Need opinions on clutch problems

[blackvenom08]

So I just took my viper in to a performance shop and they put in a new clutch, slave cylinder, resurfaced the flywheel, and put in a remote bleeder line. Since I picked the car up the clutch pedal has felt significantly lighter then before and been really hard to get into gear. Does this sound like there is air in the line and I should try re-bleeding it? Any help is appreciated as I have never had a hydraulic clutch car before.

 

[ROYMAN]

Thats strange... every time I go through the above procedure the clutch always feels like its more resistant until I break it in a bit. No clue.

 

[blackvenom08]

Thats strange... every time I go through the above procedure the clutch always feels like its more resistant until I break it in a bit. No clue.

Potentially air trapped in the line causing it to not fully disengage? I can drive it but the trans is really notchy, pedal also feels lighter.

 

[ROYMAN]

... You don't have any problems getting into any specific gears, do you? I don't exactly know what I am talking about but the one time I experienced these symptoms (pedal lighter, trans notchy) 2nd and reverse were grinding noticeably... eventually both gears were locked out and I needed a new tranny.

The best advice I have ever gotten on this forum: stop driving the car!

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

Did they install a factory clutch? Does the clutch engage high or low when taking off?

 

[99 R/T 10]

Is surfacing the flywheel a good idea? Won't that lower the clutch engagement point?

 

[SRT09]

Is surfacing the flywheel a good idea? Won't that lower the clutch engagement point?

They should adjust the step hight any time a flywheel is surfaced!

 

[blackvenom08]

It engages lower than the old one and it is a factory clutch.

 

[blackvenom08]

... You don't have any problems getting into any specific gears, do you? I don't exactly know what I am talking about but the one time I experienced these symptoms (pedal lighter, trans notchy) 2nd and reverse were grinding noticeably... eventually both gears were locked out and I needed a new tranny.

The best advice I have ever gotten on this forum: stop driving the car!

Reverse is by far the worst. First is hit or miss.

 

[blackvenom08]

And now it is grinding to get it into reverse. There is clearly a dissengagement problem going on here.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Try bleeding the clutch, simple enough and it may just fix your problem. A lot of Gen 4s had problems from the factory in that the fluid boiled and air entered the system. Clutch pedal would lose resistance and become hard to shift. Make sure to use Dot 4 high temp fluid such as Motul 600. Factory put in Dot 3 apparently and it could not hold up.

 

[Tom Sessions]

Is there any free play at the top of the pedal travel? More so then you had before? As Mark asked is it a stock clutch? How much did they take off the flywheel? Resurfacing the flywheel can cause the clutch to catch much closer to the floor then stock. And make disengagement harder since you won't have enough travel to fully release the clutch.I would take it back before you do any damage to your trans. And ask them to replace the flywheel.
From the service manual
The flywheel should be replaced if warped or overheated. Do not machine flywheel to correct a warped or overheated condition.

 

[Nine Ball]

Mushy pedal sounds like air trapped in the line, to me. Pump the pedal about 25 times and then top off the fluid. The low pedal engagement is another sign of this. Check under the car for any leaks under the trans, if you see any clear brake fluid down there.

 

[blackvenom08]

Is there any free play at the top of the pedal travel? More so then you had before? As Mark asked is it a stock clutch? How much did they take off the flywheel? Resurfacing the flywheel can cause the clutch to catch much closer to the floor then stock. And make disengagement harder since you won't have enough travel to fully release the clutch.I would take it back before you do any damage to your trans. And ask them to replace the flywheel.
From the service manual
The flywheel should be replaced if warped or overheated. Do not machine flywheel to correct a warped or overheated condition.

yes it feels like more free play then before, they told me they took less then 10 thousands off the fly wheel. The clutch engagement position changed quite a bit, used to grip up top and now it grips down low. The best way to describe it is that the clutch pedal literally feels loose. I can sit there and flutter it with my foot, but it doesn't start to engage right at the floor either.

 

[blackvenom08]

And yes, stock clutch.

 

[blackvenom08]

Mushy pedal sounds like air trapped in the line, to me. Pump the pedal about 25 times and then top off the fluid. The low pedal engagement is another sign of this. Check under the car for any leaks under the trans, if you see any clear brake fluid down there.

It was bled numerous times and there is no air in it. It feels way too "loose" to be air. Feels like no pressure at all is on the clutch pedal.

 

[Tom Sessions]

Sent you a P.M.

 

[Viper Specialty]

If there was virtually nothing removed from flywheel, hydraulics are good and bled corectly, and a stock clutch was used, you probably need to pump the system back up. This can take FAR longer than you would think to do because of how the ystem is designed. Pump the pedal [more like "tap"] at the top of its travel about 1/4 of the way down and all the way back off again in quick succession and see if the pedal firms up. Some cars this can take upwards of 100 times to really get the pedal back to normal.