How long should a clutch last?

[SHO_Driver]

Hey all:

When I picked up my 90 MTX recently it already had about 118K miles on it. I checked the records and the upgraded clutch kit had been installed at 30K miles. I don't detect any clutch slippage, even when shifting from 4th to 5th at high rpm but reverse is tricky, even when first going to third for awhile. 1st gear is also a problem, easier to get into while rolling before coming to a complete stop. I did notice a slight improvement after putting synthetic Dexron into the tranny.

The clutch cable is new and the shifter still has the original cables. Would changing the clutch and release bearing help or should I wait until the clutch is more worn? Any suggestions?

 

[BeatDaSHO]

Keep driving it until you see more signs of clutch failure. If you start grinding gears left and right, then I would go ahead and replace the clutch. 90,000 on a clutch is very good.

Greg

 

[PaulRuffo]

I replaced the oringinal clutch on my car at 64K. The clutch plate was fine, but the pressure plate was pretty bad. The second clutch lasted 90K. I saw an SHO at a shop that was getting a new clutch put in. It had 140K on the original clutch. It all depends how you drive the car.

Paul

 

[SHONUT91]

My original clutch lasted 144k.I am the second owner and know the first owner very well,he gave me all of his service records from the dealership. It really depends on how you drive and care for your car.I already have 35k on the new one and everything is still handling the yamahammer very well. thumbs_u

<small>[ September 27, 2002, 08:44 AM: Message edited by: SHONUT91 ]</small>

 

[drivinhard]

I've had clutch's in the past I had to change after 125 miles

The 92's second clutch went 93k before I broke a strap racing a mustang. The current one has about 45k on it.

 

[shojuan]

I have an 89 that had the clutch upgrade done at about 20,000 miles or so. It's at 148,000 on that clutch. The first 147,000 miles were pretty easy miles. Now that I'm driving it harder I have to prepare myself for the real possibility that I will have to replace the clutch fairly soon. I don't want to get caught offguard with a big clutch replacement bill, so it's good to start planning now. Your shifting problems could just be from worn syncros and not finding the best fluid blend for your tranny. I started out with the factory fill then switched to Redline D4 synthetic at about 130,000 and started having some shifting problems. Recently I pulled about half the D4 out and replaced it with some Redline MTL and MT-90 that I had lying around. Now I'm at about 52% D4/ 36% MTL/ 12% MT-90 and it's shifting as well as it did with the factory fill but with the better protection of synthetic.

Your problems shifting into reverse are normal. The reverse gear doesn't have a syncro which is pretty common nowadays.

Rick

 

[RI-SHO]

Best way I have found to avoid "forcing" 1st & reverse in is by letting the clutch up slowly right before the engagement point and at the same time pushing 1st or reverse in, always results in a non-grinding shift.

I have question about chaning a flywheel halfway, soon when I get my SHO back my tranny is coming off for the ream main seal gasket. Now I wanted to just replace the flywheel with a 8lbs version but since my CenterForce clutch already has about 20,000miles should I replace it again with the flywheel at the same time? Because I have been told the clucth will lose lots of life by having to readjust to the new flywheel and the tranny would most likily have to be dropped again for a clucth, if this true how much longer would the Centerforce last if I changed the flywheel?

 

[Millersho]

After my tranny blew for the second time (still under warrenty) I called and told them my tranny borke again.

"No it's your clutch, bla bla bla, no way its the tranny".

I give the SHO.

They call and say," sorry mister miller, you were correct, we'll replace your clutch labor free".

So the work is done, it turns out, at 103K it still had orignal clutch, and I'm not talking about the replacement TSB clutch, I'm talking about the one that's supposed to be TSB'd!!

So you never know how long a clutch is going to last.

 

[RStalveyARFF]

I always find it better for the PP to go before the disc. I had a customer's 95 in for a clutch job, over 150k on the original clutch. Wore right down to the rivets, and destroyed the flywheel. Just imagine a grooved brake rotor, same deal. So if it starts slipping bad, either keep driving it and buy a new flywheel, or stop driving it immediately.

