[How-To] Clutch Damper Valve Delete

Yes to which, or both?

Yes.

Clutch Damper Delete Review #2 (3 days in)

Heel-Toe Downshifts - So...I have always loved doing heel-toe downshifts when going into corners. I have driven manual transmissions for 18 of the 28 years I have been driving. Early on in my driving career I had a built 1972 240Z with a light flywheel and competition clutch. Heel-toes on that car where very rewarding and simple. Later I had a stock 1995 Saturn SL2 with a manual. Once again heel-toes were simple and I could 4 wheel drift that car around highway cloverleafs. When I got the Legacy GT after 8 consecutive years of driving automatics, needless to say, I bought it for the manual transmission experience. After a few months of getting used to the car, I decided I was comfortable enough to try some heel-toe. And the car scared the out of me. After many attempts, over months of driving, to be smooth, concentrate, and to try to be 'one' with the car, I gave up. It was that damned floating, mushy clutch engagement, it was just not the same every time....ever!!

This morning on the way to work, I attempted no less than 6 heel-toe downshifts going into corners. And all 6 were PERFECT!!! No lurching ahead and no unnatural and unnecessary engine braking due to flubbed engine/tranny meshing. It was simple and straightforward. I will now make heel-toeing part of my daily routine again. Sweet!!!

Out of curiousity since i wont do this but its worth asking

Does anyone forsee a downside or potential long term effects by doing this?

And how would this react to a lwfw?

Out of curiousity since i wont do this but its worth asking

Does anyone forsee a downside or potential long term effects by doing this?

And how would this react to a lwfw?

Same "long term effects" as having a cable operated clutch. 1:1 input to response. For better or worse. Everyone makes mistakes eventually. So...

At least you'll get solid feedback about it.

Practice trying to get the car moving from a dead stop without using throttle.

I can do this without issue. I can also get the car rolling from standstill in pretty much any gear. I can also jump-start the car in gear if it has a dead battery (at least I'm assuming it's the same with the LGT as it was with my Accord). I just haven't been able to launch it properly except for one time when I scared the bejebus out of my grandfather-in-law. I gave him fair warning, but he still wasn't expecting that kind of launch.

Note that so far all the "tips" about launching the car had no actual advice on how to launch the car -- more things "I should learn" (that I already can do) before attempting to launch a car.

The whole ordeal reminds me of this scene from the Fifth Element, where I'm Korben Dallas and you're Ray:

Thanks Ray.

 

Thanks Ray.

http://images.sodahead.com/profiles/0/0/2/4/1/7/1/2/3/he-mad-91028347673.jpeg

Seriously, find a desolate back road, set launch control to 3500-4000RPM, and practice! Having LC on makes things more consistent and repeatable.

Turn off traction control because when you do it right, the wheels will spin. TC makes a launch feel all "herky-jerky" because it keeps cutting the throttle.

a GT without an AP is like a day without sunshine, lol

Then I guess it's always raining....

no actual advice on how to launch the car -- more things "I should learn"

I'm a little slow sometimes (including at the track). "How to do things" and "things you should learn about how to do things" pretty much mean the same thing to me.

a GT without an AP is like a day without sunshine, lol

I don't have an ap....I have been dyno tuned everytime! Why should I get an accessport??? Out of curiosity

I don't have an ap....I have been dyno tuned everytime! Why should I get an accessport??? Out of curiosity

Nameless's tuner open source tuned you?

I'm a little slow sometimes (including at the track). "How to do things" and "things you should learn about how to do things" pretty much mean the same thing to me.

"You'll have to excuse my friend, he's a bit slow... The town is back five miles that way."

I don't have an ap....I have been dyno tuned everytime! Why should I get an accessport??? Out of curiosity

*sigh* it was a joke, lighten up

"You'll have to excuse my friend, he's a bit slow... The town is back five miles that way."

You have no idea how close to reality my daily life is to that movie.

Driveline shock happens when you sidestep the clutch. This damper is designed to prevent driveline shock. So...

It's not that it "slows" anything btw. It just nails down the engagement point.

With the damper there was essentially the equivalent of a rubber ball between your foot and the pedal. Imagine trying to push a heavy door open with a big rubber ball in your hand, you would push the ball, and it would squish, then eventually the door would open and the ball would kinda spring back, making your overall stroke to open the door longer, with less control of the door itself. Same with closing the door quietly or slowly, it would be difficult with the ball in your hand to actuate the door with precision. There is a foggy area of control and reassurance that the door is doing what you want it to do, because of the ball.

Without the damper your foot is more directly connected to the throwout bearing and thus the clutch pressure plate. You are opening and closing the door with your hand, no rubber ball. The pedal travel distance as you depress the pedal, from when you first feel the pressure plate weight come off the clutch disk, to full clutch release is shorter and more exact because the rubber ball isn't there. This is the same in reverse, as you are letting the pedal out you can better feel where the clutch starts to grab and when it is fully engaged over the slightly shorter distance of pedal travel.

I have had my damper deleted for over 3 weeks now, and while learning the new feel was interesting because it was like driving a different car (only it was the same car), I am now more comfortable with the clutch than I ever was over the last 1-1/2 years of driving the car. I can tell you that I have had fewer "noob" moments with the clutch in the last 3 weeks than I used to have every single day. The ride is smoother for passengers, downshifts are better, upshifts are better and overall transmission gear shifting doesn't have the anomolies it used to that made me wonder what I was doing wrong before. Hell, I don't have to hold the pedal on the floor now wondering if the clutch is fully disengaged, I KNOW when it is disengaged, about 1-1/2" up from the floor. The clutch releases and engages with much more precision and speed. Haha, and I haven't stalled the car once, which I used to do about every 2 or 3 weeks before.

I have even done a few, oh maybe, 80% launches too, and it's much easier, and I am actually less worried about breaking something because I can feel everything.

With the damper there was essentially the equivalent of a rubber ball between your foot and the pedal.

I have even done a few, oh maybe, 80% launches too, and it's much easier, and I am actually less worried about breaking something because I can feel everything.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful input TEASER. so it's a spring loaded multi directional dashpot than. I guess this will be going on the list of mods. it will definitely void parts of my warranty but I'm sick of looking like a noob in my own car:spin:. IDK if I can last another 50 some odd K like this. I worry about breaking shit all the time

Thank you so much for your thoughtful input TEASER. so it's a spring loaded multi directional dashpot than. I guess this will be going on the list of mods. it will definitely void parts of my warranty but I'm sick of looking like a noob in my own car:spin:. IDK if I can last another 50 some odd K like this. I worry about breaking shit all the time

install and re-install shouldn't take longer than an hour in case of warranty work.