Big problems with Competition clutch and/or gearbox - advice needed ASAP!

[Browner]

Hi guys,

I am having serious gear selection problems with my car. Sometimes it refuses to go from 1st into 2nd and is extremely notchy going into 3rd. It is useless for drag racing as sometimes it gets stuck in 1st off the line and the severe notchiness slows gear changes considerably, allowing the car to drop off boost.

I am running a Competition clutch kit from ECC and had a brand new GT Turbo gearbox rebuilt by them. I have removed the short shifter from the car and it improved ever so slightly but is still very bad. I also done the linkages.

Does anyone have any opinion what it might be?

I need it sorted ASAP as I would be laughed off the drag strip trying to race like that

Many thanks,

Conor.

 

[only 5e in mullingar]

what clutch is in your car?if you changed linkages and gear selectors has to b the box or clutch!!!did you get ecc to put in the parts or do it yourself?

 

[Browner]

It's a stage 4 6 puk Competition clutch. It was supplied and fitted by ECC and they rebuilt the box from scratch

 

[Iain@CRD]

Is this the clutch that needs the internal gearbox casing to be shaved away in order for it to fit properly? Have you tried speaking to John@ECC?

 

[Browner]

I wasn't aware any modifications had to be made to fit his clutch? Yes I told John about the problem and he said it was definitely my short shifter causing issues, I removed that but it's still the same. He can't seem to tell me exactly what the problem is so I decided to get some opinions on it as I need it fixed ASAP as I'm racing on Sunday

 

[Iain@CRD]

Im sure i read a similar issue to this and that was the reason for it as the clutch was rubbing the internal casing as it needs slightly modded i.e shaved away in some area's. John can correct me if im wrong.

 

[Browner]

Yeah as above going to head to England next month for a new map and some other upgrades. I'm sure they will find the problem and give me a straight answer

 

[John@ECC]

I wasn't aware any modifications had to be made to fit his clutch? Yes I told John about the problem and he said it was definitely my short shifter causing issues, I removed that but it's still the same. He can't seem to tell me exactly what the problem is so I decided to get some opinions on it as I need it fixed ASAP as I'm racing on Sunday

I did not say it was the short shifter, you were speaking with adrian about it and he said that the short shifter wasnt great and most likely the problem and advised you to remove it.

 

[Texx]

Sounds like your getting some clutch drag. The first port of call is to bleed the hydraulic system of air and check the condition of the shift cables, they're both simple processes that don't take a great deal of time to complete. If the problem still persists then it leaves several other possibilities;

• Faulty clutch slave cylinder
• Faulty clutch master cylinder
• Shift cable issue
• Insufficient grease on the input shaft splines
• Faulty clutch release bearing or fork
• Faulty/contaminated clutch pressure plate or friction disc
• Warped/high spots on the flywheel
• Internal transmission fault

If your still using the stock rubber coated flexi hose for the slave cylinder, try clamping it off and see if the clutch pedal becomes hard. If you can still depress the clutch pedal then the master cylinder probably needs replacing.

 

[tersplat]

I was going to recommend bleeding and adjusting the clutch and clutch pedal. mine was doing the same thing running a competition clutch pressure plate ONLY with an ACT 6 puck sprung disc. The competition pressure plate engages so far down that you really need to adjust the pedal all the way up and bled very well for it to engage correctly. Just letting you know though, I was VERY upset with my competition 6 puck unsprung disc, because with less than 5000 miles on it (3000) of it was constant highway driving across the United States it did this.

After having that problem with MY Competition Clutch, I would call your problem small bananas. but anywho, try bleeding it, and adjusting the pedal on the linkage all the way extended(takes 10 minutes max and anyon who can turn a 12mm wrench and pull a clip can do it.)

 

[animal gt]

to be fair i can vouch for this aswel! i drove browners car and it wouldnt come out of 1st gear at traffic lights! and was overall sticky gears not going in and out smoothly as they should,i taught maybe there was a problem with the gearbox but thinking back spuddy had the exact same problems last year if am correct he run the same clutch as this one.

 

[Browner]

Jesus that looks very bad. A lot of people seem to have problems with the Competition clutches. I found this too:

http://www.toyotagtturbo.com/forums...-competition-clutch-pressure-plates&highlight

They seem to be a very poor quality clutch as lots of people are having problems with them. I wouldn't mind but they are far from cheap either!

Texx thanks for the great advice thats why I use this site at least you can get a straight answer first time every time. I will get to work at that today

 

[billybob]

seems spuddy done the testing over here for these clutchies ,he ran two different compition ones both gave problems first one fell apart after a few drag runs second one he was having the same problem as mr browns having thats why he took it out ,,seems he was sayin to me that there very bad worst one he ever used ...maybe this next one he tests he can let people know how it is ,,mr brown your car had no problems wath so ever changing gears before you got the work done

 

[weeJohn]

There are a few things that have not been checked that will have this affect, Texx has listed them above and they should have been checked along with the linkages and shifter change.

You would have heard if the cover plate was hitting the gearbox as it only did it in one position so it would have created a repeating noise, increasing in tempo as the revs increased. This should not have affected getting gears as it does not affect the internal operation of the clutch.

Sure if its Tullow you are racing at, with your power 1st gear will be enough, you dont want to end up in that field lol.

 

[Rob H]

I know a lot of Honda boys that call CC clutches a lot of names mainly completely crap! As they fail more often than most others a mate has a pile of them on his scrap pile all failed in different ways from the centers pulling out like the one above, the pads coming off the disc he has one where all 6 pucks have come off complete with the plates there riveted to! I will get some picks next time I am over!

 

[weeJohn]

I run one as well, with the CC flywheel. Its a solid unit and its not fun to drive around town but after hearing so people issues with them and seeing tersplats pics when I pulled the engine off the box it was the first thing I looked at. It was fine, nothing to worry about, that was after a years drag racing including 20 odd runs at Santa Pod.

Its good to have constructive feedback about parts fitted to our motors.

 

[Gryzor]

The gearbox bell housing was being hit at 3 points on the pressure plate.

 

[spuddy]

Fit a Dogbox, who cares if the clutch is even used

But yea get the pedal adjusted all the way out it can go, that will help alot, also when racing to try and cover up the issue if it's not fixed for Sunday, try and keep about 25% throttle on during your gear changes in the lower gears.

If you have Antilag, then the problem didn't seem to occur or if it did it was unnoticable.

 

[Franza1]

This thread is about the issue at hand, not any other problems or gripes, I have remove all off topic and Non Constructive posts above, could you please keep this on topic and try and be civil and help a fellow member of the site solve this problem.

 

[Browner]

Yeah WeeJohn we checked more of Texx's suggestions today but it is still the same. My mate Rob was over today and he has done a complete reshell and fitted the exact same CC clutch stage 4 and he has EXACTLY the same problems as me. If they are this faulty with such a wide range of issues they should be withdrawn from the market in my opinion