Hey I just got a lightweight flywheel put in with my new clutch, but now I'm having trouble shifting smoothly. My clutch pedal is super light now where it used to be almost hard to push in. Any advice to help me out?

 

mines the same way.. i think it takes a ton of adjustment and bleeding to get it back to normal....mines already been back twice... minor improvements only.

i sure hope i can get it fixed as i cant afford a cd009 transmission swap at the moment.

 

Dang thats crazy, what have they done to yours? Just stiffened up your pedal or how did they help?

 

Just need to get used to it and get the pedal position adjusted properly

 

OP.. didnt mention if youre master was replaced at the sme time.. if its truly a problem past adjustment, terresmak can attest to replacing or cleaning it helping this issue.

 

a flywheel has no impact on the clutch pedal feel - that's all your clutch, and your hydraulics

bleeding the clutch is simple - the resevoir is tiny, the line is short, so air is rarely an issue. It literally takes maybe 2 minutes to do...but that doesn't sound like your problem. Free play needs to be readjusted per the factory service manual to ensure the clutch is engaging and releasing at the proper points

a lightweight flywheel has less inertia (less weight, so less rotational mass), and as such, requires more revs from a dead stop, and a bit quicker shifting technique gear to gear to be smooth, since revs will rise, and fall a bit quicker vs a stock, heavier flywheel.

 

The timing is harder(releasing/engaging), yes if thats what you mean... Takes practice...

 

Not to worry after 100 miles you will be shifting like a pro.

 

What Z1 said...

Pedal effort is the clutch assembly, not the flywheel.

The lighter fly will speed up AND slow down more quickly, so it'll be harder to "time".

 

your pedal is softer now becuase as your OEM clutch goes out, it becomes slowly harder and harder to press.. your "soft" pedal is just back to normal.

 

I disagree. When a clutch is new, the disc is thick, and the diaphragm spring applies maximum pressure to the disc. The pedal effort should be higher.

As the disc wears, the diaphragm spring relaxes more before coming in contact with the disc, it doesn't exert as much pressure on the disc, and the pedal effort decreases. The free play at the top of the pedal will decrease as the disc wears, and the clutch will disengage with the pedal further off the floor. All other things being equal, shifting should get easier as the clutch disc wears.

I suspect your problem is a very small amount of air in the clutch hydraulic system. The pedal is soft while this air is being compressed, and you use up a lot of the pedal travel doing that. The remaining pedal travel is just barely enough to disengage the clutch when the pedal is on the floor, or it might not even be fully disengaged. That makes shifting difficult.

 

as mentioned, the clutch pedal is generally hardest (at least on an organic disk clutch) when it's new and spring tension on the fingers is at it's peak. Some aftermarket clutches with carbon or kevlar disks do get a tad easier to drive once broken in, but that's not what the OP has. As clutch goes through it's natural wear cycle on this car, assuming it doesn't start slipping first, the release point will go higher and higher, till eventually, you can't engage any gear at all

 

Thanks for the info guys. I was driving it around today, and twice when coming up to a stop sign going around 5 mph, i tried to shift into first (clutch pedal all the way to the floor) and it ground the gears when I tried to put it in? Also had the same problem shifting from 1rst to 2nd at high rpms. Its starting to seem like something is not normal, should I take it back to the mechanics? They also somehow bent my hood :/

 

thats exactly the issue i have.....still.... and why i snapped a 2 piece shifter in half earlier this summer.

 

ive had my shop bleed it twice for a long time, while its better, the problem he has too is stillthere for me as well.. thanks for all the replies.. its something i MUST fix before i start driving around w the new engine and FI. Whats the point of 500 rwhp if i cant shift.. thumbs down.

 

Either your synchros are worn in 1st and 2nd gears, or your clutch is dragging (probably more likely if this is a new symptom after the install). Try adjusting the pedal travel (you can do yourself).

 

I disagree. When a clutch is new, the disc is thick, and the diaphragm spring applies maximum pressure to the disc. The pedal effort should be higher.

 

Well its definately going back to the shop. Having them fix my hood they bent, and yesterday realized that I can shift into reverse without having the push the stick down. I can literally just slide it right over and in. WTF...

 

agreed

 

clutch dragging.. solved by bleeding / pedal adjustment?