Clutch advice

Okay folks, my clutch (1990 model 5 speed) is starting slipping
badly...began 'chattering' in 1st gear today. So who has the best clutch
kit for a stock motor? Most everyone seems to have a stock factory clutch
kit and a high-performance kit. No racing or anything for me, so would the
extra $100 or so for the high-performance kit be worth it?

Most of the sites: Go Miata, Flyin Miata, Perormance Buyers Club, etc. seem
to have the same stuff...Go Miata has the cheapest stock clutch kit I've
seen so far. Any "yeahs" or "nays" on any of these suppliers?

Other advice?

I just bought this car not long ago, and my knowledge of these Mazda
clutches is limited, perhaps the clutch can simply be adjusted if not too
far gone?

Car has a verifiable 75k on it but I doubt the clutch has ever been
replaced, so I will likely go ahead and do the job, however it would be nice
if I could tighten it up enough to drive until this weekend as it's my
primary transportation.

gomiata is certainly reputable, but i don't know what they mean by 'value
line' clutch kit for $169.
rosenthal has the oem kit for $179 and a 'value' kit with alignment tool for
just $95. if you call them i am sure they will tell you what the difference
is...
http://www.finishlineperformance.com/miata

"DucMan" > wrote in message
...
> Okay folks, my clutch (1990 model 5 speed) is starting slipping
> badly...began 'chattering' in 1st gear today. So who has the best clutch
> kit for a stock motor? Most everyone seems to have a stock factory clutch
> kit and a high-performance kit. No racing or anything for me, so would
> the extra $100 or so for the high-performance kit be worth it?
>
> Most of the sites: Go Miata, Flyin Miata, Perormance Buyers Club, etc.
> seem to have the same stuff...Go Miata has the cheapest stock clutch kit
> I've seen so far. Any "yeahs" or "nays" on any of these suppliers?
>
> Other advice?
>
> I just bought this car not long ago, and my knowledge of these Mazda
> clutches is limited, perhaps the clutch can simply be adjusted if not too
> far gone?
>
> Car has a verifiable 75k on it but I doubt the clutch has ever been
> replaced, so I will likely go ahead and do the job, however it would be
> nice if I could tighten it up enough to drive until this weekend as it's
> my primary transportation.
>

If the existing clutch is the original, and lasted this long, I'd likely
replace it with a stock clutch. Most of the aftemarket clutches from well
known sources are ok. Remember to have the flywheel resurfaced, and the
pilot bearing replaced. I'd also consider replacing the slave cylinder if it
is the original.

"DucMan" > wrote in message
...
> Okay folks, my clutch (1990 model 5 speed) is starting slipping
> badly...began 'chattering' in 1st gear today. So who has the best clutch
> kit for a stock motor? Most everyone seems to have a stock factory clutch
> kit and a high-performance kit. No racing or anything for me, so would
the
> extra $100 or so for the high-performance kit be worth it?
>
> Most of the sites: Go Miata, Flyin Miata, Perormance Buyers Club, etc.
seem
> to have the same stuff...Go Miata has the cheapest stock clutch kit I've
> seen so far. Any "yeahs" or "nays" on any of these suppliers?
>
> Other advice?
>
> I just bought this car not long ago, and my knowledge of these Mazda
> clutches is limited, perhaps the clutch can simply be adjusted if not too
> far gone?
>
> Car has a verifiable 75k on it but I doubt the clutch has ever been
> replaced, so I will likely go ahead and do the job, however it would be
nice
> if I could tighten it up enough to drive until this weekend as it's my
> primary transportation.
>
>

Would it be safe to assume that the more heavy duty clutch would be a
'higher effort' / stiffer clutch? If so, that would be an improvement IMHO
over my 92's which I assume (there I go again) is stock. It's just to soft /
wimpy to be taken seriously. All would not agree I'm sure but that's another
consideration.

