We tested a couple EVO clutches that had continued adjustments needed to prevent lockout. In both cases there was a lot of warpage from overheating on either the pressure plate or flywheel surface. From your description your case seems even more extreme so it makes me wonder if you are running an aluminum flywheel or something that tends to warp worse than usual. What flywheel are you running?

 

stock flywheel that was resurfaced once at 0.020 i think

 

If you get the parts out, I would be glad to test them. How stiff is the pedal? If it is unusually stiff (even for a strong ACT pressure plate), there may be added friction that would translate into additional unnecessary travel. Just a thought. Compare how it feels with someone else's ACT if you can.

 

yes, i was planning to send them out anyways to get the pressure plate rebuilt and buy the 6 puck sprung disc.
the act is not unsually stiff, just slightly stiffer than stock.

 

You can drive my car if you like. Stock trans may give you a baseline too.

 

you have an act clutch?

 

sure do. A friend was driving my car and experiencing the lockout issues you said you were having from 3rd to 4th. He was shifting somewhere around 7400 so I may have a similar problem as you.

 

so an ACT 6 puck sprung hub doesn't engage so high? I already have to keep my seat back so far that anyone of normal size can't fit in the back seat, so I can't deal with that super high engagement crap.

I'm looking to order today, so let me know what's up...

 

well i think it will still engage at the top of the pedal. however, the pedal travel can be shortened a lot more since the 6 puck wont be as thick as the act disc, and you probably wont experience the lockout at the high rpm's.
this is my experience.
- stock pressure plate with clutch net 6 puck. engages at the top of the pedal, however, never got locked out. only needs slight pressing of the clutch to get into the next gear.
- stock pressure plate with ACT disc. engages also at the top, but at a slighlty lower point than the previous setup. this is when my lockout issue was first experienced. had to raise clutch pedal slightly.
- ACT pressure plate with ACT disc. engages at the top, but lock out issue much worse, and had to significantly raise the clutch pedal.

 

Maybe Dirk (ACTman) can answer this
have you seen the clutch net 6 puck disc? if so what are the differences between the new ACT 6puck disc? i couldn't find any pictures of it, so do you mind posting some?

 

I would like confirmation of this thickness difference you are talking about!

 

page 7 of this document
http://www.advancedclutch.com/EVO_Shifting.pdf
its not more about the thickness of the disc, but more of the travel needed for the disc to disengage from the pressure plate.
as actman explained it before, the organic disc has more cushoning than a 6 puck, and thats one reason why it would need less travel to disengage.

 

Bingo.

Thickness has very little to do with it. Nevertheless, the Clutchnet and ACT puck discs are about the same. The thickness of the disc affects where the travel is, not how much travel it takes to operate. The "where" or more accurately "wear" is made up for by the hydraulics which a self-adjusting system by changing the amount of fluid being used while spare fluid is stored in the reservoir.