Clutch and flywheel install- April 2008
I'll start off this update by saying that I am completely, single-handedly responsible for destroying this
clutch. If only I could have left good enough alone. If only I could've been satisfied with the stock
5psi setting that the fine folks at Greddy set their factory wastegate to and not installed a boost
controller so that I could turn it up to 12psi, none of this would've ever happened. The clutch in this car
was perfect, even after 70,000 miles. Well, until I got ahold of it! The fact is, the allure of more power is
a strong one, and I needed more.
Slippin' & Slidin'
As I mentioned above, it only took a little more power for the stock clutch let go. It wasn't completely gone, but
it would slip in 3rd, 4th and 5th gears under medium throttle.
This was my Miata's home while it received driveline surgery. The Mitsubishi flag is just to remind me of
the years I've spent wrenching on those cars, in case I ever forget.
The transmission came out without any major problems. Compared to a Lancer Evolution or similar AWD car, this
was a piece of cake! Here's the stock Miata transmission extricated from its home. I'll give it a little
clean-up before going back in.
Looking at the stock clutch setup from here, everything looks pretty good...
Until the individual components came out. That clutch disc surface is really slick from me cooking the heck out of it a couple times. Oops!
The UPS man brought me some early Christmas gifts! ACT (and many other clutch companies) doesn't actually make
a clutch kit for the 1.6 Miata, since the newer 1.8 Miata parts have more capacity to hold power and bolt right
up with no modifications needed.
Here's all of the stuff that comes with the ACT clutch kit and Prolite flywheel. It's very comprehensive and gives
you everything you need to do the job right, and the quality of all the included parts are top notch.
A look at the stock flywheel vs. the ACT prolite. The ACT is much lighter! I weighed the total weight of both
clutch and flywheel assemblies, and the stock 1.6 was 27 pounds, while the ACT was 21 pounds. Not bad,
especially since this is the larger 1.8L stuff.
The stock clutch disc vs. the larger ACT.
You can clearly see the increased surface area of the larger 1.8L flywheel when you lay the 1.6L clutch disc on it.
Comparing the stock 1.6L pressure plate to the ACT. I left a few sweet burn marks on the stocker.
Ewww! The transmission bellhousing was filthy! The front seal was leaking which caused this nasty oily, clutchy residue all
over the inside. This is a job for those blue towels, a toothbrush and a bunch of carb cleaner.
Speaking of those blue towels, get them in bulk at Sam's Club. It'll save you a nice pile of change and you won't
be running out anytime soon. I love these things.
Much better! You could eat out of this thing now. I made mac-n-cheese in mine.
Me turning a wrench and thus removing the front seal cover of the transmission. Even if yours doesn't appear to be
leaking, it's a good idea to change it. Oh, and yes I wear gloves while I'm working on the car. No, I'm not
a professional hand model.
Judging by the oily mess, the transmission and rear main seals needed replaced. Here's a shot of the
transmission input seal, which was very brittle.
The ACT throwout bearing installed and ready to go.
I've been using anti-seize and threadlock since I can remember. Both are messy and difficult to apply,
especially if you're lying on your back. Anyone who's used anti-sieze in the little bottle knows that it's
almost impossible not to get some on you. And when it's on you, it sure as heck isn't coming off without a
fight.
That said, I've gotta give a shout out to Loctite for making these stick applicators for
their anti-seize and threadlocker products. I am amazed how much simpler this made the job vs.
the old and messy ways. If you don't have these in your garage, go get em!
The ACT flywheel installed. Kind of a shame that no one will ever see this shiny bit. It is very well made.
Here's a shot of the ACT clutch and flywheel assembly bolted up and awaiting the transmission!
I started the job on a Friday and finished it up the next day. All told, it wasn't bad at at all.
Removing the exhaust and loosening (not removing) the turbo downpipe made re-install go quickly
and without drama.
Driving Impressions
After a 500 mile break-in period of easy driving, (which seemed more like 20,000 miles) I finally got a chance
to lean on it. The lighter weight of the whole clutch assembly seems to have made the car come on boost
"quicker" under light throttle than before. Hard to explain, but it just moves out with less throttle
than it used to need to do so.
But who cares about light throttle?!? At full throttle, it is all grip.
Wan't to hear the best part? It will actually chirp gears 1-4! Day to day driving is great, the clutch pedal
is stiffer than stock, but not bad at all. There's no chatter when taking off from a start and engagement is
gradual and smooth. A very common Miata side effect of a "non-stock" flywheel is increased transmission/drivetrain
noise. I have this is well, and although it did worry me at first, it is not a sign of any problems, there is
just more noise being transmitted than before given the material that the components are made out of.
All told I give the ACT setup a big thumbs up! It does everything that you would need a good clutch setup to
do and seems like it will hold much more power than I'm currently throwing at it.
Thanks for reading!
-Tom
|
|
