HELP - Car Shifts Hard (Please Read)
 

So I know the immediate answer to a manual car sticking in gear is usually the clutch or something related, but my Stage 2 ACT Clutch is brand new. I'm thinking maybe the clutch fork but I am curious if anyone else has had this issue.

Long story short:

Car shifts hard
When I come to a stop it is hard to pull the shifter out of gear
When I come to a stop and go to neutral it takes multiple tries to get the car back into first
Most of the time it shifts fine 1-6 but sometimes it'll get sticky

I know the clutch was installed properly
The clutch pedal still feels the same and the car shifts fine when it's off
The fluid is good, the lines are good and the master/slave cyls are good

I am extremely frustrated
The car is driveable but not smooth at times
Also for reference it seems like when it's hot outside it gets worse

Any ideas? TIA

There is a long history of issues with ACT clutches reported on this forum.

Did you replace the OEM clutch fork and pivot?

Doesn't matter.
It's an ACT.

I did not have that issue but I know my ACT clutch took a couple of thousand miles to break in and feel ok. As stated above I would be worries about flex in a stock fork since you upgraded the clutch. Next I would bleed the clutch.

I love statements like this. Like anyone gets done and says “I did not install it right”. A human never thinks he makes a mistake. That is our weakness and why you go to the human factor first.

I have always sort of wondered with all the people that complained about the ACT if they just didn't wait long enough. In theory nothing should need a couple of thousand miles to break in though.

It more than that - people come and say "I change X and now my car is broken. Can it be Y or Z?". The inevitable answer is "you changed X, start from checking X again".

But yeah, ACT clutches are well known to cause issues on the Twins. With so many complaints on the forums for these it's a wonder people still buy them...

I would not go ACT again. I do have 20k+ no issue miles on it now. But yes the break in period was to long.

i always wonder if what they're waiting for is the springs to fatigue to a more relaxed state-- something about ACT's tempering process or metalurgy could be odd

Could be. All I know is that over the year on this forum about 8 out of 10 "My clutch sucks what can I do?" threads involve ACT.

all i know is that it's been a really long year. almost felt like 7 years to me.

Well if it comes down to needing to replace the clutch again (or whenever that happens inevitably) what would you recommend? Literally all my friends run ACT (albeit not all in FRS/86s) so I don't see myself much variety.

I'm thinking Comp because I've heard worse about Exedy.

Well when I say it's "brand new" that is still post-break in. I have put over 2K miles on the clutch, I drive the car quite a bit so it's happened pretty quick. As far as ACT goes, I've heard the stories but never had issues with them before. This isn't my first car, just the first time I've had this issue so quickly. I will check the clutch fork, that seems to be the unanimous possibility

You didn't ask me, but, I would suggest you just go with an OEM clutch - just don't hammer on it - ;)

Why? My car is (partially) set up for drifting, and is continuing down that road, not hammering on it isn't exactly possible lol. And why OEM? The OEM clutches in these cars are known to be pretty terrible under power/hard driving. I guess I just expected more from ACT, and before anyone says anything yes it's not my daily and yes it is a drift project but I did break in the clutch correctly long after the recommended miles.

So, how much power are you putting through the clutch in your car?

OEM is Exedy. And there's nothing wrong with it.
Maybe there's a reason why Toyota didn't use ACT as the OEM.

And sometimes aftermarket isn't better.

Dude don't get all defensive and uppity. You asked for input and got it.
We are not talking about ACT in other cars here we are talking about them in the twins. The "unanimous" possibility here has been the ACT not the fork. Your friends that have one are probably a sample size of what 4 maybe 5? There are literally hundreds of complaints about the ACT on the forum alone. I have no answer as to exactly why they are so bad in this car but there is zero doubt that they indeed suck.
Fine if you don't want to believe it and throw parts at it to try to fix your issue but many have gone that route before and failed.

https://media4.giphy.com/media/3oeSA...FX6o/giphy.gif

Not trying to thread jack, I just want you to know that I have a very similar issue. For me it’s very difficult to get into 1st and reverse. Sometimes I’ll even turn off the car put it in gear then turn it back on. I have a south bend stage 2 and a versus clutch fork and pivot installed by PTuning along with their turbo kit . I’ve bled the line and adjusted the clutch pedal multiple times. Also replaced the slave cylinder. I still haven’t resolved the issue. This all started 2 months after my clutch/turbo install in March of 2019. Been driving with the issue ever since :)

Have you tried to go under the dash and adjust the clutch rod?

I think you posted your symptoms in another thread and i replied it back.
I have exact same setup on clutch (South Bend stg 2) with clutch fork and pivot from Versus

I have same issue. i replaced transmission fluid as well as diff. fluid and got little better but it's still there.

It's hard to explain and this is not solution but there is a little momentum when you shift into gear and it goes in without problem. lol

also double clutching also helps when you stopped and try to get into 1st

I just live with it now.

Try what this guy did
https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149207