 pound flwyheel little lighter than stock its not breaking the bank and a noticeable pickup in accel!

 

12lb flywheel is not much of an upgrade on his AP1 (OEM is 14lbs) . I run an 8lb flywheel in my ap1. Cannot feel any difference in acceleration with it. It does make for better rev matching on track though. But whether the OP has any use for that depends on usage of the car. It does remove inertial which also affects how it launches which is a downside, but for me, I really did not notice that much at all and adjusted to it right away. Some tend to notice that more than others, especially in stop and go traffic. Honestly unless tracking the car or doing some seriously hard driving, I would probably say just resurface and re-use the OEM flywheel,.

 

im sorry but ima highly dissagree with you i have previous runs with my buddys stock 2005 s2000 and hes a very great driver also a great rev matcher. our runs ended up completely different with my ap1 revving a tad faster than before and a almost 2 car advantage after. stop and go traffic is all im usually in and it most def picks up faster. 2 pounds is 2 pounds and i have heard terrible things on 8 pound flywheels for city driving. 12 pound flywheel at the time i got mine was 120 why take the time and gas out of your day to deal with a machine shop and be set back on time spent waiting for it. in my town shops are always hella backed up usually a day or 2 for a resurface and then thats if they properly do it. id just do a amazon prime 2 day shipping order and know my parts new with a little upgrade vs a oem salvaged flywheel. there is cases also where you cant see by eye but if the flywheel was burned/scarred badly its not ideal to reuse it.

 

Sorry, no way a 2lb reduction in flywheel gave you a 2 car gap. Just not gonna happen. That is bordeline hondatech talk right there to be quite blunt. I have tracked this car for years, so I think I would notice if I gained that much acceleration via track times (hint, nope, not nearly that much change). You are looking at the amount of change to just the flywheels rotational inertia and ignoring the fact you have to account for ALL of the engine and drive train rotational inertia, including the wheels and tires. So that 2 lbs change is out of all of it, not just the flywheel, which is why you notice the effects on rev matching WAY more than any impact on acceleration.


I HAVE an 8lb flywheel and have not just heard things about it. A few highly exaggerate the negatives. If I just drove mine on the street in the city all the time would I do it? No but I would not go to a 12 lb either. Honestly I think the 12lb is mostly a waste of time and money. It took me about one launch to completely adjust to the 8 lb unit and honestly cannot tell the difference after that other than with clutch in when rev matching. There is an impact on lauch, but honestly you adjust quickly to that. The positive effects on rev matching though are completely worth it on track though.. Still not the earth shattering impact some expect though, but a benefit.

If you are buying a good flywheel, it is more than $120 these days. But a Pro lite is still cheaper than OEM last I checked. But more expensive than having the OEM resurfaced.

 

the flywheel alone i personally choose and pick for the 4 cars i have installed clutches for love them i even had a friend tell his boss who is the owner at jp towing in my area say he loved his setup which is the same setup i have ran for 3 years now. the flywheel for 12 pounds and 120 bucks is def a great deal i dont speak on people tracking it and giving it hell all day. im speaking for a daily city commute exp with also taking your typical highway and roll abuse. holds up fantastic.

 

Verify/rule out clutch hydraulics before proceeding. Rattle based on the rpm could be a loose friction disc spring

 

It sounds like a worn-out clutch disc. If you drop the transmission and replace the clutch — go with OEM Honda parts numbered clutch disc, throwout and pilot bearings, and pressure plate.

I did that, and the clutch feels very smooth and light. It's been reliable. It was done in May 2021. Don't forget good high-temperature grease. I had the mechanic use Honda's High Temp Urea Grease.