Hey took my car for a quick spin today after doing its first mod (Cobb TBE) and wanted to launch it. Its about my 4th launch in the car since I got it (I like to take it easy) but this time the clutch smelt like it was burning up pretty bad for a LONG time after. I have had awd dsms and never had any car smell this bad this long. I don't want to kill the clutch because getting a decent clutch is expensive.

What are you guys doing to preserve your stock clutches and why (restrictor removal, SS clutch line, etc.)?

Thanks in advance!

 

The stock clutch can last as little as 3000 miles so I'd be carefull about launching the car. The stocker was around $600 last time I checked so it is expensive also and if you take it to a shop then add their labor cost turns into big $$$. I have an ACT HDSS in mine and done the work myself, course I am a mechanic by trade.

 

Mine is going strong at 61k mi. It's starting to slip I can tell, but I've launched it many times, tracked it many times, probably a total of around 20 passes at the track.

 

Don't launch it and watch those 5th gear pulls . Also don't bring your entire house with you in the trunk. The less weight the better. Which brings me to another point. Drive like a grandma with other people in the car(weight).

 

Mine last 31k. I'm stock other than a tune. I beat on my car though. I'm pretty much everyone's first race here. lol.

But to answer the question. To preserve your clutch, do not beat on it, do not launch, do not do low MPH, higher gear pulls, and most of all, drive like a granny in a crown vic.

 

i used to own a 03 evo bought it with 11k i sold it with 21k and for those had stock clutch thru all the miles from 0-21k and i tracked it all the time and also launched it around my area and it never slipped on me once

so i mean it all depends, my car was tuned and i had 2-step so it was easy to launch but still

you should be ok u prob just slipped the clutch on the launch caused it to glaze it but u should be good

take it out today and drive it see if it grips u should be good

 

I have 76,5xx miles on my stock clutch right now. My only advice in regards to preserving the clutch has already been said (don't launch the car). The Evo is a blast to drive, you don't have to launch it to have fun.

 

If you want to preserve your stock clutch, dont launch it.

 

If you learn how to launch your car correctly the stock clutch should still last you a long time (as long as you dont have crazy hp or anything like that) the problem is to learn to do that you have to practice and well, you got to pay to play I guess...

 

Take the bus or catch a cab?

I have 16K on my stock clutch and it feels like it needs to be replaced. Lets face it, the stock clutch isn't a very strong unit and if you want to play hard, you are going to pay for it.

 

I know how to launch an awd car haha. Had a dsm for a years with dsmlink and a two step. The evo 9 has a two step from the factory so its not like its leaving much to mess up other then slipping the clutch too long which I did not do. It was a normal launch it just happen to smell like I burnt the **** out of it for a long time after. Guess I just won't launch it til someone comes in here with a real solution other then you can't drive or don't launch it.

I'm not worried about doing a clutch job. Done about 8 of them. Just a matter of dropping 1500 for a good clutch that would bother me.

 

I have 22,000 miles on my clutch now. Its holding with the mods in my sig and still on factory tune.

But back when I was practicing launches a couple times I over slipped and it smelled for a while. Next day when I was driving I noticed that the engagement from a dead stop was acting weird. The car would jerk when I would try to move. And by moving I only apply very little throttle 1200 rpms . Once in a while it might do it again, especially after the last time I launched it. So I stopped launching it in order to preserve the clutch to last longer. Basically what happens is the car starts jerking similar to how wheel hop feels.

It still holds fine when WOT or any othing else.

 

Everyone here is right drive like an old lady and dont launch, while you do that save money to buy a new clutch that you can use for drag.

 

the stock clutch is fine as long as you dont launch it. if you want the stock clutch to last you can drive hard as long as you do not launch the car. I'm at 60k miles on the stock clutch and most of thouse miles was with my buschur gt30r kit at almost 400whp. i drive the car hard and the autocross all the time. The stock clutch is fine as long as you do not launch the car. i have never launched my car before

 

I'm at 30k on the stock clutch, still holds fine. I don't know how much it has left though because I learned to launch on this car and when I first started some of them definitely weren't pretty... smelling clutch for days heh... but I still remember the first time I really got it right and sent the car flying off the line.... oh man was that an awesome day, never forget that feeling. Still brings a smile to my face

Ive been good at restraining myself though, I hardly ever launch anymore. Cant afford to replace it just yet, heres to hoping it lasts