Breaking in clutch questions.

[incutebus]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

It's a really good question and it's nearly impossible for me to explain in words. Luckily, it's easy to demonstrate using one's own hands while considering the high school physics thing about friction, work, and heat.

The object is to minimize the total amount of heat energy transferred through the clutch with each operation so that, as it's operated over time, the amount of heat dumped into it doesn't exceed its ability to shed it through the pressure plate and flywheel. This rate of heat over time is called power. Horsepower, KiloWatts, Joules per second, whatever.

If hands are rubbed together lightly enough, they never get too hot no matter how long they are rubbed.

Next, rub them together with medium force 20 times, stop, and hold.

How long does it take for your hands to cool down.

Rub them together again but this time really hard. See where I'm going?

You can launch but give your clutch a chance to cool. That's why I cringe whenever I hear the sound of throttle being applied before clutch is fully engaged. Sloppy upshift is a horrible waste.

Woo, class is in session. Yes, I remember my physics classes lol.

Long story short, fully let go of clutch before use of gas and don't use the gas to slip the clutch even if it makes it more smooth. This is one of those times where I'd wish my clutch wasn't so soft lol.

So as long as I don't glaze the clutch i.e hold it at the friction point for 2-3 seconds I should be fine?

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by incutebus

So as long as I don't glaze the clutch i.e hold it at the friction point for 2-3 seconds I should be fine?

Brakes are to hold the car still, not the clutch. Brakes are cheap and easy to replace. Blah blah...

But it is a consumable. Just use it for it's intended purpose and enjoy exploring the limits. You'll feel it get hot way before you smell it. If it gets mushy on engagement, it's

too

fucking

hot.

[incutebus]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Brakes are to hold the car still, not the clutch. Brakes are cheap and easy to replace. Blah blah...

But it is a consumable. Just use it for it's intended purpose and enjoy exploring the limits. You'll feel it get hot way before you smell it. If it gets mushy on engagement, it's

too

fucking

hot.

Any extra tips on high performance clutches or are they kinda more or less the same?

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by incutebus

This is one of those times where I'd wish my clutch wasn't so soft lol.

I suggest this thread where I explore that same frustration. It leads into my DIY which is a beginner mod that transforms the operation of the clutch. Unlike the spring removal one, this actually changes the throw ratio.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by incutebus

Any extra tips on high performance clutches or are they kinda more or less the same?

I hear that some can be tricky to modulate and prone to chatter. Chatter is awful for this transmission in particular.

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by incutebus

Woo, class is in session. Yes, I remember my physics classes lol.

Long story short, fully let go of clutch before use of gas and don't use the gas to slip the clutch even if it makes it more smooth. This is one of those times where I'd wish my clutch wasn't so soft lol.

So as long as I don't glaze the clutch i.e hold it at the friction point for 2-3 seconds I should be fine?

Just to clarify...
Use the bolded technique only when shifting. The clutch is designed to slip on startup from a stop. It's fine (and recommended) to modulate to clutch when you start the car moving as long as you apply a low amount of power until the clutch hooks up.

Might be obvious, but had to make that clarification just in case.

[incutebus]

Originally Posted by Spuds

Just to clarify...
Use the bolded technique only when shifting. The clutch is designed to slip on startup from a stop. It's fine (and recommended) to modulate to clutch when you start the car moving as long as you apply a low amount of power until the clutch hooks up.

Might be obvious, but had to make that clarification just in case.

Wow, I've been driving manuals wrong then. I can't really feel the engagement of my clutch unless I'm barefooted. What I normally do is clutch in, shift up, move clutch to engagement point and add a slide bit of gas while getting go of the clutch. Is this wrong even with using a 1.5l engine and a Honda clutch with a cdv? No matter how smooth I let go of the clutch, it will jerk unless I add some gas.

[humfrz]

@incutebus

push clutch in

start car

put in gear

let clutch out and press on gas ….. (both at once)

drive car

press in clutch let off gas (both at once)

take car out of gear

just do all of the above, in that order, without thinking about it …..

Now, if you come back before you practice that ……. I'm ah gonna hafta ya.


humfrz

[incutebus]

Originally Posted by humfrz

@incutebus

push clutch in

start car

put in gear

let clutch out and press on gas ….. (both at once)

drive car

press in clutch let off gas (both at once)

take car out of gear

just do all of the above, in that order, without thinking about it …..

Now, if you come back before you practice that ……. I'm ah gonna hafta ya.


humfrz

I think I'm gonna remove my CDV lol. Second manual I owned. My first M/T was a 92 passat and it wasn't as notchy shifting as this civic :p. It may just be me not used to having a delay in a shift.

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by incutebus

I think I'm gonna remove my CDV lol. Second manual I owned. My first M/T was a 92 passat and it wasn't as notchy shifting as this civic :p. It may just be me not used to having a delay in a shift.

Well, if you can't get used to it, you can always take it out.

It doesn't look that hard.

It would be easy for me …. just drive up to the local auto shop, tell the guys to take out the CDV and be sure to bleed the system. Have a cup of coffee and a smoke, tell a couple of back-in-the-day stories, pay them, drive home and take a nap.






humfrz

[incutebus]

Guess deleting my cdv did it 👌👌👌