View Poll Results: How are the 05 and MR clutches holding up?
05...No problems....under 5K
16
26.23%
05...No problems....over 5K
7
11.48%
05...Problems
3
4.92%
MR....No problems...Under 5K
18
29.51%
MR....No problems...Over 5K
11
18.03%
MR...Problems
6
9.84%
Voters: 61. You may not vote on this poll
How are the 05's and MRs clutches holding up?
Originally Posted by jeffm1999
No problems really for me. I've got an '05 with about 2500 miles on it. Only thing I've noticed is a horrid smell of burning clutch after a hard launch. I've heard other people complain about difficulty knowing the exact point where the clutch engages, which may may be causing me extra slippage when I launch, becuase I tend to ride the clutch til about 20 mph on a hard launch. Other than bad smell and most likely a little extra wear and tear due to me launching it, clutch seems adequate.... synchros though, thats another story 
I think that people as a whole will be a little bit more cautious since all the complaints about the 03 and 04. But some will try to give the clutch a load it is not ready for and mess them up regardless.. Just remember that u should love this car and dont want to destroy it, Save the hard launching for after u have the new clutch and can install it whenever u want. Also the labor is around $1,000 so be prepared for the costs before u destroy ur stock piece
restrictor pill mod + SS line makes it great. i'm at just about 6k miles on my '05 and the clutch feels confident and sturdy. who knows. i have launched it, never dropped, always quick slipped and clutch smell is not the norm.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 78
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From: Seattle
umm right when i traded in my '03 silver, the clutch was starting to go out (15,000 miles). have started a policy of never launching the MR from a standstill. they'll think they're beating me to about 10mph.....then BOOM!
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iTrader: (1)
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From: Westchester NY
Originally Posted by HwangTKD
I believe MANY of the clutch problems stems with people not knowing how to get the evo moving. Here r the 2 factors:
1) Lack of low end torque
2) more work is required to move the 4 wheel drive components
After the third month of ownership, a close friend of mine (a trucker with 40 years of driving experience) pointed out that I was riding the clutch bad! I did not know how to properly get the evo going without riding the clutch. I have been driving stick for 10+ years so I do know how to drive properly. This user induced "premature wear" combined with aggressive launches and a weak mitsu clutch, are the leading factors that contribute to clutch failure. Btw I have 63K on the stock clutch.
Bobby
1) Lack of low end torque
2) more work is required to move the 4 wheel drive components
After the third month of ownership, a close friend of mine (a trucker with 40 years of driving experience) pointed out that I was riding the clutch bad! I did not know how to properly get the evo going without riding the clutch. I have been driving stick for 10+ years so I do know how to drive properly. This user induced "premature wear" combined with aggressive launches and a weak mitsu clutch, are the leading factors that contribute to clutch failure. Btw I have 63K on the stock clutch.
Bobby
What he probably means is it's better to start from a stop doing a quick slip from 2500RPMS than a long slip from 1500RPMs, the less time the clutch is slipping, the less wear and heat you will induce.
Originally Posted by jeffm1999
No problems really for me. I've got an '05 with about 2500 miles on it. Only thing I've noticed is a horrid smell of burning clutch after a hard launch. I've heard other people complain about difficulty knowing the exact point where the clutch engages, which may may be causing me extra slippage when I launch, becuase I tend to ride the clutch til about 20 mph on a hard launch. Other than bad smell and most likely a little extra wear and tear due to me launching it, clutch seems adequate.... synchros though, thats another story
Originally Posted by dohcvtec
i just broke 10k in my 05 today, still good as new. i think some people just dont know how to drive? :P
Originally Posted by crusin_lancer
Damn! I'm just about to hit 9000 miles on my 03 and you already have 10k on your 05? Mine is a daily driver too.
well, when i was in school it was 1 hour in one direction from home, then work was 1 hour in another direction, then a 45 min drive home. now my commute at my new job is ~1.5hrs in each direction. not to mention the 6 trips to tahoe in the snow already :P . i even drive my g/f's bmw or my honda to work sometimes. my poor evo
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 62
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Extended clutch life tips
The stock mitsu clutch is not a drag clutch and has a low clamping force. If you want your stock clutch to last, you need to stop doing a few things.
No drag launches, in fact, no launches above 2,500 rpms. In fact, you really don' t need to slip the clutch more than 2000 rpms.
Do not shock load the clutch. No shifting without lifting the gas pedal, especially when downshifting.
No extended slipping of the clutch.
Don't use the clutch to keep yourself from rolling down a hill. Use your brakes!
