You are going to find the motor needs to be replaced, this is a common issue and there is a common link: ACT pressure plate combined with boost. I'm confident driver technique comes in to play also in combination with these two main factors.

Your block and crank thrust surfaces are going to be trashed and its never going to be right.

Been down this road many times.

"dropping the girdle" is a term that shouldn't be taken lightly. You will find it was easier to pull the engine than drop the girdle.

Transmission and clutch need to come out, as well as complete front engine teardown to remove the crank to access the upper thrust washer.

EVEN if your motor is saveable, you will need to pull the engine.

 

I had that happened to me, car dies everytime I engaged the clutch pedal. Took the oil pan off and found out the thrust bearing were sitting at the bottom of the pan. I recommand just replacing the bottom end, the amount of work that needs done to at least save it, and may still have problems later down the road your better off buying a used bottom end. Also check your cam caps! When my thrust bearing failed, the head was trashed as well from being starved off oil and my cam cap closes to the firewall snapped. Hope you have better luck then me!

 

I disabled my clutch interlock switch to allow me to start the car without pushing in the clutch pedal, I always heard that your thrust bearings will last longer that way. Though that won't protect you from aftermarket clutch related issues.

 

Same thing happened to my last motor. You'll need an engine

 

I have to ask. What does boost have to do with it?

 

Wild guess: S2k's with boost need the stronger PP?

 

Wild guess: S2k's with boost need the stronger PP?

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However Billman implied NA with the same ACT PP does not have the issue. So what does boost have to do with it?

 

My guess would be that boost would give you more torque during hard launches. Combined with the extra force of the ACT PP on the thrust washer, that could make the difference.

 

I'm not sure of the correlation, but quite a few have had this same problem.

They were all boosted, and had an ACT pressure plate.

I've been using my OLD style ACT pp (stronger type) for 120k with no problems (non-boost)

 

Suppose you have a F20 on a test bench, just the engine, nothing attached to the flywheel.
(or something is attached that you know does not generate axial force)
Would that engine, when its running, put any load on the thrust washer?
Is there another load when you start the engine?

IMO it would need a thrust washer to keep the crank in position, IOW stop it from wandering back and forth, but that would take very little load.
Even that small load will need a proper bearing surface, not just steel on alu.
That "bearing" will last forever though, IMO.

Now, increase the torque output (add a turbo or SC)
What happens?


IMO, starting the engine (cold is worse but warm is also not ok) with the clutch in is the worst you can do regarding the thrust washer.
With the OEM PP it is most likele not a huge on-your-way-to-engine-failure issue, with a stronger PP it is, so