i was driving home last night after a NIN concert and went to pass someone in fifth gear and my revs jumped 3k rpm and my car didn't even try to catch up. there was no starting to slip this time, just outright uselessness in boost. dealership thinks that that some of the 'pucks' on the clutch broke off. i'm at less than 43k miles on the car and this is the 3rd clutch to go out. i barely even drive the car hard (except the occasional autocross). who else has had a ton of clutch problems? i'm seriously thinking about selling the car now because spending this much money on clutches is ridiculous. this is the act 6 puck cerametallic that went out, the other aftermarket i had was an exedy cerametallic that lasted about 15k miles. is there any reason this car eats clutches? i haven't drag raced on this clutch, or launched hard much, but it doesn't seem to matter.
thoughts? ideas?

 

Same person doing the install each time? Maybe it is not being done correctly. From my understanding if the clutch isn't adjusted properly (via: master rod) it can burn the clutch out if the release is too far out.

 

i know the clutch adjustment, i don't think they did that when either of my last two clutches were installed. but another evo owner told me about it so i adjusted it.
as far as who's installing it, the dealership is. i couldn't do a clutch install myself for a million reasons and no one else (like performance shops around here) will touch an evo tranny because they say they can't warranty the work because all the problems with them. so i'm basically stuck with the dealership or a backyard/garage install.

 

You can do it. If I can do it with simple hand tools and jackstands - so can you. My recommendation would be to make sure you get the new clutch installed 100% correctly and triple check to make sure its fully disengaging.

And for the problems with them?? This is new to me. You make it sound like the Evo trans is a ticking time bomb. I don't see any problems with a clutch install... other than the weird pull-style setup. There are plenty of writeups online that will guide you or anyone through it.

 

hate to say it and don't take it offensively

but maybe it's your driving

 

Did you break it in properly?Do you slip the clutch excessively when you drive?I have the ACT HD-G6 sprung hub 6 puck. Ive had it in for about 5 thousand miles,and a friend of mine has the same clutch but unsprung has had his for over 2 years 25000 miles. Both still work perfectly. Just replace your clutch disk and be sure resurface the flywheel and the pressure plate. Also try to work on your driving. From a stop try not to ride the clutch so much into engagement. Make the smoothest quickest transition possible at the lowest RPM you can manage. I think this should help lengthen your clutch life.

 

+1

 

when not clutching, use the dead pedal riding the clutch can lead to immense premature wear.

 

i don't ride the clutch, i don't excessively slip the clutch, i don't launch the car all the time, the few times i've autocrossed it i get to second and don't shift (in fact i use the 'dead pedal' all the time), even at stop signs with a long line i wait for the car ahead of me to get a length of distance then just idle speed so i don't have to stop and go on my clutch because i've been very paranoid about it going out since my stock went out. i broke it in properly. the strange thing is that it just went wildly bad incredibly fast. my stock clutch went out cause i was launching all the time and beating on the car, i understand that. my second clutch (and maybe this one) i don't think was installed 100% correctly. on my second clutch and until i adjusted this clutch i had problems getting the car into first and reverse from a stop and when cold and with the clutch all the way in and in gear, it was still barely engaged. but that was only about 4k miles on this one that was happening until i adjusted it. even if i was slipping the clutch all the time it should last longer than 25k miles, shouldn't it? and with that it would go out progressively not all at once. i do sound like the trans is a ticking time bomb because it has been for me and i know i'm not the only evo owner to have this problem and in talking to others about this it seems like it's mostly the 03-04 evos, so was there any major tranny changes (i know there were some changes as far as the center diff and stuff)? this is frustrating because not only because this is expensive, but because i don't have options to have different places install it. and i don't have time or tools to do it myself. as for breaking in the clutch i've heard conflicting stories on if that's even necessary but for this clutch i didn't launch or anything for at least 500 miles and stayed in the city so i wasn't going a constant speed for very long.

so other than replacing/turning the flywheel, adjusting the pedal, and double checking the install there isn't much i can do? are cerametallic clutches prone to certain problems (temperature maybe as it's been pretty cold lately) or excessive vibration/jolts from stiffer suspension that was recently changed? will a twin disc last longer? basically i bought a beefy aftermarket clutch in hopes i wouldn't have to worry about changing my clutch every 15-20 miles, but that doesn't seem to be the case.
one thing i do driving that may be bad for it is tap the gas to try to match the revs on down shifting but i don't see how that would be bad for it.

 

+1

 

Based on what you just posted and taking it at face value , you may be looking at an install error . I've heard of others having like issues because of bad install .

 

Have you been replacing the flywheel? Though unlikely, there may be an issue with that part of the mating surface. I would agree that installer error may be to blame. There is still another possibility that you have a fluid leak somewhere and the mating surface has been greased in some way, it would explain why the clutch would go to hell so fast, or at least seem to. Have you taken a good look that the 'bad' clutches that come out of your car? Are they actually fully worn? Good luck!

 

sounds like some installer error, act issues, and a little spirited driving.

 

What he just said about the flywheel is the most interesting to me as when you resurface the stock one it reduces clamping pressure i have the same clutch as you with the lighter pressure plate with 150+ hard launches around a dozen AUTO-X and Lapping days on it still doesnt slip stock resurfaced flywheel with a proper install And only .0013 taken off the flywheel if i remember correctly....

 

Assuming the stocker has been resurfaced properly, it definitely seems like installer error or you have a leak somewhere. Getting some liquid on the clutch can really screw up the works...