Clutch Spring Removal? Effects on TOB

[ApexEight]

I've had two twins and have done the mod to both. With my first, I waited a while to do it and was blown away at the difference and wish I had done it before. MTec makes a clutch spring that is lighter than stock but also keeps play out of the pedal.

[humfrz]

Why would anybody want to remove the clutch spring anyway ??......

Really, I'm serious.


humfrz

[brkn86]

Originally Posted by Joyride86

I haven't and I'm 2.5 years in.

with your stock TOB and clutch fork?

[Ghost of Akina]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Why would anybody want to remove the clutch spring anyway ??......

Really, I'm serious.


humfrz

I’m curious to try it to see what the whole big deal is about myself...

[brkn86]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Why would anybody want to remove the clutch spring anyway ??......

Really, I'm serious.


humfrz

it was a big difference IMO, i can actually feel the car and engagement point if that makes any sense. When i had the spring in i couldn't feel anything. It was difficult to downshift/ heel toe.

[brkn86]

Originally Posted by ermax

It does both actually. The spring expands pressing the pedal up. Then as you press down on the pedal it compresses the spring until it pivots into the other direction and then starts expanding again helping press the pedal the rest of the way to the floor. If you don't adjust the engagement point after the spring removal the pedal will droop a little. I could actually see how it could put a little pressure on the TOB. The question is, is it enough pressure to make contact with the TOB. Hmmm.

That clutch engagement adjustment could also be dangerous if people preload it too much. That would probably be worse than the spring removal itself.

Perfect solution would probably be a replacement spring that has enough force to hold the pedal up but not enough to assist (mask) the pressure plate.

I did the spring but never messed with the engagement. I kind of like it better without the spring but wasn't as blown away as some others have been. Now that I've had it removed for a while I am tempted to put it back in and see if I like it better in stock form.

Is it possible to adjust the clutch to be a bit lifted after the spring removal? So that way it won't have that spongy feel.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by brkn86

it was a big difference IMO, i can actually feel the car and engagement point if that makes any sense. When i had the spring in i couldn't feel anything. It was difficult to downshift/ heel toe.

Thanks for your input ...... but I'm still confused.

With the spring removed, does it make it harder to push the clutch in ....thus giving it more "feel" ......??

I'd go out and try it myself, but the last time I turned upside down and slid my head under there ...... I didn't think I was going to be able to get back out .....


humfrz

[brkn86]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Thanks for your input ...... but I'm still confused.

With the spring removed, does it make it harder to push the clutch in ....thus giving it more "feel" ......??

I'd go out and try it myself, but the last time I turned upside down and slid my head under there ...... I didn't think I was going to be able to get back out .....


humfrz

i always thought the clutch felt dead and no feeling at all, when the spring was removed the clutch felt stiff which it would give you the "feel" this is something you're gunna have to try out yourself no matter how much i describe it to you lol. as of right now i don't see myself putting the spring back anytime soon.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by brkn86

Is it possible to adjust the clutch to be a bit lifted after the spring removal? So that way it won't have that spongy feel.

That spongy feel is important. Cannot be eliminated. It is the range of travel that allows the actual clutch operate mechanism to adjust to the pressure plate fingers as they slowly migrate outward from normal clutch wear.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by brkn86

i always thought the clutch felt dead and no feeling at all, when the spring was removed the clutch felt stiff which it would give you the "feel" this is something you're gunna have to try out yourself no matter how much i describe it to you lol. as of right now i don't see myself putting the spring back anytime soon.

Oh, OK, so the spring makes the clutch easier to push down .. ??

I'll stick with the spring ....... cause my old leg likes easy.......

All that stiff clutch talk reminds me of when I was a kid, back-on-the-farm.

We had these big ol tractors that the foot clutch lever worked the pressure plate directly (well, yes it had a TOB in between).

That tractor had a big, hairy clutch (off to the left side, where you would expect to see it) and for me (as a young boy) to push the clutch in, I had to use both feet & legs and wrap my arms around the steering wheel, then push like hell THEN reach over and pop the transmission out of gear.

Stopping wasn't all that bad, but starting off, pulling a ground working implement, took not only strength but finesse.

For that reason ....... I just don't like stuff clutches.

THE END

(I get a kick, today, reading how some new drivers are having a hard time with a clutch and a manual transmission)




humfrz

[ermax]

To me it seems like it is that pivot point where the helper spring goes from helping the pedal go down to springing the pedal back up that confused the real engagement point. Hard to explain. That sort of popping feeling in the pedal is eliminated. It does make the pedal significantly harder to press though. I’ve had cars in the past that were not this stiff but still had good feel.

As I said before, I think I’m going to put mine back in just for the hell of it. I think then I will know for sure which way I like best. I’m guessing I will end up removing it 1 hour later though. Hahaha

[guybo]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Oh, OK, so the spring makes the clutch easier to push down .. ??

I'll stick with the spring ....... cause my old leg likes easy.......


humfrz

My left knee gives me problems sometimes and I was a little nervous about deleting the spring but I did it and never had an issue. Even driving 12 hours I never had a prob. The clutch is still very light after the spring delete. But the clutch is more linear and predictable

[Joyride86]

Originally Posted by brkn86

with your stock TOB and clutch fork?

Yes, stock TOB and clutch fork. No abnormal noises or issues.

The clutch is heavier, but no heavier than anything else I've driven. With the spring in, the clutch lacked feeling for me. I'm sure I could've gotten used to it, but I removed it anyways. I'm very happy with the results.

[SLVRSRFR]

Originally Posted by ermax

As I said before, I think I’m going to put mine back in just for the hell of it. I think then I will know for sure which way I like best. I’m guessing I will end up removing it 1 hour later though. Hahaha

Good luck with that! The removal is fairly easy, but I've heard that reinstalling the spring is a complete pain in the ass.

I've had mine out for a few years now with zero issues and zero regrets. I will echo what some others have already said in this thread: I felt that the clutch with the spring installed was simply too "vague", like I couldn't really properly feel the engagement point.

Taking it out made such a huge difference for a simple, FREE 20 minute job; clutch is not really much "heavier" than it was before, but has a LOT more feel to it, so I can now accurately tell where the grab point is instead of completely guessing.

I had a BMW E90 before this car, which had a dreaded CDV in it (clutch delay valve) which was even WORSE. It made you feel like you had no idea how to drive stick, even as a seasoned manual driver. It would delay the engagement by a split second and was really hard to get the hang of. I never removed it during the 3 years I had the car, but it was a lot more of an involved job than it was to remove the spring from my BRZ, which was thankfully pretty easy over-all. Even with the spring in, the BRZ clutch was still better than the BMW clutch with that god-awful CDV.