Breaking in a clutch. - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

chickenmanq · 11-26-2001, 04:09 PM

Okay, so some of you may have seen whateverjames and myself talking about breaking in a clutch.  Call me clueless, but I've never heard of doing that.  So what do you all think?  Is it important?  What if you've been driving how you normally drive after installing the new clutch?  What bad things could happen?

*drifterx* · 11-26-2001, 04:24 PM

yeah u  r suppost to break in your clutch like u break in a new motor.........
basicly i think it is the same concept.....

*Grant* · 11-26-2001, 05:47 PM

keep it runder 4 grand for the first 500 miles or so, dont be too hard on it.

*Grant* · 11-26-2001, 05:48 PM

keep it under 4 grand for the first 500 miles or so, dont be too hard on it.

chickenmanq · 11-26-2001, 06:09 PM

If I haven't kept it under 4 grand for the first 350 miles, what possible damage should/could I expect?

11-26-2001, 09:39 PM

prolly it won't last as long as it suppose to?
i never did any break-in period with my clutches, they all work well for me
-mike

*nismo270r* · 11-27-2001, 02:18 AM

Yeah...I've heard keep the revs to a minimum and no downshifting...beats me why...but I would assume it's like breaking in brake pads/rotors or something like that...

11-27-2001, 11:08 AM

breaking in BRAKE PADS? AND ROTORS?!?!? i've never done that...... wtf..... what bad would not breaking them in cause?!?!

11-27-2001, 11:16 AM

OHHHHHHH you must be talking about X-drilled and slotted rotors!! i get it

whateverjames · 11-27-2001, 12:45 PM

actually i've heard of that too. now THAT i can say sounds crazy, i've only heard it maybe once, but not a reason for it. anyone want to explain this?

Zexel · 11-27-2001, 03:41 PM

when I got my clutched replaced, I guess I just started to rip it up, because I don't know how many rpm's I'm at...EVER.  have no tach.  so I just do it by speeds...1st - 15, 2nd - 25, 3rd - 35, 4th - 45, 5th - 50+, that's how I do it since I don't know.

chickenmanq · 11-27-2001, 06:44 PM

Well, I've come to the conclusion that since I've run down and back to Phx, at 4-5500 rpm, nothing is going to happen.  The clutch still has the same amount of grip, and nothing feels weird.  Maybe if you broke it in, you'll get another 10,000 miles out of it, but I could care less.  I'm hard on the clutch.  Always will be unless I have a three speed gear box with enough hp to make first 0-60, second 60-120, and third 120-180.  And even then, I'll still probably whack it into gear so as not to loose a nanosecond of time between shifts.

You could actually do that providing you had an electric motor to the drive wheels, with a diesel engine (preferably Cummins) powering a generator.  It's less efficient in actual mechanical systems, but the way you utilize the hp gives you substantial benefits.  i.e. the flat torque curve of an electric motor, which would allow constant pulling if you built it to work with everything.

Funny enough, a guy that used to live above us in Idaho raced Chevy's in his teenage days.  (50's)  He had a regular transmission that he filed every other gear tooth off on.  He would schedule his drags with three hours before it, and took out his regular "street" tranny, and put in his modified one.  This allowed him to literally hit the stick into gear, thus being faster or as fast as autos, with a higher top end, and a stronger tranny, even with the gear filing.

alchemist · 11-27-2001, 08:42 PM

wouldtn filing off the gear teeth change the gear ratio of the trans?  But to the original question, you need to break in a clutch,  yes it will work without it, but you probably took at least 25% of the life out of it,  

chickenmanq · 11-27-2001, 08:49 PM

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from alchemist on 8:42 pm on Nov. 27, 2001
wouldtn filing off the gear teeth change the gear ratio of the trans? But to the original question, you need to break in a clutch, yes it will work without it, but you probably took at least 25% of the life out of it, </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

Naw, it doesn't change the ratio, 'cause the gears are fixed.  You're not changing their size, just the number of teeth.  25% I can deal with.  What's that, like I figure the clutch'll last for 80,000 the way I drive it.  So, it's only gonna last 50 or 60,000, and that's fine by me.

11-26-2001, 04:09 PM	#1
chickenmanq Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 1,000 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Okay, so some of you may have seen whateverjames and myself talking about breaking in a clutch.  Call me clueless, but I've never heard of doing that.  So what do you all think?  Is it important?  What if you've been driving how you normally drive after installing the new clutch?  What bad things could happen?