Don't start out in 2nd gear, or slip the clutch in 2nd gear to go slowly. Use 1st!
If you smell your clutch, you have just drastically reduced the life of your clutch. Life of the clutch is directly proportionate to the smell of your clutch. The stinkier and stronger it is, the shorter the life span.
If you want to do any of these things, go get a stronger aftermarket clutch. If you follow my advice, your clutch will last approx 60k miles.
If you carefully abuse a aftermarket clutch, it should also last approx 60k miles. If you recklessly abuse a aftermarket clutch, expect to replace it alot sooner.
No drag launches, in fact, no launches above 2,500 rpms. In fact, you really don' t need to slip the clutch more than 2000 rpms.
Do not shock load the clutch. No shifting without lifting the gas pedal, especially when downshifting.
No extended slipping of the clutch.
Don't use the clutch to keep yourself from rolling down a hill. Use your brakes!
Don't start out in 2nd gear, or slip the clutch in 2nd gear to go slowly. Use 1st!
If you smell your clutch, you have just drastically reduced the life of your clutch. Life of the clutch is directly proportionate to the smell of your clutch. The stinkier and stronger it is, the shorter the life span.
If you want to do any of these things, go get a stronger aftermarket clutch. If you follow my advice, your clutch will last approx 60k miles.
If you carefully abuse a aftermarket clutch, it should also last approx 60k miles. If you recklessly abuse a aftermarket clutch, expect to replace it alot sooner.
I hate to say this people, I have been part of the DSM crowd for 7 years, now evo crowd since 03. So a total of 9 years and 2 DSM's and 2 evos. I never had a clutch go out on me on any of them. DSM's were know to have a crappy clutch too. I went 110 grand on my last 95 talon turbo clutch and never missed a lick. And I didn't exactly drive like a grandma and I didn't drive like an idiot either. I had 21000 miles on my 1st evo when trading it in and the clutch was good as new. So people don't always believe what you hear on this board. Cause more times than not, it isn't 100% the truth. I also work for a mitsu dealership in parts...you know how many clutch complaints we have had....a big fat.....zero! Go figure!
Last edited by favre95; Jan 14, 2005 at 05:49 AM.
Originally Posted by turbotiger
The stock mitsu clutch is not a drag clutch and has a low clamping force. If you want your stock clutch to last, you need to stop doing a few things.
No drag launches, in fact, no launches above 2,500 rpms. In fact, you really don' t need to slip the clutch more than 2000 rpms.
Do not shock load the clutch. No shifting without lifting the gas pedal, especially when downshifting.
No extended slipping of the clutch.
Don't use the clutch to keep yourself from rolling down a hill. Use your brakes!
Don't start out in 2nd gear, or slip the clutch in 2nd gear to go slowly. Use 1st!
If you smell your clutch, you have just drastically reduced the life of your clutch. Life of the clutch is directly proportionate to the smell of your clutch. The stinkier and stronger it is, the shorter the life span.
If you want to do any of these things, go get a stronger aftermarket clutch. If you follow my advice, your clutch will last approx 60k miles.
If you carefully abuse a aftermarket clutch, it should also last approx 60k miles. If you recklessly abuse a aftermarket clutch, expect to replace it alot sooner.
No drag launches, in fact, no launches above 2,500 rpms. In fact, you really don' t need to slip the clutch more than 2000 rpms.
Do not shock load the clutch. No shifting without lifting the gas pedal, especially when downshifting.
No extended slipping of the clutch.
Don't use the clutch to keep yourself from rolling down a hill. Use your brakes!
Don't start out in 2nd gear, or slip the clutch in 2nd gear to go slowly. Use 1st!
If you smell your clutch, you have just drastically reduced the life of your clutch. Life of the clutch is directly proportionate to the smell of your clutch. The stinkier and stronger it is, the shorter the life span.
If you want to do any of these things, go get a stronger aftermarket clutch. If you follow my advice, your clutch will last approx 60k miles.
If you carefully abuse a aftermarket clutch, it should also last approx 60k miles. If you recklessly abuse a aftermarket clutch, expect to replace it alot sooner.
I can't stress enough how easy it is to "ride the clutch" in this car when moving from a stop. Try to concentrate on letting go of the clutch faster with lower rpms. DO NOT try to compensate lifting the clutch faster with higher RPMS. You would be pretty suprised at how much "clutch riding time" you can cut by making a concious effort. I went from roughly 2 seconds to 1, so what does that mean? Theoretically, I've just doubled the life of my clutch and for a car that I log about 50K miles a year, that is a big consideration.