veilsidei

would it be ok to run a 4 pluck with a stock motor?

Busted7

Its puck pucker! jk You wouldnt like it at the most go with a 6 puck sprung disc. If your not running big power why would you want a grabby ingaugement on your clutch?

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

You want the number of pucks to match the number of apex seals in your motor, or they get lonely and can prematurely break.

DaveW

That reminds me of an "old wives tale" many years ago that said that on a drag car, the wheelbase had to be the same as the circumference of the rear tires...

veilsidei

i go through the OEM clutches like no tommorow.. ive gone through three in 5k miles... and i heard the puck ones last a lot longer. and i thought the more pucks the more power you have to have.. that why i was asking about 4 puck.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

What mods do you have, how much power are you making, and how are you using the car?

After the first stock clutch, I would have switched to something else. 3 stock clutches in 5k miles is kinda silly.

1RevvinFC3S

JESUS!!! What do you do redline clutch drops at every start or something? Or are the clutches not being installed correctly?

njstreetrx7

i use a sprung 4 puck in my daily single turbo fd

dontlift

+1 if you're really on "a stock motor". Sounds like something's wrong with the car or the driving technique...

bajaman

That is an insane amount of clutches! Hell, my friend that races a tubbed and built '70 Chevelle putting down 550 hp gets two YEARS of use out of his, though he IS running a twin-disc system.
No more torque than what our little rotaries put out...a clutch ought to last YEARS even with heavy mods.

veilsidei

my car is completly stock... i dont do any redline drops cause that just plain stupid and waste of gas.. but everytime i get my car back after a new clutch installation the pedal is so soft.. and i can never feel when the clutch engages and by the time i can feel its already pass halfway mark of the pedal.. im just looking for something that will last a lot longer than the oem ones. cause they are crap... i mean every now and then ill do like a 3k drop.. but thats only once every month when i go drifting with buddies and i only do it 2 times. and i also dont let anyone drive my car because i dont want to be the thread starter of a MY CAR WAS WRECKED... but im just sick of these clutches going out..

My technique is.. i rev to about 1k and slowly edge the clutch out.. and once it feels like its out i then give it gas.. and when i shift i push the clutch in switch gears let the clutch all the way out then give it gas *no power shifts*. and 3rd-5th i dont use the clutch most of the time you can just push it into the gear..

and i dont ever downshift because i dont know how to do that safely enough. and i dont like the front end dip feeling..


now the past two my dad replaced for me. but the last one was me.. and i didnt like the dishing out of $795 for a clutch job..

Copeland

iTrader: (42)

Well I just ordered a Spec Stage 3 clutch (4 puck) so I guess I'll let you know in a week or two. My car isn't pushing more than 300whp so basically stock. I'll be doing a single turbo upgrade soon so I decided I'd want a strong clutch.

aa35199

iTrader: (1)

First and probably only post I'll ever make in the 3rd gen section, but do you use a clutch alignment tool when ever you replace the clutch? Also did you have have the flywheel resurfaced? and finally are you just replacing disks or are you also replacing the pressure plate too, and finally if you haven't yet I'd replace the pilot bearing as well (cheap and one less reason to drop the tranny).

veilsidei

yes the flywheel was resurfaced.. we replace the throw out bearing and disk i believe.. im not really sure about pressure plate.. i dont remember what it looked like last time.. could that be what the squicking sound could be when i push the clutch in now? but it sounds more of a hydralic squick than a metal to metal squick.


and btw for the record.. i think the clutch thing does have something to do with me, because my dad drove the car for 12 years straight with no problems.. then i got it with 30k on the car.. and it still had the original clutch.. and it only lasted me about a week... the car now has 35760+-

Busted7

All you need is a better pressure plate. If there changing clutch disc and not the pressure plate there not doing you any favors and maybe the cause your eating clutches!!!!!! From the way you talk about driving ,a pucked clutch might give you some problems, if you dont feel good about down shifting you wont like going up hills with a ceramic disc!

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

(1) get the ACT HD-00 pressure plate with a stock disc.

(2) learn to drive, for God's sake.

veilsidei

i have driven a car with a puck clutch in it.. it was a del sol with a b18c1 motor in it. and i drive it fine.. actually better. it seems to be more of a sport feeling to me.. and you cant accidently slip the clutch that easily.. his motor has i think around the same as mine.. i think his is 276 or something like that. i know this question could get me some flaming.. but will the honda puck clutch feel the same as a FD puck clutch? if it does i have no problem how they drive like i said it feels more sporty to me..

And to goodfella... i drive fine it just the mazda thats giving me problems... ive driven a mini cooper s for a long time almost 6 months with absolutly no problems..

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

No offense man, but an FD is....a car. In all the years I've been around FDs (since 1998), I've never heard of a problem like yours. This includes being exposed to dozens and dozens of FDs in the year I was running the Gotham showroom. I'm not convinced a puck clutch is going to help, it's either your driving technique or some very odd problem with the clutch hydraulic system.

veilsidei

well how can i solve this problem? ive asked several people if they can help me find what im doing wrong.. and i havent gotton one good answer..

Busted7

Do what goodfella said and replace the clutch with the act set he recomended and you will find it drives different. You must be slipping the hell out of the clutch, the act will help you grow some leg muscles too! And the cars you mentioned both have a totally diffrent torque curve and will feel diffrent on the clutches allowing for a lower rpm engaugement. Now until you try what he said dont say its not good advice just becouse you dont understand it!!

aa35199

iTrader: (1)

really imortant, did you use the clutch alignment tool or not. By the symptoms you described it sounds like you didn't.

bajaman

LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING! It is NOT "Mazda's" fault. The fault lies entirely with you or your specific car. Good God man....anyone that can't get at LEAST 30K miles on a clutch has some sort of serious, SERIOUS issue! I can't hardly believe that you are just getting asphyxiated by the burning clutch, because it IS burning away! Surely you have been smelling it! A clutch, whilst very simple, DOES have to be installed correctly and have all the system components working correctly.

You have something very wrong in your clutch system, or you are riding with your foot on the clutch, it comes down to those two things.

DomFD3S

You've got air in the clutch system. Plain and simple.
That is why your pedal is soft...and you end up burning through so many clutches.

It will not matter if you get a stronger clutch or if you switch out the flywheel.
If the air is in the system...you'll eat clutches for breakfast.

Check the following:

The clutch master cylinder rod area near the pedal/firewall. You want to ensure it is clean/only a little bit of fluid on the rod itself. There is a rubber seal on this rod. Peal it back and check for excessive fluid.

Check the clutch fluid reservoir. Look for telltale signs of leaks.

Check your rubber clutch line from the master and slave cylinder.

Check the slave cylinder itself.

This will definitely solve your issue once you find the problem.

After all that, bleed the system. Use excess fluid to ensure all the air is gone because fluid is cheap compared to a burning clutch. Have a friend help you, not a 1 person bleeder mechanism.

Lastly, use a brand new clutch alignment tool....not whatever you've been using.

bajaman

^ and there you have it. Follow this advice and your problem will be fixed.