Okay, let's talk clutches

[Kjeld]

Was pretty sure my transmission was toast, as 3rd was becoming crunchy when shifting quickly. Lotus Girl Marie drove the car today and concluded it is a failing clutch. After running the adjustment out all the way, the transmission works normally again. The bad news is, no more adjustment.

Now, I have had my share of bad clutches over the years, and would never guessed this to be the problem. The pedal throw felt smooth and even, and the clutch certainly does not slip. But there you have it. Works fine now....

So my question is, is 70k miles about the right time for a clutch in an M100? Secondly, what are folks paying to have one installed? Lastly, is a lightened fly wheel and an after market clutch worth the trouble? I drive pretty conservatively, though I am amused by the performance stuff Marie talks me into in general.

[Ekapol]

though I am amused by the performance stuff Marie talks me into in general.

I hear you Kjeld

Still I'm amazed how much better it felt after LGM helped adjusting my clutch pedal last time. 100K+, mine is still on the original clutch.

I am really curious to hear people comments to your clutch questions too.

[ailwyn]

If memory serves I believe that the key to OEM vs uprated comes down to one of power - up to 230bhp, keep the stock clutch, as aftermarket uprated clutches can cause driveablity issues for everyday 'round town driving.

However DocFizzix had a custom made uprated clutch, which was still suitable for everyday driving, but was good for (IIRC) ~300 bhp. Not sure of the cost or details of where he got it, but it's probably in the Hot-to-trot project thread.

If you do decide to go down the route of an uprated cluch, I and probably a few others would be interested in a group buy....hint hint....

TTFN

Ailwyn

[ab2cv]

I've just bought a new clutch (standard) as mine is at the end of it's adjustment too. As you say, there's no slipping and the pedal feels fine. Just a very high biting point and the occasional crunchy gear change. Mine is on 78k miles. (I guess it depends on the type of driving how long it lasts).

I've yet to have it fitted so I don't know about installation costs. My mechanic refused to quote me in case there were any unforseen issues during install, but as a rough estimate said I'd be looking at a full days labour.

Alan

[Kjeld]

Thanks all. Given the kind of driving I do, and an inclination to always change something, I am leaning toward a stock clutch, but a lightened flywheel.

Can anyone point me toward a source? Prefer a US vendor for shipping reasons, but not tied to it.

[lotusgirlmarie]

Ask and you shal recieve...

Clutch assemblies:

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/perform ... lutch_Kits

....and flywheels

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/perform ... /Flywheels

Have fun...

[Kjeld]

Yikes... be careful what you ask for! Now I have to pick one of 5 different clutch packages and 2 different fly wheels??!

In reading the reviews, there was mention of clutch and gear chatter in various products though. I would really hate to wind up with that. Another posting warned that some fly wheels do work with the crank position sensor. No mention of the Isuzu motor by name, but it evidently caused the owner problems with passing smog certification. Now that sounds really bad. All this, plus the usual warning that lightened fly wheels cause accelerated crank bearing wear....

Too many options. Guess I'll just let Marie tell me which to get, and run with it.......

[Ashaman]

Interesting, any explanation on why the worn clutch was causing the crunch?

The reason I ask is I had that sometimes earlier this year, though lately it seems to have gone away. I KNOW I have to be overdue for a clutch change; it takes hold late, has lots of miles, and I am not overly gentle with it - yet still it does not slip.

For the last couple years I have figured I would get it replaced, but it just keeps lasting! The crunching could give me an increased motivation to do so though...

[lotusgirlmarie]

the cruch comes for te clutch not fully disengaging. The upside is that when you adjust the clutch tension you can get some play out of it....til ou run out of room.

[Kjeld]

Interesting indeed. Seems unanimous that wear on this clutch seems different than others. No slipping, no stiffening in the clutch throw. Frankly, I don't even have the sense it engages late. Gear changes suddenly begin to crunch....

Okay, a new clutch. I just need to decide whether now is the time (72k mi), for a higher performing clutch. Logic says no, but that never had a lot to do with Lotus ownership in the past....

[Ekapol]

Too many options. Guess I'll just let Marie tell me which to get, and run with it.......

Then I will ask you which one you have, and I will run with it .......

[lotusgirlmarie]

For Street use I'd go with

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/price/G ... ge_2_FX200

and

http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/price/G ... /Flywheels

Along with an additional flywheel surface.... just in case. this will provide better grip than stock and still give a stockish feel. Couple that with a faster reving engine and you've got one heck of a combination.

[Doug]

are you sure this isn't a bad synchro in the gearbox? I can't tell by what you have said about the symptoms so I am only just throwing that out at ya.

[Kjeld]

Tell ya the truth Doug, I was completely convinced it was a synchro. Marie adjusted the clutch (took her about 1 min), no crunch ever since. The damndest thing, the clutch throw really does not feel any different. It simply does not grind at all. Have lost a lot of clutches in 35 years on the road, but never felt one fail like this.

[tweetdriver63]

OK. I've been reading all these posts about shift cables, etc. since I came on board a few days ago, and had become convinced the shift cables were my problem. That's just from reading, not from actually checking anything.

My Elan has 53K miles on it, and I just got it last weekend. I didn't get any maintenance history with it. Anyway, Every shift, moving or parked, is a bit difficult. There's some forcing, and a little crunching. The only shift that doesn't usually seem to be a problem is going from 2nd to 3rd. Most of the time if I just push straight forward it knows where to go, but sometimes it refuses, and I have to wiggle and push hard to get it in.

This crunching is embarrassing because everybody in the area is always watching, since this is the coolest car in town.

What I'm getting now is that maybe I just need to adjust the clutch. I never had a clutch out of adjustment without the pedal telling me. My clutch action is smooth, and it catches at a point where one would expect it to.

Can somebody tell me about adjusting this car's clutch? I've bought a CD of the workshop manual, but it hasn't arrived yet.

I love the emoticons at this site, in case you can't tell.

[lotuska]

Shame you bought a cd of the manual...if you'd requested access they are all available via this site for free.

[tweetdriver63]

Unfortunately, I didn't know that until it was too late. I bought it on ebay the same day I got the car, then I found this site.

[Enright]

Make sure you ask on here (or at least do a bit of a search) before spending any more money.

[tweetdriver63]

OK, I tried adjusting the clutch. All that did was move the pedal higher, along with the point where the clutch engages. There was no noticable change in the performance, it just got uncomfortable shifting because of how much the pedal had to be let out to engage the gears.

My next step will be to adjust the gear shift cables. I can tell by the position of the shift lever that they need it. The service manual says that in third gear, the lever should lean forward 5 degrees, and toward the driver's side 10 degrees. The lever actually leans toward the passenger side when in third gear. The cables may actually need replacing, but I'm not to that point yet. I'm new to the Elan and I've been able to locate the cables, and their attachment points in the engine compartment, but I need to know the tricks to getting at them.

Are they accessed best from above or from under the car?

What components have to be moved or removed in order to get to them?

The manual tells how to adjust the cables, but not how to get to them.

[Dico]

From above.
The only parts that need removing to gain access are the header/coolant tank - Could either be a bolt or a strap. No need to remove the pipe, just pull the tank forward out of the way.
You also need to remove the large black plenum pipe (4 jubilee clips).
Wear long sleeves to prevent your arms getting cut to shreds on cable ties.