Chris
92BB&T FS
99BBB

"Chuck" > wrote in message
news:Tskjf.15645$Mi5.8165@dukeread07...
> If the existing clutch is the original, and lasted this long, I'd likely
> replace it with a stock clutch. Most of the aftemarket clutches from well
> known sources are ok. Remember to have the flywheel resurfaced, and the
> pilot bearing replaced. I'd also consider replacing the slave cylinder if
> it
> is the original.
>
> "DucMan" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Okay folks, my clutch (1990 model 5 speed) is starting slipping
>> badly...began 'chattering' in 1st gear today. So who has the best clutch
>> kit for a stock motor? Most everyone seems to have a stock factory
>> clutch
>> kit and a high-performance kit. No racing or anything for me, so would
> the
>> extra $100 or so for the high-performance kit be worth it?
>>
>> Most of the sites: Go Miata, Flyin Miata, Perormance Buyers Club, etc.
> seem
>> to have the same stuff...Go Miata has the cheapest stock clutch kit I've
>> seen so far. Any "yeahs" or "nays" on any of these suppliers?
>>
>> Other advice?
>>
>> I just bought this car not long ago, and my knowledge of these Mazda
>> clutches is limited, perhaps the clutch can simply be adjusted if not too
>> far gone?
>>
>> Car has a verifiable 75k on it but I doubt the clutch has ever been
>> replaced, so I will likely go ahead and do the job, however it would be
> nice
>> if I could tighten it up enough to drive until this weekend as it's my
>> primary transportation.
>>
>>
>
>

In article >,
"Chris D'Agnolo" > wrote:

> Would it be safe to assume that the more heavy duty clutch would be a
> 'higher effort' / stiffer clutch? If so, that would be an improvement IMHO

There's a downside to stiffer clutches. They tend to wear the thrust
bearing excessively when the engine is started with the clutch in,
before the oil pressure comes up. The general advice for turbo owners,
etc., with HD pressure plates is to disable the clutch interlock and
start the car without pushing the pedal down. Once the oil pressure is
up, the issue goes away.

--
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

Lanny Chambers wrote:

> There's a downside to stiffer clutches. They tend to wear the thrust
> bearing excessively when the engine is started with the clutch in,
> before the oil pressure comes up. The general advice for turbo owners,
> etc., with HD pressure plates is to disable the clutch interlock and
> start the car without pushing the pedal down. Once the oil pressure is
> up, the issue goes away.
>

Yep, I have the clutch pedal-start bypass installed for the ACT clutch,
but it was really hard to remember not to push the clutch in after 5
years of driving a miata where I had to do it every time I started the car.
It is natural now, and driving other miatas usually has me turning the
key with no results and then saying, "oh, yeah", before I push the
clutch in. :-)

Pat

Ordered the standard clutch kit from finishlineperformance aka. Rosenthal
Mazda...Thanks Chris Muto for the info on them.

Went with standard since alot of my driving is stop&go getting home from
work, and I think a stiffer clutch would really suck after about the first
15 minutes of that!

Funny thing, today when I drove to/from work it seemed fine, yesterday the
clutch was slipping so badly I was nearly at redline in 5th gear...going
50mph. I really wound it up for a bit, then it seemed to get better but
still slipping, then today it worked as good as it ever has...maybe I burned
some glazing off letting it slip like that. Anyway, as long as it gets to
the weekend I'll be good, should have the parts by then and I can get the
new one installed.

Thanks guys for all the info!

"Chuck" > wrote in message
news:Tskjf.15645$Mi5.8165@dukeread07...
> If the existing clutch is the original, and lasted this long, I'd likely
> replace it with a stock clutch. Most of the aftemarket clutches from well
> known sources are ok. Remember to have the flywheel resurfaced, and the
> pilot bearing replaced. I'd also consider replacing the slave cylinder if
> it
> is the original

In article >,
"DucMan" > wrote:

> Funny thing, today when I drove to/from work it seemed fine, yesterday the
> clutch was slipping so badly I was nearly at redline in 5th gear...going
> 50mph. I really wound it up for a bit, then it seemed to get better but
> still slipping, then today it worked as good as it ever has...maybe I burned
> some glazing off letting it slip like that.

Leaking rear main seal?

--
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

No, no leaking apparent. I assume this would be something I'd see on the
garage floor and not an internal leak.

"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "DucMan" > wrote:
>
>> Funny thing, today when I drove to/from work it seemed fine, yesterday
>> the
>> clutch was slipping so badly I was nearly at redline in 5th gear...going
>> 50mph. I really wound it up for a bit, then it seemed to get better but
>> still slipping, then today it worked as good as it ever has...maybe I
>> burned
>> some glazing off letting it slip like that.
>
> Leaking rear main seal?
>
> --
> Lanny Chambers
> '94C, St. Louis
> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

In article >,
"DucMan" > wrote:

> No, no leaking apparent. I assume this would be something I'd see on the
> garage floor and not an internal leak.
>
> > Leaking rear main seal?

I was thinking a small leak at the rear main seal might contaminate your
clutch without a visible drip. If it were bad enough to leave a puddle,
it probably couldn't be burned off through slippage as you described.
Just a guess.

Whatever the cause, it's time to tear it down and fix it. A new main
seal is generally part of a clutch job anyway, on general principle.

--
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html