Alright, the master cylinder is replaced, the slave cylinder is cleaned and reconditioned. Everthing is peachey except above 4,200 rpm at WOT my RPMs keep going up but the car doesn't keep acelerating.

I have about 540 miles on the clutch and engine (250 are probably highway miles). Should I wait and see if it "breaks in" or should I find a V6 transmission and get a new clutch and put my car up for another month or two to swap them?

The owner before me put the 5 speed isuzu transmission in because the 4 speed that came with the car went out. When I was ready for a new clutch I bought what is supposed to be a "heavy duty" clutch for that transmission... It has a 6 spring design and cost about $140. The guy at the store said that he had used it on a 500 hp car that he used to drag race.

Anyway, any help anyone could give me would be great.... If you are selling the 4 speed tranny that came with the GTs/V6 Fieros let me know.

-Charlie

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Did you resurface the flywheel? My RAM clutch didn't slip from day one, even through the break-in period.

Yes, I had the flywheels resurfaced.

It isn't a RAM clutch though, it is a Borg Warner. - I forgot to mention that in the original post.

What Formula said.
I had an 86 with a new clutch that slipped like swing dancers in a room full of bannana peels.
What I found was the fly wheel was cut or worn to far, even for a new clutch. The previous owner just slapped in a clutch and sold the car (to me) within a few weeks it started to slip on me. My mechanic verified it was a 1/2 azzed job and the flywheel should have been replaced.

If the slave cylinder is releasing the pressure plate completely and the flywheel has been properly resurfaced the trouble lies within the pressure plate and the clutch. Check to see if the specs. on the RAM clutch and the Borg Warner one are the same (thickness and or material). Sounds like you will be back into the bell housing again either way.

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I agree with the possible problem that 84Bill posted. The flywheel just might be under minimum thickness. Secondly, I think you've destroyed (glazed) the clutch disk already, it doesn't take much "power slipping" to build up heat that cooks, and glazes the both faces.

Some people may not agree with me, but however told you that a 6 spring hub single disc clutch would hold up to 500hp is full of BS. Three different manufactures were tried in my 400hp (was 330 at the time)and the center hub fragged in under 500 miles. This really makes me wonder what the heck he did sell you.

If you didn't replace the pressure plate it might be worn or warped which can also cause the same problem.

Any clutch "break in" is just mild driving for a few (25 to 100) miles, no power standing on the gas pedal. All it's intended to do in take any high points of the clutch surfaces, so you're getting 100% contact.

Hi.

You said the tranny was replaced with an Isuzu 5 spd, and the clutch was new. Is the clutch in there the 4 cyl clutch, or the V6 clutch?

The correct clutch set for the Isuzu tranny is not big enough for the V6, and it will slip under high rpm, heavy load conditions (like trying to maintain highway speeds). The V6 clutch is 9-1/8" dia. If yours is smaller, it is the 4 cyl unit.

Use the 1986-1988 V6 5 spd clutch disc and pressure plate with the 4 cyl Isuzu 5 spd throwout bearing.

I am using that setup with no trouble.

Good luck!

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Timothy E. Smith
1986 SE V6
1984 Coupe

I totally agree with CA Kid in everything he said to you.... it's everything I was gonna say.

Some clutches do require more of a break in period than 100 miles. The CForce I use requires 400-450 miles of NORMAL driving. FYI, your clutch should not be slipping at all. Slipping is not a normal function of the breakin on a clutch. You don't just drive a new clutch letting it slip like you describe. and then all of a sudden when you put XXX number of slipping miles on it, the slipping stops and the clutch is wonderful.

I hope I've explained this enough.

When you put in a new clutch you drive it normal for a given period of time. If it's slipping during this period of time then your doing something wrong. You just don't drive it around for 500 miles or so and all of a sudden it starts working like it should. You've most likely made toast out of that clutch already....... start making plans for the next one.

Archie

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Just how fast do you want to go?

It is the clutch for the 4 cylinder. I had a new clutch and pressure plate for the V6 transmission but everyone that I talked to said that I would have to grind out reinforcements in the bellhousing to get the larger pressure plate in. The clutch holds great when driving normally. It is only when I get in the upper RPMs WOT when it begins to slip.

Thanks for your help everyone. I guess I am out $140 and need to start working on my car again.

-Charlie

Archie's Centreforce clears his white IMSA car (well, it's in there anyway) If it's good enough for hard v8 launches, it'll do you just dandy fine.

Best!
Ben.

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Ben Cannon
88 Formula, T-top, Metalic Red           "Every Man Dies, not every man really Lives"
88 Formula, Northstar, Silver                     -Mel Gibson, "Braveheart"

Yeah, Archie, don't you have a clutch for sale that "slips until it's broken in?"
[sorry, couldn't resist]

Yeah, I'd put my money on an Archie clutch. That's what my next one will be.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: Yeah, Archie, don't you have a clutch for sale that "slips until it's broken in?" [sorry, couldn't resist] Yeah, I'd put my money on an Archie clutch. That's what my next one will be.

Actually, I do have a very nice one...... it only has a couple of miles on it.

Archie

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Just how fast do you want to go?