Any (easy) way to stiffen up the feel of the clutch?

[Partial Stall]

I love my new BRZ, but with the soft clutch its hard to know when the tranny couples with the engine. Is there some way I can adjust the clutch so I get more feel out of it?

[OrbitalEllipses]

Check if there's a clutch delay valve; unhooking that will give you more direct and less dampened clutch feel.

[DespaiRepair]

Make sure to post if you find an answer because I definitely would like a little more clutch feel....

[Julio86]

Originally Posted by Partial Stall

I love my new BRZ, but with the soft clutch its hard to know when the tranny couples with the engine. Is there some way I can adjust the clutch so I get more feel out of it?

This^^^^
Love the car not the clutch do much

[dsgerbc]

Honestly, when I just got the car I thought that it was needed too, but after roughly 500 miles I got used to it and don't think this is needed.

[Julio86]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

Honestly, when I just got the car I thought that it was needed too, but after roughly 500 miles I got used to it and don't think this is needed.

But for those who do? Lol

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Julio86

But for those who do? Lol

Buy TIS 2-day access for $15 and study the service manual portion related to clutch?

[Partial Stall]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

Honestly, when I just got the car I thought that it was needed too, but after roughly 500 miles I got used to it and don't think this is needed.

At 250 miles now and I'm starting to get used to it a bit more I guess, but the entire rest of the car is so hard and precise that having a floppy clutch
is kinda a joke.

[Julio86]

Originally Posted by dsgerbc

Buy TIS 2-day access for $15 and study the service manual portion related to clutch?

Link?/where? Thnx btw

[dsgerbc]

Originally Posted by Julio86

Link?/where? Thnx btw

techinfo.toyota.com

[old greg]

That depends on what you consider "easy". The easiest solution would be to wait for some aftermarket clutch company to make a more heavily sprung clutch, buy it and pay someone else to install it for you. Alternatively, find out the bore of the stock clutch master cylinder (it should be stamped into the side of the MC), then get a larger bore clutch master cylinder for some other Subaru and hope it fits.

[Future]

(I don't have the car yet...) If it is like my previous IS300, there could be a tiny damper between the master and the slave in the engine, you just unscrew it, put a fitting to connecter the two ends together, and boom 100% more clutch feel.

[ahausheer]

Originally Posted by Future

(I don't have the car yet...) If it is like my previous IS300, there could be a tiny damper between the master and the slave in the engine, you just unscrew it, put a fitting to connecter the two ends together, and boom 100% more clutch feel.

Is that line fluid filled or is it a vacuum line? What does the damper do? how does it change the feel exactly and are there any drawbacks?

[old greg]

Originally Posted by ahausheer

Is that line fluid filled or is it a vacuum line?

That's the hydraulic line for the clutch, the damper is mounted inline with the master and slave cylinders and effects the flow of fluid between the two.

Originally Posted by ahausheer

What does the damper do? how does it change the feel exactly and are there any drawbacks?

Short answer: NVH.

Torque pulses from the crankshaft cause vibrations in the flywheel that are transferred through the clutch release mechanism during clutch (dis)engagement. These vibrations travel through the clutch hydraulic line, through the master cylinder and into the pedal where they can be felt and sometimes heard by the driver. The damper gets rid of these vibrations.

It doesn't change the pedal effort, it just disconnects you a little from the clutch. It's a bit like steering rack bushings; the car turns the same with soft bushings but you don't get the same direct feedback/response feeling you would have with stiffer bushings.

On some cars, they are also set up to restrict the maximum flow rate of fluid from the slave cylinder to the master cylinder as a sort of anti-clutch-drop measure to help keep transmissions in one piece. A prime example is the WRX: 2002 = no damper, 2003 = damper.

[civicdrivr]

I hate the feel - or lack thereof - from the stock clutch. I removed the damping device and the check valve that was in my CL, and it made a huge difference. Ill be seeing if this car has the same thing.

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by Partial Stall

At 250 miles now and I'm starting to get used to it a bit more I guess, but the entire rest of the car is so hard and precise that having a floppy clutch
is kinda a joke.

Wait until you get back into a car with a normal clutch. When I stepped on the clutch to start my STI I had to double check to make sure I wasn't stepping on the brake pedal.

[Draco-REX]

Originally Posted by Future

(I don't have the car yet...) If it is like my previous IS300, there could be a tiny damper between the master and the slave in the engine, you just unscrew it, put a fitting to connecter the two ends together, and boom 100% more clutch feel.

I'll try to remember to see if it's easily found/removed like this. The usual Subaru delay valve is a bit harder to get to.

[Partial Stall]

If you guys find it, and mess with it, let me know how it turns out. Haha not saying I want ya to be guinea pigs though

[FrX]

The light clutch was one of my complaints as well. Looked under the hood today. There is only about 15 inches of clutch line in total. About half hardline, half rubber. The connection between the hardline and rubber appeared to just be a standard fitting, vs a delay valve. I don't think we are gonna find any improvement there.

The hardline is mostly arranged in a large loop. Probably to act sort of like a damper. You could probably regain a *tiny* bit of feel with a braided line straight from the master cylinder to the slave.

[Symbiont]

Evidently I'm in the minority. Although a bit more 'feel' might be nice for some people, strengthening the clutch would just end up aggravating my knee injury. I was already worried that it would be too hard, but the clutch feel was predictable and obvious to me. I haven't even come close to stalling it even without having driven a manual in almost 12 years, and the shifts are always crisp and smooth.

[phm14]

Is there a pedal return spring?

[Koji_Online]

There is, under the steering column; it's in plain view attached to the pedal; I beleive removing this spring & just leaving the pedal to work only against the master cylinder would do the trick

Originally Posted by phm14

Is there a pedal return spring?

I just didn't want to mess with it yet; one thing I did modify
was the clutch grab point by screwing in the master cylinder threads into the clutch pedal bracket.

Lowered physical pedal height & now my clutch grab point is super close to the floor without any gear grinds/ hesitation shifting back & forth between 1st and Reverse