3rdGen7

Can anyone suggest a reason why a throw out fork (Clutch) would break ..on a 1000 mile clutch..while breaking in a motor with no boost and non aggressive driving ?!?!

It broke on the tapered part..that goes out to the both ends..

Kinda weird.. just firgured I'd ask..in case it's something that happens if you didn't do something correctly.

TIA,
3G7

black99

I've installed 2 clutches and never had that happen. Could you have jammed something when installing it? I mean everything seemed to go ok on the install? Anything else broke?

paw140

I think I've read about other people having this problem with their FD. I don't think its too uncommon.

duboisr

have it welded and reinforced then replace the plastic bushings with bass -oil lite bushings, they last longer with no deflection. Or get a new part and have it reinforced and do the bushings .

Blue Goose

heavier springs on the new clutch? And do you let your hand rest on the shifter while driving? If so, stop, it puts preload on it and causes it to wear out much faster...

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

Heavier springs will cause the clutch fork to fatigue faster.

Resting your hand on the gearshift won't change anything to do with the clutch, it can wear out the shift forks in the tranny.

Jeff

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

I've installed 20 clutches and never had that happen. I've heard about it happening to other FDs. It is a fatigue failure, the more times the clutch is pushed in and the stiffer the pressure plate the more likely it is to happen. It seems like this is another area where Mazda might have made the part too light.

1000 miles on the new clutch doesn't really have anything to do with the problem. Make sure the throwout bearing has some grease on it where it rides against the collar around the input shaft.

Jeff