Clutch replacement, WHAT!!! at 1500 miles....you freakin people are crazy!!!! If you don't abuse it it should last you a LOOOOONNNG time!!! I had a turbo talon pushing 250 -260 HP on the stock clutch with over 105,000 miles on the car. The STOCK clutch was still working very well. I don't get it!!! I have been apart of the DSM community for the past 51/2 years. And I have never heard as many people complain about clutchs going out so soon. I can tell you if you don't abuse it(dropping it) you will get a very long life out of the clutch.

 

I am driving across the country next week (CA to VA), so I should really find out what some long-haul mileage does. Any suggestions on places on Highway 40 where I can find out how fast it is??

 

I know...those who race their evo will have clutch problems guaranteed... 1-2 Grind will happen on perfect transmissions if you slam it...period(Do to the technical nature of the transmission). I just do 2k mile oil and trans fluid changes. I'm using syncroshift trans fluid and upgrading to redline shockproof at 5k miles in all the diffs...

 

9000 Miles and the following problems:

- 1-2 Gear grind during cornering, at high RPMs
- 5th gear continuous grind at shift
- A/C Compressor Leak
- Door upholstery pulling away
- Panel under dashboard collapsed
- Black smoke from exhaust at full-throttle

Honestly, it's the best car I've ever driven, but it's had a few issues. I'm taking it in for the tranny repairs this week. The tranmission hasn't been abused and looks to be manufacturing defects. A good percentage of other Evo's I've heard about have had no problems.

Evo 2003.5

 

13500 - no major issues - just an annoying squeak from the sunroof.

-Josh

 

same with me i put like 300 slow miles soft break in never to redline then i did the road trip extra 1000 miles still no gettin huge
to redline. was still soft on it till about 2200 then i went back road and got on it some still not to redline. now at 2800 still no problems
no dropp launches
no races
no bangin gears
no rapping it out to red line
grand total=no problems
knock on wood

i totally agree with the way its driven. be nice and it will reward you by staying together for ya

but if you hopp it up then you could prolly get on it a lot better !!!

 

Why buy this car if you want to drive it like a Cavalier? I've got 3200 miles (more than 2000 with them and my turboback exhaust, no cat, manual boost controller set at 1.4 bars [about 21psi], and Super AFC with aggeressive settings). No issues except for the clutch - no grinding gears, or rattles inside, etc. The clutch slips and stinks when launched aggressively.

If you are a drag racer, then you will learn what a piece of crap the factory pressure plate is. I ran my 420 rwhp Vortech supercharged '02 Mustang GT for 6000 miles without a single incident on the stock clutch. Not a one, and I was at the track every Tuesday. The only reason it stopped at 6k miles is because it was totalled due to an accident on the Indiana icy roads

I have already ordered the Exeddy twin disc setup from ozrallyguy, so I'm not overly concerned with the factory clutch anymore. If you play, you pay. I want to race it, so parts are going to break.

 

I agree 100% ... my tranny shifts like butter but I still get the 1-2 grind sometimes at over 7000rpm when I shift too hard.

BTW, NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER at 7200 miles...

 

Theres a difference between driving like a maniac and driving enthusiastically. One word assumes you know how to drive quickly. The other assumes you drive quickly, but you do so by abusing the car. If you are really bumping your redline 5x per day, you are abusing your car.....Most any car would fail if subjected that.

I drive enthusiastically....My Evo has been to a few 'race' events.....has 9000 miles....and has had no mechanical problems at all.

SC~

 

I've got just over 7k on my car and it's been great. I have run 5(?) road course events, and am not afraid to have some fun with my car.

Aside from having to make some small allowances (street car vs. race car) the car has been solid.

 

I don't drive it like a Cavalier, but I don't drive like an idiot either. There is something called mechanical sympathy that many Evo owners apparently need to learn. If you don't think I drive hard, ask Ricardon or Apexstrafer...

 

I know someone that has gone through the stock clutch and a Clutch Masters clutch in less than 3500 miles.... It's not the clutch people, it's the way you drive them... I am totally convinced of that from having 3 different friends that "HAD" tranny problems till I was able to ride with them and see how they were treating their EVO's... Since then, they have had noo problems... SO it's needless to say that I am getting tired of hearing people say that the EVO trannys are ****ty, when they are not...

The pressure plate is the main factor in every clutch... The disc is fine, but the pressure plate could be a little more aggressive... I think that the weak pressure plate is Mitsu's way of insuring their product.. Let the disc burn instead of the transfer case detonating... I think it's a good move for Mitsu, because most people that bought this car have never had an AWD car before so they don't know the basics on how to drive the damn thing...

Remember: AWD CARS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE LAUNCHED... THEY ARE NOT BUILT FOR THAT...

 

It was a rhetorical question, not directed at any one in particular. I was asking the question outloud because some were saying they didn't have mechanical problems and they believed that to be the case because they "never" drive it hard.

I'm glad that you don't drive like an idiot, whatever that means, but mechanical sympathy doesn't cut it at the track if you want 60' times less than 2.0 seconds. Why are the people who tell everyone how to drive their Evo's not at the Evo shootout teaching me how to baby the car off the line and still squeeze a good 1/4 mi time?

 

For the last time, AWD cars are NOT made for drag racing unless you change their drivelines. I guess I should have invested in a clutch manufacturer since people don't get it.

 

10000 miles.
The paint is terrible.
The car grinds occasionally in second and fifth.
Small annoying noise in cold weather, maybe dome light wire bouncing inside roof of car.(?)

Overall great car for the money though.