Spec Stage 3 Clutch Slipping

[arthansen]

I don't know where to post this, Nitrous, Drag Racing, or Driveline. Here is the story.

After I did the cam install a few months ago, I upped my nitrous to a 100 shot. I immediatly found that in 1st or 2nd gear all it did was spin my street tires. However, in third it would just spin the stock clutch. So about 2 months ago I put in a Spec Stage 3 clutch. Then, soon afterwards I put on some M/T Street Radials. All seemed fine except I was maxing out my injectors (nothing to do with nitrous, just the cam making the car want lots of fuel). Before I put in the new injectors, I had the car dynoed. It peaked at 231 RWHP N/A but the injectors went static at 5300 rpms. Then I put in 36# injectors and the car is running great. I would think that maybe the injectors gave me 20 more hp. So with the 100 shot I might be around 350 RWHP.

Tonight I went to the track and spun the sh** out of the clutch in every gear. I was logging the run with HP Tuners and you can clearly see the mph climbing slowly but when the nitrous hits, the speed continues to climb slowly but the rpms go right to red line so it is not the tires. Before the injectors the clutch held fine and I was pulling 13.5 1/4 mile times.

I can not understand this. That clutch is rated at 680 hp. I might be at 400 hp at the flywheel but it shouldn't be slipping. I have a buddy with a Spec Stage 3 on his LS1 with 450 RWHP and it has no problem holding. The clutch has all the characteristics of a Stage 3. It shudders when it engages most of the time so I do not think they sent the wrong clutch. It looked like a Stage 3 with 4 or 5 paddles (I don't remember exactly how many). Tommorrow I am calling Spec but the thought of pulling that transmission in my garage again is giving me a headache.

[shenanigans]

How is your clutch fluid?

check it out, is it dark? If so flush/bleed the system(its a bit of a pain) but thats what fixed all my clutch problem, my fluid was black/green my clutch used to slip a ton at the track I did nothing but swap the fluid and everything went to working normal again.

[arthansen]

I will check it ot. I will switch it out just to be sure.

[shenanigans]

Honestly look into it and do it... for months I had problems, my cluthc woudl spin at launch and the 1-2 shift, and sometimes the 2-3. But it worked fine elsewhere I was wondering if I was overpowering it or not but people were in high 13s on a stock clutch with more miles then mine had.

I was looking into specs, but couldn't justify the extra money for one since my car drove near perfect on the streets just gave me problems at the track... Either way I checked out my clutch fluid looked like ***, and I decided to go out and swap it, I swapped and bled it, clutch worked great ever since no problems. I think it cost me like $5.

So definitely do it so you don't have to spend hours and tons of money.

Will warn you it is a bit of a pain to do and you will need 2 people if you don't have a vacuum bleeder to help you.

[arthansen]

I have a vacuum bleeder so that is not a problem. I was going to unhook the line from the connector at the bell housing and push in the check valve and have someone slowly pump the peddle. That should get all the old stuff out. Then pour new fluid in and then bleed the system with the vacuum. What do you think about that procedure?

[shenanigans]

not sure...

I just opened the bleeder screw and did it...

I did it without at vacuum bleeder. What I had to do was...

-open bleeder screw
-someonepushes pedal down
-Close bleeder screw
-person pulls up or lets it come up on its own the clutch pedal
-open bleeder screw
-someone pushes pedal down
-close bleeder screw
-person pulls up or lets clutch come up.


you open the screw to get fluid out, but you have to have it shut when they pull the pedal up or it will just suck in air through the bleeder screw. The whole time you do this you just keep adding fluid. I kept doing this till I started pumping clean fluid out of the clutch.

Sounds time consuming but there is really not that much fluid.

Not 100% but I believe with a vaccumm bleeder, you just open the screw and pump the new fluid in then close the screw, and you are done. Don't quote me on it but I believe that is what you do with a vacumm bleeder.


I also hooked a tub up to the bleeder screw its much bigger then brake ones, I am willing to say you need like a 3/8ths to 1/2 tube to put on it, not sure, I just happened to have had something laying around that worked.


I'll see if I can dig up the post I we had on it.

[shenanigans]

Iyou look they have a link to instructions from a GM service manual in there.

http://www.camarov6.com/ubb/ultimate...3;t=003491;p=1

[arthansen]

Thanks. I worked late last night (becoming a common theam with me, worked 13.5 hours on Monday) so I did not get to it. Tommorrow I will work this out and give it a test. God I hope this is it.

[shenanigans]

Originally posted by arthansen:
Thanks. I worked late last night (becoming a common theam with me, worked 13.5 hours on Monday) so I did not get to it. Tommorrow I will work this out and give it a test. God I hope this is it.

Solved my problems, I had on numerous times almost bought a new clutch convinced it was my problem, and I wouldn't get a decent track run in, then I did this, and car ran fine, clutch dead hooked. Ran 14.5@94 on the 22nd of Jan [img]smile.gif[/img]

I really need to do my brake fluid and brakes... they got alot worse then they used to be, I noticed on the last autocross I was at.

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

the spec 3 is NOT rated at 680 HP


Torque Capacity: 330 390 475 475 625

1-2-3-4-5 the stage 5 is only 625.....

your looking at the v8 numbers where the stage 4 it 700 TQ

[arthansen]

Shenanigans, you are the man. Changed the fluid and the clutch holds great.

Viper04af, I figured that out as I was researching this. Strangly, it was Texas Speed that quoted me the 680 hp number when I ordered it. Still, I think I am well below 475.

As, I have always said, as you upgrade parts, the next problem will surface.

The injectors and fuel pump put the clutch fluid over the edge. I replaced that and now the clutch holds.

Next problem.

Now the M/T ET Street Radials have massive tire hop. I guess it is time to work on suspension.

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

Originally posted by arthansen:
Shenanigans, you are the man. Changed the fluid and the clutch holds great.

Viper04af, I figured that out as I was researching this. Strangly, it was Texas Speed that quoted me the 680 hp number when I ordered it. Still, I think I am well below 475.

As, I have always said, as you upgrade parts, the next problem will surface.

The injectors and fuel pump put the clutch fluid over the edge. I replaced that and now the clutch holds.

Next problem.

Now the M/T ET Street Radials have massive tire hop. I guess it is time to work on suspension.

BTW it not radte for HP its rated for TQ that it can hold :0

[shenanigans]

Originally posted by arthansen:
Shenanigans, you are the man. Changed the fluid and the clutch holds great.

No problem ;) Luckily you had someone around to suggest it and didn't not race your car for like 8 months [img]smile.gif[/img]

Look into some LCAs, maybe a torque arm and thick rear sway, but keep an eye on that T5 and 10-bolt those woudl be the things I'd start to worry about.