New Clutch....how do they feel??

I am hoping to get some input from those who have indeed replaced or upgraded their clutch.

 

I just had a clutchmaster fx300 installed yesterday. One thing I noticed was that the clutch pedal seemed much softer than it did with the oem clutch. The other was the engagement point, it is almost instant, as soon as you let it off the floor that thing is grabbing. I almost stalled the first few times!

 

So my question(s), does this sound normal, and can the pedal feel and clutch engagement be adjusted at all? I am not complaining and it isn't a huge deal, I was just used to the oem feel, and actually liked how it engaged/disengaged.

 

Another thing, I realize that things may change as it settles in and gets some miles on it.....I have only driven it about 20 miles since the clutch was installed.

 

Any thoughts or input is appreciated.

Ask the shop if they flushed the clutch master cylinder and replaced the fluid. Many shops dont bleed the clutch for some reason. It is hydraulic. Then remember you have a 90 day return warranty on that CM FX300.

Ask the shop if they flushed the clutch master cylinder and replaced the fluid. Many shops dont bleed the clutch for some reason. It is hydraulic. Then remember you have a 90 day return warranty on that CM FX300.

Thanks, I will ask them. I really don't want to have it taken off. I am hoping to hear from others with this clutch to see if their engagement feel is the same as mine or different.

Nothing has to be taken apart to bleed the clutch line. The clutch master cylinder is on the outside of the transmission and easily accessed by removing the intercooler. It is similar to bleeding brakes. I would at least ask them if they did bleed the line.

I'm putting the FX300 on very soon, but I did switch from a Spec Stage 2+ to an ACT clutch before and I'll chime in here.

For the first 500 miles, engagement was INSTANT, and I do mean INSTANT, the second I started to lift it was fully engaged. After about 300 miles it started to get a lot smoother, and then at 500 miles it was back to what I was used to.

As for softness, I didnt experience anything like that. I basically had to stand on the pedal with all my weight to get it to the floor, it was rough. It has since gotten a lot smoother, but its still very heavy. I'm looking forward to the lightness that I hear the FX300 has (dallas traffic, ughh)

thanks executor....the pedal is just slightly softer and maybe that will firm up a little with a fluid flush. If not, it is by no means too soft, and I'd rather have it the way it is than have it to firm. I bet if I am stuck in stop and go traffic, I will be happy the pedal is softer.

 

The engagement was just as you mentioned, and it was very cold too, so I will give it some time. I was wondering if it helped to break in by doing some 2nd gear starts, and letting it slip a little.

 

More than anything, it will probably just require me to adjust to the new feel, it has been 4 yrs with the oem clutch. I tend to resist change...

thanks executor....the pedal is just slightly softer and maybe that will firm up a little with a fluid flush. If not, it is by no means too soft, and I'd rather have it the way it is than have it to firm. I bet if I am stuck in stop and go traffic, I will be happy the pedal is softer.

 

The engagement was just as you mentioned, and it was very cold too, so I will give it some time. I was wondering if it helped to break in by doing some 2nd gear starts, and letting it slip a little.

 

More than anything, it will probably just require me to adjust to the new feel, it has been 4 yrs with the oem clutch. I tend to resist change...

 

I wouldnt recommend doing second gear slips personally, but I may not be the best to recommend how to use a clutch lol... IIRC, they recommend trying to not slip the clutch as much as you can for the first 500 or so break-in miles. It will help the clutch last longer.

 

The clutch will break in soon and be much less harsh on engagement, just give it a week or two. I was freaking out for that long and was trying to figure out how to fix the engagement problem, it resolved itself in 2 weeks tops.

Engagement needs break in time. It will move from directly off the floor to the normal position soon enough. Firmness can be increased with a fresh fluid flush of the clutch master cylinder/line.

Just installed my fx300 on sunday. Very first thing I noticed was the clutch pedal felt very light. I did flush the fluid but that didn't change the pedal feel at all. So far I really like this clutch.

I will just wait and see how what happens after a few hundred miles, I am sure it will cool out a little.

 

I am starting to like the softer clutch pedal feel now, was just weird at first, but it is much more comfortable in stop and go traffic.

Yeah. Try standing on my ACT HD Xtreme. If you are not at least 160lbs the pedal will hold you up, LOL.

So is it a must to bleed the clutch after install? I put my fx200 in bout 2 weeks ago

Spec stage 2 here, pedal effort is close to stock, slightly higher. It was also "on-off" in terms of engagement for about 700 miles. I have 10,000 on it now. Overall I like the clutch and seems to be holding up well and engagement has smoothed out. I recomend flushing the clutch fluid anytime it (the clutch) is worked on or every 30k.

