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Crazy Clutch slipping

H

highspeedjbt

New CEG'er
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
23
First off I haven't been on this forum since 2000 when I got My 1998 csvt. I just picked up a 99 for 1500 bucks. The PO said that the tranny was built by haynes and has upgraded everything with a quaife lsd. He has no proof because he bought the car off of a "friend" of his. Well is was suppose to have a spec stage 1 in it also. The tranny is smoother than I remember my old csvt being so I thought that he was legit. here is the problem that I am having.

-needs a master cylinder or brakes bleed because the pedal is spongy and I have to pump the pedal to get good pressure.
-Clutch slips in 4 and 5th gear, every once and a while, never does it in consecutive shifts.
- while shifting the rpms are slow to fall and if I shift fast the clutch will slip in 3-5 gear.

Do these problems interact with each other or am I looking at swapping another clutch in a csvt(did my 98 and it was a :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored:, even with a lift). I have done the clutch slipping test and this is what I get. 4th gear at 35 mph, floor it then it will slip, then go to 3rd, back to 4th again, 35mph role and then it won't slip..........what the hell...over! Any help would be appreciated. I have been working on DSM's for the last 6 years and they are definitely different then the csvt so I really don't know what to be looking for. Thanks in advance
 
And yes I have searched the site and haven't really found any similar situation except maybe I need to bleed the clutch also
 
if you have to pump the brakes check the axle nuts to make sure they are tight. if they are not the rotor will float around kicking the pads out making you have to pump the brakes.

check the fluid and most likely change the fluid. then bleed all of the brakes and clutch. this may help.


if it is a HMS built transmission the build specs and original owners name will be scribed on the bell housing. although this isn't always the case. the one I picked up wasn't but it was sent to HMS and confirmed.
 
Check the caliper springs. If they're on the wrong way it makes the pedal spongy and the brakes only work if you pump them up. Does the brake pedal almost go to the floor the first time you depress it?
 
espguitarist91 said:
Check the caliper springs. If they're on the wrong way it makes the pedal spongy and the brakes only work if you pump them up. Does the brake pedal almost go to the floor the first time you depress it?
Click to expand...

It doesn't go to the floor but it does go quite a ways down. But once I pump it up it seems to be ok. here is something else that may help with diagnosis.

- this morning when I drove it the clutch slipped in 1-2-3-4-5 gear until it was warm then it just seem to do it in 5th on the expressway.
 
The only way that matters is if it didn't catch in that spot before.. if the normal disengaged point was very near the floor and now its at the very top, then sure.. that means the clutch plate is wearing or worn or the springs are worn, etc.. as evidenced by your slippage. However, the point at which the clutch is not engaged any longer is not a tell-tale sign of anything in and of itself.
 
Ray said:
The only way that matters is if it didn't catch in that spot before.. if the normal disengaged point was very near the floor and now its at the very top, then sure.. that means the clutch plate is wearing or worn or the springs are worn, etc.. as evidenced by your slippage. However, the point at which the clutch is not engaged any longer is not a tell-tale sign of anything in and of itself.
Click to expand...

well I finally looked at the underneath of the car and the tranny is a Haynes rebuilt with a quaife. I just thought that if the clutch doesnt engage until the very very last inch of travel that this could mean that the clutch is neither fully engaged or disengaged. The last time that i did a clutch on my 98 csvt, I put a competition stage 3 in it and I had the same engagement until I bled the clutch. So I am going to try that and see if it helps. It also seems as if the throwout bearing makes some rattling noise with the clutch pedal all the way out. Like it isn't releasing all the way and the throwout bearing is still touching the pressure plate. Again I have been a DSM guy for the last 6 years and these symptoms are similar to problems that i had with many DSM clutches. thanks for all your help
 
A few things that will save you some time:

1. the stage 3, etc, clutches make noise.. period. that noise you hear will go away with the clutch depressed.

2. Bleeding the clutch (and, ultimately the status of the system) ensures the ability to fully RELEASE the clutch and change gears... clutch operation once in gear will not be affected by fluid pressure, air, etc.

You can bleed it if you want, but that will not help a clutch to "clamp" any more than it was.
 
update.....I have narrowed the problem to:

1. when the car is cold, the clutch slips
2. when the car is hot, it doesn't slip, but is slow to engage when shifting from 4th to 5th

my conclusion: the clutch is on its way but I have some time.......does that sound about right?
 
Clutch lining might be contaminated. Possible rear main seal or trans input seal leak. Also your slave cylinder might be leaking.
 
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