Here's my story:


I by the Evo a year ago with 9k miles. Never track the car, never launch the car. I might play ever now and then but that's about it. So, after about a couple of months owning the car, the clutch goes out. Okay, maybe the previous owner beat the crap out of it. Replaced with and ACT heavy duty clutch.

Now I'm at 30K miles, i get the 30K service done, take the car on a road trip and then all of a sudden, clutch pressure gone. The clutch release is now out the damned floor.

I take it to Mitsu to see if maybe they jacked something up during their 30K service, but they say there's nothing they could've done that would've messed up the clutch. They also said that the vibration in the clutch isn't normal either. A shop out here suggests that I get a new slave cylinder, steel braided lines, and swap everything out and see what the result is. Problem is, I don't wanna go paying for something that MIGHT fix the problem.

What do you guys think? Personally, I'm already fed up with the car scene as it is.

BMW anybody?

 

release bearing popped out maybe? havin a hard time understanding what happened.

 

trade the evo in for an IS350.

 

Sorry to hear that but does your clutch pedal stick to the floor when you push it in because then it would be the slave cylinder.

 

No the clutch comes back up fine. It's just really easy to push down, which it shouldn't be, and then the clutch release is damn near at the floor when it used to be at the top. Driving around in the city, the clutch can pretty much keep it's pressure, but once I hit the highway, and I'm not pumping the clutch anymore, it seems to lose pressure.

trust me I would, but i'd be too far upside down in my payments.

 

no more input?

 

if you have fluid in your driveway then there can be a leak in the slave cylinder.

 

Nope, no fluid leaks that i can see.

 

sounds like they got air in the clutch line... did they bleed the breaks at the 30K service? It is very easy to get air in the master cylinder line for the breaks... and very difficult to get it back out, if the level got too low while they were bleeding, you probably got a nice air bubble.... I got one when I changed out the line for Stainless and ended up having to pull the line off the res and fill it, then place it back on the res and fiddle with it to get the bubble out.

 

Yea I asked them if they bleeded the brakes or did anything with the brake fluid and they said no. Now I wanna know wtf DID they do for the 30K service.

 

BTW, i did have my brakes done about uggghhh maybe a month ago. But I'm sure I'd have noticed the problem before then right?

 

that's the next thing I had in mind, no leaks then air in the clutch line especially if they replaced the clutch.

 

possible semi cheap fix. Buy speed bleeders for all brake calipers (1 pair per caliper i.e. 4 pairs) then 1 set for the clutch cylinder (can only purchase in pairs so you will have one left over) And bleed the whole system starting with the brakes in THIS order due to the ABS sensor #1 Passenger rear, #2 Driver front #3 Driver rear #4 Pass front, then do the clutch line making sure not to get air in. Maybe use valvoline synthetic, its easy to find and has a boiling point of 480 deg I think. Whole job is about $60.00 and can be done in a few hours. I also did my S/S clutch line and clutch restrictor removal at the same time

This is a way to find out if air got into the clutch line somehow, and do brake bleeding at the same time, I also noticed a much stiffer/less fading brakes due to the new fluid and clutch (probly because of the clutch line). Hope this helps

 

Looks like the shop is telling me it's the throw out bearing because of the vibration at the top.

 

Ok, I'll try and clarify this a little better because my information is kinda vague. So lemme try,


Well I went up to a shop in VA Beach called Dyno Inc to get the lines bled, but he said because of the "chatter" (I guess that's what it is) he can tell it's either the TOB or the Pressure Plate. Basically you can rest your foot on the clutch pedal and feel a hard vibration. Once you actually push it in though, the vibration goes away.

As far as the pressure loss, to try and better explain it, it seems as though as long as I'm driving around town, and the clutch is in constant use, the pressure holds alright. But once I get on the highway and I'm cruising in 5th gear, the clutch pressure drops and there ends up being TONS of free play. The clutch release, which is normally right at the top, ends up being like an inch from the floor. If I pump the clutch a bunch of times, the pressure eventually comes back, but once I stop it fades away.


I'm working with an ACT 2600.


Now here's where I really need your guys' input. This shop, Dyno Inc, is willing to take out my clutch, install a new TOB, and reassemble the clutch for right around 300 bux. Crazy right? According to them, which I know you really shouldn't trust, they've worked on a few evos here locally in VA. They also have the first AWD dyno in the 757. I mean, the price is great and pretty much unheard of. But I'm afraid to bring my car to them because I don't have any real evidence of their work.

Push come to shove, I'll park the car, save up about 1400 bux AGAIN, and purchase an Exedy clutch and have it installed.


My other avenue was suggested by a DSM shop: To replace the Slave cylinder and go with steel braided lines. They will do all of that, parts/labor, for 215 bucks.

__________________