 

[shojuan]

SHO91MTX:
I always find it better for the PP to go before the disc. I had a customer's 95 in for a clutch job, over 150k on the original clutch. Wore right down to the rivets, and destroyed the flywheel. Just imagine a grooved brake rotor, same deal. So if it starts slipping bad, either keep driving it and buy a new flywheel, or stop driving it immediately.

Hehe, this would give me a damn good excuse to get a Fidanza flywheel. I'll remember that when my clutch starts to slip. Maybe let the wife drive it some while it's slipping. "Sorry honey, you took out the flywheel too. Now we got to get one of these aluminum thingies" Just got to keep a straight face.

Rick

 

[snowwind1990]

140K once, 140K twice and we are now on our third clutch @313,766.....probably our last..TOB replaced each time as well as both motor mounts!
Ma Ma M thumbs_u

 

[drivinhard]

Most SHO clutch's will start slipping with the disc gets to about .230" or .220" thick, which is pretty "smooth" but still not down to the rivets. I've never seen one get down to the rivets and still actually work.

You can re-use your PP and disc and re-install on a few flywheel, just allow some break-in time as if the entire set-up was "new". Want to let it bed on the flywheel as well.

FWIW my newest clutch was tried on an 8 lb SS flywheel, and ran into slipping problems under hard use. The steel inserts on the flywheel have a reduction in surface area since the bolt holes are evenly spaced and recessed. The newer unit was built by the same guy who did the current (and older) unit and that clutch's performance (w/ a stock flywheel) is the best of any clutch I have ever tried. So next I will see if the set-up works well on a stock flywheel, to see if the alum unit is the reason for decreased holding power. Also some of the blower guys running kevlar discs on a DD cover ran into severe disc wear on the FW side, due to the thin steel insert and it's ability to not deal with heat very well (very thin).

Everything is a compromise, the throttle response with the 8 lb unit is excellent though.

Maybe a better compromise is a stock type unit, or steel billet that's been lightened, but with more material than an alum unit. Stiffer, and will deal with heat better (and should be re-grindable unlike the alum, where you replace the insert).

<small>[ September 28, 2002, 09:25 AM: Message edited by: drivinhard ]</small>

 

[RTStabler51]

sometimes its not the clutch....I broke my Pressure Plate with only 6k on it. I thought it was the tranny as if I double clutched it it shifted fine, otherwise it would just grind in every gear. Seems I broke on of the lil springs? (is that what they are called?) around the outside of it. I was banging gears one night, and from 1-2 heard a 'different type of pop'. And that's what it was....... just a lil FYI

 

[drivinhard]

No on the outside (and fairly common) would be the pressure plate drive strap, or really the rivet that sheered that holds the strap...

 

[SHO_Driver]

Appreciate all the reply's. There's a dealer down here still familliar with early SHO's but they can't compete with the advice you can get from actual owners and enthusiasts.

I'll wait until next spring to swap out the clutch and release bearing and hopefully save the flywheel. Just testdrove a friend's 95 Maxima, I quickly got annoyed at the feather light clutch, with no feedback and the fragile feeling shifter. There ain't no other car out there like a SHO.

 

[RStalveyARFF]

Okay I just blew clutch # 3 today, pulling into a parking lot. Damn pressure plates. I have never once killed a disc. Mark, want to sell me a clutch today? I need one bad!!!

 

[smacd]

I also had a similar problem with my '89 SHO. Two weeks after I replaced the clutch, I grabbed 2nd gear @ 6000 rpm and felt a bang. The drive strap on my pp tried to get out of the belhousing, punching 2 holes in the case and distorting the case where the shifter rails are. I could not get 1st, 3rd, or 5th gear. One month after tearing down the transmission and repairing damage, I proceeded to grenade the stock differential and had to replace the case anyway! Hopefully your luck is better than mine.