Sounds good. One other thing I was wondering about. I have noticed that if I upshift and let the clutch pedal out rather quickly, I feel a little bit of feedback in the pedal, almost like the pedal is slightly shaking or vibrating behind the firewall. It is only on upshifts though, not downshifts. If I let the clutch out less abruptly it just feels normal. Anyone experience this?

One thing I noticed was that the clutch pedal seemed much softer than it did with the oem clutch.

 

THATS A COMPLAINT? I wish you could drive on my Exedy stage 1 clutch. I wish I could re-write the forum review I did on that one. You need to use all three feet to push it to the floor. All for a whopping 360fwtq. Okaaaaay....

THATS A COMPLAINT? I wish you could drive on my Exedy stage 1 clutch. I wish I could re-write the forum review I did on that one. You need to use all three feet to push it to the floor. All for a whopping 360fwtq. Okaaaaay....

 

Ha, yeah after having it a day I was fine with the pedal. I would take it over a real stiff pedal. It just seems weird how it is real soft, yet grabs almost instantly. I was letting it out too quickly for a while.

Took me 5 mins to flush the clutch after the intercooler was off. I use a vacuum bleeder - just remember to put teflon tape on the threads when it's time to bleed the system otherwise air bubbles will get past the threads and look like air in the line.

I figured I would just update that the clutch pedal has gone back to normal feel, and the engagement point of the clutch isn't so extreme now. It has only been about 300 miles of driving so far and it is starting to relax a bit. I probably shouldn't have been expecting it to be perfect the same day it was installed, but I tend to resist change!

 

Overall, I am very happy with this clutch master fx300.

 

Thanks for the help MSprank.

Perfect. Glad you are happy. Clutches take a bit to work in. Never perfect first day.

 

I have many satisfied customers running the FX300. it is a very nice clutch IMHO.

hey rock,

 

I just got my 05 LGT back from the dealer with a new clutch/flywheel (OEM) and have the same "issue"..The clutch is waaaay softer than original clutch. My original clutch wasn't what i would consider stiff (though everyone else who drove it complained that it was..)..but the new one is so different that i'm wondering if it is really an OEM..?? I'll put more miles on it and see if changes over time..I might start a new thread to see if anyone else has had the same thing happen with an OEM. Anybody know if Subaru changed the OEM clutch to lessen the stiffness??

 

thanks.

All clutches do this on initial install. All clutches need to break in. Drive it for a few hundred miles, then comment.

Thanks, I will ask them. I really don't want to have it taken off. I am hoping to hear from others with this clutch to see if their engagement feel is the same as mine or different.

 

 

I got my ACT clutch and WRX flywheel installed about 15 months ago and I too thought somethign had been installed wrong for the first few days.

 

Instant, low point engagement compared to the soft, high point OEM engagement.

 

I too stalled my car twice driving it home from the dealership.

 

Nothing could be adjusted so I thought I just had to live with it.

 

The good news is that after a week, I got used to the new set up and enjoy it MUCH more than the OEM junk I had been using for the past 4 years.

 

I'm interested in why your clutch pedal feels even softer than the OEM...? mine is much harder to push in, but I like it that way now... makes me remember that i 'upgraded' to a much beefier unit that can handle more power.

 

Give it a week and you will feel like you had the new clutch in your car all along.

Pedal pressure is due to design and brand. ACT has sever pedal pressure. CM has very light pedal pressure. Excedy has EXTREME pedal pressure.

My pedal was considerably softer than stock for a week or so, and the clutch was grabby as all hell. Now the pedal has firmed up a bit and has a stock feel. Clutch pedal feels like it did prior to replacing, and the engagement point is almost where the oem was. The only difference I have noticed is the lenght of pedal travel once it begins to engage until when it is fully engaged is slightly less, but I like it. Glad I got it.

 

I will admit, I did stall it once the first few days I had it.

THATS A COMPLAINT? I wish you could drive on my Exedy stage 1 clutch. I wish I could re-write the forum review I did on that one. You need to use all three feet to push it to the floor. All for a whopping 360fwtq. Okaaaaay....

 

Wish I read this post before I had the same clutch installed. My dealer said it was close to OEM, maybe slightly firmer. Yeah right. I had to move my seat up so I can use my assback as leverage to push that bastard down.

 

Initial break-in is grabby and shuddering like crazy. I look like a noob shaking and bucking the car at stop lights.