Just got a new transmission and also a new clutch and flywheel (JWT).
My car is not street legal, so my question to you guys is - how to break in the clutch? (I'm an HPDE guy BTW)
Is a single 30 minute "take it easy " track session enough?
Or do I need to do more than that?

 

from what i have read and have just done myself w my jwt, you need to take it very easy on the clutch for 500 miles, with frequent engagement and disengagement.

Taking it easy means drive it,but dont allow much torque to meet the flywheel, ie , no heavy load street light runs, no super heavy downshifting, and certainly no super high rpm runs.
Being a non street legal car, eesh.. dunno, do a full days worth of laps at the local auto X??

Anyways the whole idea is this begins to transfer friction material to the face of the flywheel.. this has to happen to allow the clamping force to work on the clutch when it is ready after the 500 miles and to allow for an evenly chamfered surface w no glazing and burning spots ( black and shiny, not grippy).

Imagine spreading butter on one side of bread, then sticking it to the other.... pull em apart fast and theres very little butter on the fresher side.. but leave it awhile and they are both the same.. super duper lame analogy, but thats how it works to a very very very very basic effect , i ahve not allowed any principles of physics to enter my post and ruin the thread haha.... you want butter /butter, not butter/bare bread before you start rolling in the torque..

I have also read that ppl have had "Luck" going ***** out w it right off the bat. i would consider those situations pure luck and without a doubt, that clutch will lack longevity, period.

 

That is my conundrum!!!!!!
What about you W2W guys with full-on race prepped cars? What do you normally do?

 

yep, im totaly staying in the thread to learn about this mystery too.

 

Take it easy during the first practice session and then drive the crap out of it for qualifying and the race. If you want to win you can't ***** foot around worrying if your clutch is going to last 30,000 miles or 60,000 miles like the street guys do. You have to get on with it!

 

Just don't do lots of "slipping the clutch" on starts or downshifting...that creates the heat the hurts them...clutches like to be engaged or dis-engaged..not slipped

BTW: this is the rule for new AND old clutches...

 

I really don't think HPDE is very hard on a clutch. At least with an NA Z.

 

Thats kinda what I was thinking!

 

Just go with a slower run group at the beginning until you're confident the clutch will hold. You're not drag racing with 500+whp I think you'll be fine.

 

just be careful on your downshifts and wot out of the apex. That would be the hardest on the clutch, if your clutch slips, get out of it. It'll get better with laps, just don't overheat it.