Damn... got the car running again, seems to be coming along, up to about 17-18 in of vacuum at idle, so the rings are seating. Then yesterday, as I was leaving for work I can't get it to go into reverse. So I try a couple times, and finally get it in gear. I am thinking I got some air in the lines, and I will bleed it later. Made it to work, after much grinding between shifts. Went to leave for lunch, and I got no clutch. Damn. So I call around, and find a remanufactured one for eighty bucks, I am thinking no sweat, I'll call the kid, have him bring a few tools, I'll be home by 6:30. Or not. We spent five hours trying to get it to bleed, and another two this morning doing the same thing, no luck, so I had it towed home. I gravity bled the master before I put it on, started at the slave, and then worked up to the bleed point under the hood. Back and forth again and again. When that wasn't working, I just opened both of them and let them drip the reservoir down low twice. I removed the slave and pumped it by hand. I used my mityvac. I went to the damn farm store and bought a 100cc syringe and tried to push bleed the damn thing. Nothing. I looked through the window in the transmission, the ball is intact. I have the 350z clutch fork which is solid as opposed to stamped steel. And I am getting almost an inch of movement out of the pushrod on the slave because the pushrod on the master is all they way out to make the southbend clutch disengage in the first place. So I have come to the conclusion that this P.O.S. Southbend clutch I have has welded itself to the pressure plate because it was not disengaging fully on the way to work yesterday. Quite frankly, it may be a blessing because I have always hated that clutch. So, question, does this sound like a reasonable conlusion? Is there any other bleeding trick anyone can think of that I have missed that may allow me to drive my car until I can get a new clutch?? Thanks guys.
You wouldn't catch me shitting on a south bend clutch. There always seems to be issues with them. Plate too think, flywheel machined wrong, etc etc etc. Piss the bloody thing off
The ONLY way youll ever get a decent bleed on that clutch release, IF you still have that stupid "line to nowhere" (damper line) is using a MightyVac vacuum bleeder. Several hours of unsuccessful work if you dont, about 2 minutes by yourself if you do. End of story. E
Yeah TS... I used the mityvac on it yesterday for probably close to an hour, botht the slave and the damper line or whatever it is called, still no clutch. That is what makes me think that the clutch is stuck to the pressure plate. I got lots of movement on the slave, about an inch of travel, and it still won't disengage.
Ok clutches dont stick to pressure plates/flywheels. One of 3 things. Clutch fork is broken (occasionally) Fork fulcrum ball thingy is broken. (happens quite a bit) Clutch diaphragm spring is broken.(rarely) E
Yeah... south bend "feramic" dxd stage 5 clutches do stick to pressure plates and flywheels. Do a google search "melted my South bend stage 5 clutch" https://www.google.com/#q=south+bend+stage+5+clutch+melted+to+flywheel and you will see it is fairly common with that particular material that if you get it hot from slipping, it will weld itself to the flywheel/pressure plate. I looked through the window on the side of the trans, and the ball is intact. It is the Chromoly upgraded one. The clutch fork is the solid one like that of the 350z, not the stock stamped one. I have perfect peddle pressure, I have about an inch of movement on the fork at the slave as well, the clutch just is not disengaging. I am tearing into it tomorrow, and I am convinced that because the master failed, the clutch wasn't fully disengaging, which heated it up, and stuck it. Greg at specialty Z told me shortly after I got that clutch that it was a mistake, that if I slipped it hard, even for a short time, it would ruin the whole thing.
lol feramic yep.. bin food! You need a new clutch. Search my name for the thread on the troubles I had.
Yeah I read that thread a couple times. This clutch has been shit from day one. It held strong, but engagement was ALWAYS an on and off switch on the floor. I had the rod adjusted all the way out, and still couldn't get any change in engagement. The guy I bought it from said I had air in the lines was why. Similar to South Bend telling you your hydraulics were "too tight" I guess if you don't have an answer for why your product is shit, you can just make stuff up. BTW I ordered a Competition clutch stage III that will be here tomorrow.
Good man. Throw the southbend in the bin. Get a new clutch. Problem fixed.. easy. I only wish I brought a standard clutch from day 1 and didnt waste time and money also on a failed product. I wouldnt even say faulty, its a design fail.
Interesting... I have had similar problems since putting in a new 98 spec gearbox and a 350Z clutch fork - with the old stock pressed steel fork I didn't have an issue... My clutch engages alright, but I have trouble with it dragging from time to time.... Although lately its stopped - guess I've worn an extra few mm off it and it has enough clearnace now... Needless to say I won't be putting another of their pieces of sh!t back in when this one wears out...
hawhawhaw.. learn something new everyday........ A clutch "welds" itself to the fly........LMFAO!!!!!! What happens if you ask the clutch a decent question then???.......Say a high rpm launch at the drags...... "oh, sorry m8, dont use your farken clutch, it will weld itself together"............. So Southebend sell a clutch that you cannot "clutch" with then eh???.............PMSL!!!!!! What a POS. Might as well fit a dog engagement clutch then. E
Just a quick update... got my new clutch in today. Just for kicks, before I dropped the tranny, I bled the system again. Ran about a pint through it (half pint up top, half pint at the slave) using the mityvac. Still no go on the boat anchor South bend clutch. Now, here's what's weird: It wasn't welded, it just stopped working. The flywheel was discolored and spotted pretty bad from getting hot, but it came right apart. I can't see any broken springs, the throwout was still intact (though sounding a bit dry) and over an inch of movement on the clutch fork would not disengage it. Now as to the new one: OH MY GOD! What a difference! I have had a new Specialty Z aluminum TT flywheel setting in the cabinet for the last couple years that I was originally going to use with the southbend pressure plate and disc, but the bolt patter was not that of a stock TT. So I mated the SZ Flywheel with the new competition stage 3 clutch. I adjusted the rod in about two turns before I tried it, and the clutch was clear at the top of the pedal! I had to turn the pedal down about 4.5 turns on the rod to get the clutch in the middle of the stroke, and get the free play right. I put a micrometer on the two flywheels. The southbend flywheel was almost 5mm (4.6)thicker than the SZ flywheel. I weighed the two, the southbend flywheel weighed almost 17 pounds (16 lbs 10oz), the sz weighed just a hair over twelve (12 lbs 2 oz). The difference in how it shifts is absolutely incredible. It revs faster, and runs smoother with a lot less driveline vibe. I am diggin it. I been messing with stick shift cars since I can remember, changed several clutches in several different cars that south bend clutch was the biggest piece of shit clutch I have ever used.
Nice one Another +1 for SouthBend being Bin Food!!! I had the same experience, put a regular brand clutch in and never looked back. Send SB an email telling of your dissatisfaction. Not that it helps, they dont know anything about clutches.
Huge POS those clutches, Bracket has a new one down here and the fingers are almost all horizontal when its bolted up. Its just CRAP they can get away with selling this shit. How many times do they have to be told the goddamn clutch plate is too thick !!!!!!
Well in my defense... that clutch has been on there for almost four years. No one knew, at the time I purchased it, how junk they are/were.
I was talking about Southshit selling a junk product, I feel sorry for you man, as a consumer it sucks to be ripped off with crap products.
Yeah... that setup was a grand. Now I can take it to the scrap yard and get about four american dollars for it.
