In the 5th season of tracking my 05 Z the only trouble I've had is overheating clutch fluid. It seems to have started after headers and hi-flow cats were installed and we're thinking the slave cylinder is getting cooked on it's transmission tunnel mounting point. Heat shields had to be removed and discarded with the Stillen headers and no doubt the Berk cats are much hotter than stock- and they're right next to the slave. Has anyone had this problem and were you able to solve it thru air ducting or some other way?
Thanks,
John

 

header wrap, had the same issue with the berk cats and I switched to aam test pipes.
purge the fluid and go for motul rbf600.

if that isn't enough find some of those aluminum shielding to cover the slave cylinder

 

Can you describe how the sound changed/got louder with the pipes?
Thanks

 

actually is quieter.... ( I had the metallic HFC) but not quiet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=390YdLiw84w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugj1jOYCRA8

 

Thanks for the links Ataru. I should have also asked if your car is blown (mine's NA) and if you had the ECU reprogrammed to eliminate the CEL?

 

Ha! Just had half my questions answered when I watched the vid and heard someone say "it's NA so it screams at WOT". And it sounds great, BTW!

 

yes, ECU dynotuned at uprev in austin. no CEL.
any osiris/uprev tuner can do that.
and you NEED to reprogram your ecu, your A/F is already crazy with the HFC and will be insane with the test pipes.

 

test pipes tend to lean the mixtures out considerably

 

I would also put in a NISMO steel braided cluch line, but a good wrap sounds like an easy fix.

 

Thanks guys. We've wrapped the hard line under the car -the flex line going to the slave was already wrapped at the factory. I emailed Berk and they recommended putting a heat wrap on the slave but I didn't do that because it mounts to the transmission tunnel and we thought that while it's reflecting the heat from the cats it would be holding the heat from the trans. housing onto the slave. Instead we're trying duct house with the intake end mounted on the subframe, just dipping below it into the airflow, hoping there actually is some airflow for it to direct to the slave.

 

In what way was the clutch acting up? I have issues when mine is hot too, I even have the Forged Stainless Kevlar Line....

The clutch tends to stick to the floor...but only when releasing slowly from a red light or something...

 

Hero-
As the fluid overheated on track the clutch wouldn't release from the floor completely, I'd have to hook my foot around the back of the pedal and pull it up. Eventually, like just a couple more laps, the clutch wouldn't engage and I'd be unable to shift (using the clutch). However, this was only during track days. On the street it's unlikely that the fluid would boil from use alone unless you're doing some amazing fast and furious-type driving. Sounds like it's time for you to bleed and possibly flush the system.

 

Hero-
P.S.- Now that I think about it, it probably makes since if your car's a few years old to just go ahead and replace the slave cylinder. It's a cheap part and you can flush the brake system while you're at it.

 

Yeah it's weird, I have the opposite of your problem LOL

On the track I can pound the **** out of it all day with no issues, but when Im hot on the street or driving slow (not banging away on the clutch) I have your issue. Have to pull it up with my foot. I've bled and switched fluids too...strange stuff...

 

Car is an 03. Only started happening this year...

 

Huh? Very bizarre. I wonder if there's an issue with a spring or some kind of tensioner that's connected to the pedal that's hanging-up. Perhaps it works on-track because you're depressing and releasing the clutch pedal faster? But that's a classic wild-*** guess, typically found on internet forums

 

Yes, I have had the same problem and know a few other that have also. Most have gotten way with changing the fluid to Motul, but I also put a heat shield on between the cat and the clutch line. Problem solved.

 

LOL thats what I believe to, because Im shifting alot faster it springs back up rather than a slow sticky release...I dunno, I've just kinda learned to drive with it...

 

I have seen this in more than one Z. Since you boiled the fluid, change it. Flush the system, Choose a top notch replacement fluid...(I like Motul), put the steel braided clutch slave line in and you should be good to go. Don't watse money replace the slave when it is perfectly fine.

If you experience it again, justdial it down a notch, pump the pedal and move the fluid the best you can...the pedal will come back as it cools. And don't worry about speed shifting, it only tears up your equipment and really won't give you that big of a time savings vs. what it is doing in wear and tear to your drivetrain. Sure it's cool, but being towed in sure cures that image fast.

 

Just had the exact same issue at a track day. Lap after lap the clutch got lighter and lighter until it would stick to the flood or only come up around 2". Once the car cooled it was perfect.