Ulysses
Enthusiast
I smell it when I ride the clutch too, so I try to avoid doing that. It's bad for the clutch anyway.
Has anbody else smelled their clutch burning?
- Thread starter Ulysses
- Start date
ruckdr
Enthusiast
BAKNBLK95RT
You said:
"Every once and a while when I'm on a incline or somthing and I have to ride the clutch ......"
Use your E-brake, have your wife stick her foot out the door to hold the car on the hill, do anything EXCEPT ride the clutch to hold the car on a hill. You may not wear it out right away, but you will glaze the surface -- NOT GOOD !!
You said:
"Every once and a while when I'm on a incline or somthing and I have to ride the clutch ......"
Use your E-brake, have your wife stick her foot out the door to hold the car on the hill, do anything EXCEPT ride the clutch to hold the car on a hill. You may not wear it out right away, but you will glaze the surface -- NOT GOOD !!
remster
Enthusiast
that problem got me recently.
Riding different cars with different clutches makes it hard to pick the right point. And the Viper clutch won't forgive you much. 2 or 3 fumbles in a row on a hill and you've got smell!
Now my question is, once the clutch got heated a little - not glazed yet! - what's the best way to let it cool off?
For example in downtown Seattle you get hills after hills, and you've got to make several hill starts in short succession.
That starts to heat the clutch even using the parking brake.
Would shifting to neutral and pushing down the clutch for 20 seconds help cool it down?
Riding different cars with different clutches makes it hard to pick the right point. And the Viper clutch won't forgive you much. 2 or 3 fumbles in a row on a hill and you've got smell!
Now my question is, once the clutch got heated a little - not glazed yet! - what's the best way to let it cool off?
For example in downtown Seattle you get hills after hills, and you've got to make several hill starts in short succession.
That starts to heat the clutch even using the parking brake.
Would shifting to neutral and pushing down the clutch for 20 seconds help cool it down?
Vip-RT10
Enthusiast
Yeah, stop rideing the clutch so much. At lights leave it in neutral if you have to wait a fair amount of time. I saw a guy fry his clutch on a Testarossa and it bailed out the worst smelling cloud of blueish smoke that I have ever smelled.
remster
Enthusiast
man, that happened in my lambo, a friend trying it out... that stank up the car for a week at least.
Smelled like someone cooked a plastic telephone in an oven.
The clutch recovered just fine though, thank god.
Smelled like someone cooked a plastic telephone in an oven.
The clutch recovered just fine though, thank god.
remster
Enthusiast
how does it work?
I'm a little afraid if this gets triggered at speed and locks the front wheels... yowza.
I'm a little afraid if this gets triggered at speed and locks the front wheels... yowza.
I agree with most of the comments above. It's not a good idea to ride the clutch.
The Viper clutch is OK, but we have found great success upgrading the clutch to use dual kevlar clutch discs! We have been using the same style on our customer's Race Mustangs for years and some of these cars have over 800 hp. The dual kevlar kits are an excellent and cost effective upgrade for your high performance Viper.
If you send us your stock clutch, we can turn it around in under 2 days and install the the dual kevlar discs for ONLY $249.99. Our complete kit with a new clutch, pressure plate and assembly is UNDER $600.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at 408.562.1000.
Thanks!
Happy Vipering.
-Wayne (LTHL VPR)
The Viper clutch is OK, but we have found great success upgrading the clutch to use dual kevlar clutch discs! We have been using the same style on our customer's Race Mustangs for years and some of these cars have over 800 hp. The dual kevlar kits are an excellent and cost effective upgrade for your high performance Viper.
If you send us your stock clutch, we can turn it around in under 2 days and install the the dual kevlar discs for ONLY $249.99. Our complete kit with a new clutch, pressure plate and assembly is UNDER $600.
If you have any questions, you can contact me at 408.562.1000.
Thanks!
Happy Vipering.
-Wayne (LTHL VPR)
Vip-RT10
Enthusiast
Do remember that line locks are not accepted by insurance companies though.......
jimandela
Enthusiast
I had this happen to me on my first real hill!!
terrible smell.. but the clutch seemed to recover just fine...
it still shifts fine, etc.
when i do need a new clutch i will send it off to apex because that sound very reasonable.
I hope i wont need one for some time though...car only has 4,500
miles
and only made the clutch smell once.
terrible smell.. but the clutch seemed to recover just fine...
it still shifts fine, etc.
when i do need a new clutch i will send it off to apex because that sound very reasonable.
I hope i wont need one for some time though...car only has 4,500
miles
and only made the clutch smell once.
Bill 96 GTS
Enthusiast
A line lock is a simple solonoid valve that closes when you push the button. To use it you press the brake to pressurize the system then hold the button down; release the pedal and the front brake stays applied because the line lock is holding the pressure. Release the button and all is back to normal. Pressing the button by accident can not apply the brakes.
SteveBCloud9
Enthusiast
I missing something here. What is the difference between pushing the brake pedal in and locking the front tires when trying to save the clutch on a hill?
remster
Enthusiast
well the difference is if you don't use the line lock, you got to have perfect timing when you switch your right foot from the brakes to the gas. And if you put too little gas too late, you stall, if you put too much too soon, you smoke the clutch.
The line lock lets you get your foot on the gas, and lift the clutch as you press on the gas. When the car feels like it is inching forward, you release the line lock.
Same deal that you do with the parking brake, except usually your arm movement takes more coordination and ends up slightly changing your feet position and things can be less smooth then.
The line lock lets you get your foot on the gas, and lift the clutch as you press on the gas. When the car feels like it is inching forward, you release the line lock.
Same deal that you do with the parking brake, except usually your arm movement takes more coordination and ends up slightly changing your feet position and things can be less smooth then.
SteveBCloud9
Enthusiast
I still don't see the need for the line lock. Putting your foot on the gas prematurely would cause other damage with the line lock in place. What are we talking, a milisecond difference?
Ron
Enthusiast
<FONT face="Comic Sans MS">The differance is that most of us don't have 3 feet, so while the line lock is engaged you can remove your right foot from the brake and use it for the gas, while your left foot is on the clutch.
That said, I just don't get it. This is a non-issue IF you know how to use a clutch, especially a car with as much low end torque as a Viper. I don't care how steep the hill, as long as you have a feel for the engagment height of the particular clutch, when the light turns green, just release to that point and get on the gas and release the rest of the way and go. Done properly, you don't roll back an inch nor do you over heat the clutch. The slippage time should be is no greater than when on a level surface. You're just a bit more aggressive on the gas when the hill is steeper.</FONT f>
That said, I just don't get it. This is a non-issue IF you know how to use a clutch, especially a car with as much low end torque as a Viper. I don't care how steep the hill, as long as you have a feel for the engagment height of the particular clutch, when the light turns green, just release to that point and get on the gas and release the rest of the way and go. Done properly, you don't roll back an inch nor do you over heat the clutch. The slippage time should be is no greater than when on a level surface. You're just a bit more aggressive on the gas when the hill is steeper.</FONT f>
BWoodbury
Enthusiast
Lot's of good advise here. It's not rocket science kids, learn how to drive your car...
Another trick for those of you without a properly calibrated left foot is to use the parking brake. Pull up on it and keep the button engaged. Then do you normal clutch release real slow and easy. The brake will prevent the car from moving backward. When you feel the car straining against the brake, relase it slowly and away you go...
Another trick for those of you without a properly calibrated left foot is to use the parking brake. Pull up on it and keep the button engaged. Then do you normal clutch release real slow and easy. The brake will prevent the car from moving backward. When you feel the car straining against the brake, relase it slowly and away you go...
