Clutch adjustment

I think my LE has a very strange clutch engagement with most the action being at the very top of the range. For instance if I'm driving at a constant speed and barely push in or touch the clutch at all it will rev up.

I climbed into the footwell and found 2 locknuts on a rod on the end of the clutch and fiddled with them to make the rod shorter and found the whole clutch throw was much better. However I still think that it's engaging mostly at the top of the shorter motion. Any ideas on how to get it to engage more at 3/4 of the way up instead of all the way at the top? It felt so weird that after driving the miata for a week I stalled the RX8 when I got in.

Sounds similar to the clutch slave cylinder that I replaced last month. It solved my similar problem.

Any other input?

Sounds more like a worn-out clutch to me. If it engages at the very top of the the travel (and is on the verge of slippage), that tells me it's the clutch. If it engages at the very bottom (or won't disengage), then that says it's the hydraulics. I've had it both ways (in the same car, no less), and it sounds like it needs a clutch...

If you're sitting at a light with the car in gear and the clutch on the floor, does the motor ever start to buck like you're letting the clutch out with the brake on? Can you pump the pedal to make it go away? If not, then I wouldn't put money on the slave/master cylinder. I'll bet you $5 you need a clutch... ;)










Of course, I could be totally full of shit... but I'm good for the fiver.

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

Sounds more like a worn-out clutch to me. If it engages at the very top of the the travel (and is on the verge of slippage), that tells me it's the clutch. If it engages at the very bottom (or won't disengage), then that says it's the hydraulics. I've had it both ways (in the same car, no less), and it sounds like it needs a clutch...

If you're sitting at a light with the car in gear and the clutch on the floor, does the motor ever start to buck like you're letting the clutch out with the brake on? Can you pump the pedal to make it go away? If not, then I wouldn't put money on the slave/master cylinder. I'll bet you $5 you need a clutch... ;).

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I believe you to be correct in this case. Its too bad really, that clutch will cost much more than the slave cylinder. Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

Sounds more like a worn-out clutch to me. If it engages at the very top of the the travel (and is on the verge of slippage), that tells me it's the clutch. If it engages at the very bottom (or won't disengage), then that says it's the hydraulics. I've had it both ways (in the same car, no less), and it sounds like it needs a clutch...

If you're sitting at a light with the car in gear and the clutch on the floor, does the motor ever start to buck like you're letting the clutch out with the brake on? Can you pump the pedal to make it go away? If not, then I wouldn't put money on the slave/master cylinder. I'll bet you $5 you need a clutch... ;)










Of course, I could be totally full of shit... but I'm good for the fiver.

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It may be the clutch but I never noticed it slipping. The engine never bucks with the clutch to the floor. I think I did adjust the rod too short though, seems like it wasn't fully disengaging, I'll just readjust and leave it alone.

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Originally Posted by CosmosMpower

It may be the clutch but I never noticed it slipping. The engine never bucks with the clutch to the floor. I think I did adjust the rod too short though, seems like it wasn't fully disengaging, I'll just readjust and leave it alone.

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You'll get some more life out of it with the adjustment, but you oughta start shopping around for clutch parts... :(

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Originally Posted by CosmosMpower

It may be the clutch but I never noticed it slipping.

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Go drive the car up a hill and short-shift from 2nd to 5th gear. That should make it slip if the clutch is on the way out.

My tranny is on the way out as well with it whining like a JRSC. I'll probably do them together as soon as I find a cheap used transmission.

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Originally Posted by CosmosMpower

My tranny is on the way out as well with it whining like a JRSC. I'll probably do them together as soon as I find a cheap used transmission.

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Check with VFR750 - he's parting out a '97 with a manual tranny...




...and a '95 with a slushbox...

Do you lose the pedal with the master or slave goes? My clutch clanks and you can feel vibration through the pedal, so I guess its something more significant.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by trickyrix

Check with VFR750 - he's parting out a '97 with a manual tranny...




...and a '95 with a slushbox...

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I checked with him, I think it was a bit more than I wanted to pay. I'm in no rush, I read a post on miata.net that leads me to believe the input shaft gear is probably going out but it's no immediate danger/problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CosmosMpower

I checked with him, I think it was a bit more than I wanted to pay. I'm in no rush, I read a post on miata.net that leads me to believe the input shaft gear is probably going out but it's no immediate danger/problem.

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I had several old RX-7s with noisy gearboxes and put a lot of miles on them... none of 'em went out. I wouldn't worry about it...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CosmosMpower

as soon as I find a cheap used transmission.

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pm me an offer...
i got one of a 90 with 160k on it and i'll throw in a
free presure plate...

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Originally Posted by Mouglie

pm me an offer...
i got one of a 90 with 160k on it and i'll throw in a
free presure plate...

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Hrmm, is it in good shape? The one in my car has 160 from a 93 and is on it's way out and was driven pretty easily it's whole life, not sure if an older one with same mileage would hold up over the long run.