Roughy 65% of the time I'll hear a clunk noise and then a jerk (what feels like the clutches instantly grabbing) whenever I lightly tap the throttle. It doesn't matter what gear I'm in. I also normally drive in sport manual. I understand sport makes the clutches slip less and grab more aggressively but I don't recall the clunking noise being there. What could this be? My SST? Something else? I'm just confused since it happens irregularly.

My car has the following: Cobb AP Stage1+ 93 Octane LWG flash, Cobb SF intake, Corsa Catback

 

When is the last time you changed the fluid in the SST?

Were you protuned for the SST or just an off the shelf tune?

Has it always behaved like this?

Ideally you should always drive in Sport + manual for longer clutch life - there should never be a clunk.

 

Also, what year? How many miles?

Could be an engine, transmission, or other driveline bushing if your Evo's older or higher mileage....

 

I changed the SST fluid @60k miles which was about 3-4 years ago.

It's an off the tune shelf from Cobb, I'm not sure if their OTS maps even touch the SST.

From what I can remember it hasn't behaved like this before, at least not as "jerky".

I always drive in sport and manual mode while also putting it in neutral at stop lights.

 

Its a 2010 with ~72k miles

 

Is this not just normal noise from the transfer case? I feel like i get this "issue" all the time ha.

 

If it didn't clunk before with those parts etc.. then I'd first change the SST fluid. Past that I can't advise running mods on an SST based EVO without calibrating the transmission for it. IMO I would get a pro tune for the parts you have on there either locally if you know someone great with an SST (can't stress this enough they are expensive to fix, and you don't want them to break - ask me how I know)

If you don't have that resource nearby, there are a lot of good ones that can etune. Kozmic Motorsports in Houston is one of the very best, and I live in Houston and can vouch for them. There are a lot of other great e-tuners, wtftuned is another, and some other are out there.

Either way I'd change fluid first - see where you're at, but get that thing tuned unless you got deep pockets.

 

Man you're in Houston - hit up Kozmic Motorsports they do great things for the SST. There shouldn't be any clunking imo I never experienced it on my MR.

 

Totally normal for a DCT transmission/drivetrain to clunk, it's dealing with a lot of opposing forces and things are bound to slack over time. Don't see Kozmic until your transmission won't shift odd or even gears...then it's ready for a $4000 overhaul.

Why do people insist on putting an Evo SST into neutral at stops? Unless your ABS sensor and throttle positions sensors are broken, the car knows exactly when you're at a stop and tells the TCU exactly what it needs to do.

Do a google of "Should I put my dual clutch in neutral at stops", read a few articles and learn why that's a terrible idea.

One thing I'm learning about the Evo community is the amount of vapor-logic that gets tossed around.

 

I think there was an issue with the earlier year torque damper. If it's not bushings, then that would probably be my next rabbit hole to jump down.

 

On the neutral at stops - that was recommended by kozmic as the clutches don't have to sit there at the light applying continual force to stay there in gear. Interesting thing that corroborates that in my opinion is my M2 with a dual clutch puts itself in neutral at stops automatically so there might be something to that recommendation.

Kozmic knows a LOT about the SST, so I took their advice to put it in neutral as best practice for the SST.

 

I know of and respect the hell out of Kozmic.. They have the market cornered, even as a Canadian MR owner my only proper path to a rebuild would be to crate my transmission and ship it too them.

SST's don't just sit there and apply unneeded clutch-force, like I said there are several ways the car is telling the TCU to disengage at a stop and engage as soon as the throttle position is beyond a specific percentage.

Putting and keeping your foot on the brake pedal and not creeping especially up a hill is however 100% valid advice.

Believe what you will, nothing wrong with that but personally I believe 10% of what people write about these cars, especially the SST's in them.

Cheers,
RM

 

Agreed and there is logic I see both ways. Why do you feel the M2 I have now with an SST does put it in neutral at stops? Just to give the leg a rest and a jump off the line? (I have my foot ready on the gas others have to move off the brake to the gas to go)