11-26-2001, 04:24 PM	#2
drifterx Premium Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: boston, ma Age: 44 Posts: 1,533 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	yeah u  r suppost to break in your clutch like u break in a new motor......... basicly i think it is the same concept.....

11-26-2001, 05:47 PM	#3
Grant Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: 聖地牙哥 Posts: 2,647 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: Grant Feedback Score: 0 reviews	keep it runder 4 grand for the first 500 miles or so, dont be too hard on it.

11-26-2001, 05:48 PM	#4
Grant Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: 聖地牙哥 Posts: 2,647 Trader Rating: (0) Rides Gallery: Grant Feedback Score: 0 reviews	keep it under 4 grand for the first 500 miles or so, dont be too hard on it.

11-26-2001, 06:09 PM	#5
chickenmanq Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 1,000 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	If I haven't kept it under 4 grand for the first 350 miles, what possible damage should/could I expect?

11-26-2001, 09:39 PM	#6
Guest Posts: n/a	prolly it won't last as long as it suppose to? i never did any break-in period with my clutches, they all work well for me -mike

11-27-2001, 02:18 AM	#7
nismo270r Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Lafayette, IN Age: 45 Posts: 715 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Yeah...I've heard keep the revs to a minimum and no downshifting...beats me why...but I would assume it's like breaking in brake pads/rotors or something like that...

11-27-2001, 11:08 AM	#8
Guest Posts: n/a	breaking in BRAKE PADS? AND ROTORS?!?!? i've never done that...... wtf..... what bad would not breaking them in cause?!?!

11-27-2001, 11:16 AM	#9
Guest Posts: n/a	OHHHHHHH you must be talking about X-drilled and slotted rotors!! i get it

11-27-2001, 12:45 PM	#10
whateverjames Nissanaholic! Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: St. Louis Age: 45 Posts: 2,263 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	actually i've heard of that too. now THAT i can say sounds crazy, i've only heard it maybe once, but not a reason for it. anyone want to explain this?

11-27-2001, 03:41 PM	#11
Zexel Zilvia Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 262 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	when I got my clutched replaced, I guess I just started to rip it up, because I don't know how many rpm's I'm at...EVER.  have no tach.  so I just do it by speeds...1st - 15, 2nd - 25, 3rd - 35, 4th - 45, 5th - 50+, that's how I do it since I don't know.

11-27-2001, 06:44 PM	#12
chickenmanq Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 1,000 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Well, I've come to the conclusion that since I've run down and back to Phx, at 4-5500 rpm, nothing is going to happen.  The clutch still has the same amount of grip, and nothing feels weird.  Maybe if you broke it in, you'll get another 10,000 miles out of it, but I could care less.  I'm hard on the clutch.  Always will be unless I have a three speed gear box with enough hp to make first 0-60, second 60-120, and third 120-180.  And even then, I'll still probably whack it into gear so as not to loose a nanosecond of time between shifts. You could actually do that providing you had an electric motor to the drive wheels, with a diesel engine (preferably Cummins) powering a generator.  It's less efficient in actual mechanical systems, but the way you utilize the hp gives you substantial benefits.  i.e. the flat torque curve of an electric motor, which would allow constant pulling if you built it to work with everything. Funny enough, a guy that used to live above us in Idaho raced Chevy's in his teenage days.  (50's)  He had a regular transmission that he filed every other gear tooth off on.  He would schedule his drags with three hours before it, and took out his regular "street" tranny, and put in his modified one.  This allowed him to literally hit the stick into gear, thus being faster or as fast as autos, with a higher top end, and a stronger tranny, even with the gear filing.

11-27-2001, 08:42 PM	#13
alchemist Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 192 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	wouldtn filing off the gear teeth change the gear ratio of the trans?  But to the original question, you need to break in a clutch,  yes it will work without it, but you probably took at least 25% of the life out of it,

11-27-2001, 08:49 PM	#14
chickenmanq Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 1,000 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Quote: from alchemist on 8:42 pm on Nov. 27, 2001 wouldtn filing off the gear teeth change the gear ratio of the trans? But to the original question, you need to break in a clutch, yes it will work without it, but you probably took at least 25% of the life out of it, </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'> Naw, it doesn't change the ratio, 'cause the gears are fixed.  You're not changing their size, just the number of teeth.  25% I can deal with.  What's that, like I figure the clutch'll last for 80,000 the way I drive it.  So, it's only gonna last 50 or 60,000, and that's fine by me.