killerpenguin21

iTrader: (20)

is there any good way to do it?

heres the deal:
5 speed IX, stock clutch
60k miles, 2nd owner
stock turbo 24 psi (340whp/320tq on VD)
i have never launched/attempted, no idea if PO did.

i road race, zero drag racing and never will. on the street, the car shifts pretty well (amsoil fluid), when cold the 1-2 shift can be challenging, but all other gears provide zero issue aside from the very occasional grind going 2-3 at low-ish speed.

yesterday at the track i was having issues with the 4-5 shift and the 5-4 downshift. going 4-5 above 7k was causing not what i would call lockout, but it was grinding every time, so i had to try to VERY lightly put it in 5th. then on the 5-4 downshift with large rev blip it would do the same thing, and again grind.

last summer, i attempted to adjust the clutch, i screwed the rod further into the firewall (something like 1-2 turns, cant exactly recall) in an attempt to make the 1-2 shift better, and it did in fact get a tiny bit better. on this same track last year the grinding was not as bad, and only occasional.

to me it seems like the clutch is dragging/not fully releasing, and its going to lead to me blowing up 4th/5th gear. my concern is paying the money to have a new clutch put in and finding out its the trans, or doing a trans and finding out its the clutch...is there any good way to diagnose a little better?

killerpenguin21

iTrader: (20)

no one?

bighead87

My trany was doing the same thing from 1-2 and 3-4 and I changed my clutch helped a little but now my keeps grinding 3-4 at high rpm anything above 5k it will grind I was told those would be the transmission syncros going bad or are bad seem like you are having same issue

killerpenguin21

iTrader: (20)

well yeah, my concern is that if i continue like this i will blow the gearbox completely. the question is if i can somehow determine if the clutch is just so worn it wont fully disengage.

Lyzek01

iTrader: (3)

Its time to do both, Clutch and rebuild Transmission. the worn out clutch caused the transmission syncros.. to prematurely fail...

fireroasted

iTrader: (3)

Essentially you have chicken egg thing going on. I had very similar issues and I only RoadRace too. I do have a six speed. I killed off the stock clutch during my first months of tuning. I then DId my own clutch, but didn't know that I didn't have it properly adjusted. I would also get the 1-2 issue, and just adapted to it. Then at a particularly hot track day I missed 4th once and after that it was never the same.

From my experience I wouldn't think your clutch is the cause based on the info provided here. I would suspect the adjustment isn't far enough and set you up for too much stress on the syncros a fighting the dragging clutch. Over time that wears the syncros and makes the problem worse where you will need more adjustment just to get it bare able. I think your syncros are on the way out. You can think of them like a wear item, like the clutch, and they are nearing the end. One, because of the clutch adjustment , and two, because of the heat the track events being to the trans.

When you do get it repaired, or upgraded be really **** about the adjustment. I finally got it right after lots of fiddling and the difference is huge. Once it's right you won't know how you drove it before. Mine is all the way (in or out I can't remember).

Your clutch should be tested in the traditional manner to see if it slips. Because the system is hydronic it's essentially self adjusting to the wear of the clutch to a point. When it slips then its time for a new clutch.

I would master (or experiment) with the adjustment before you decide to refresh the trans syncros.

killerpenguin21

iTrader: (20)

yeah, i have pretty much accepted the fact that the trans/clutch is now on my to do list. just unfortunate im also due for 60k service.

the clutch has NEVER slipped, and does not on testing (under 24psi to boot), that is why i am left confused.

4th and 5th are my best feeling shifts on the street.

silverevo05

iTrader: (7)

^ You are at about the same HP I am at, plus have the same amount of mods I do.... Are you going for a stock clutch again or aftermarket? I'm looking at OEM because, well it's OEM and the thread I have been reading say as long as it's well treated it will last a long time. On the other hand ACT is very good

fireroasted

iTrader: (3)

I have the ACT HD, and it is very strong. In fact if I knew then what I know now I would have opted for another round of a stock clutch, or something only slightly stronger. I didn't end up upgrading the power as much as I was hoping when I got the car, so the car was 'over clutched' for many years, and still is. That helps induce trans (syncro) and drivetrain wear. Since the clutch is designed to be the replaceable friction component, like brake pads, its better for the life of everything else that its properly matched to the power delivery. A softer clutch that might slip under lots of duress will save the pain on the drivetrain. This is a problem for drag racers, because they need every drop of power instantly, and a weak clutch will die quickly with hard launches if its just barely up to the task.

I suspect if I had the stock clutch my trans syncro's would have lasted much longer, but the ACT is good, or in my experience better than many of the posts that criticize it. The trans rebuild shop guru's don't like it, but if you ask them directly on the phone, they admit that they don't like any clutches. None. So its relative.

@killer - I expected that your clutch is fine. I don't believe clutch replacement will resolve your other issues. I think clutch adjustment is key and some wear/damage has already been done to the sycros for 2 and 4. This is exactly how mine went out. When I blew my Tcase I had the trans redone, but I was in exactly the same spot you were in, maybe a few track days more down the road, where I couldn't get 4th at all on hot days. I had to shift from 3 to 5 in my six speed.

silverevo05

iTrader: (7)

^ exceptional info...thank you sir

killerpenguin21

iTrader: (20)

my evo will not see an ACT, between all the anecdotal evidence, plus blowing one up on a honda years ago. i just think its too much clutch. when i do a clutch it will either be a carbonetics pro blade with conversion or the unsprung comp stage 2 that english racing has been raving about. car will never see over 400whp, so anything more will be way too much.

just need to try and hold off and make it through 2-3 more track days, otherwise ill have to cut corners on the trans mods/clutch choice and not be happy with it.