Guess it all depends on what you consider "long travel".

I prefer to have my foot off the clutch pedal, resting on the "rest pedal".

To shift gears, I pivot the ball of foot to clutch pedal and with "small amount of travel" I enjage the clutch. Returning to the "rest pedal".

I prefer for the clutch to enjage from the top with small (inch or two) travel from the top. Top being where the pedal rests without any foot on it.

The total travel and clutch enjagement is done with my foot pivoting without moving the heel from one spot. To prove I do not move my foot I have worn a spot on the floor mat.

Again this is my preference hence to me the clutch is perfectly adjusted!

I have no trouble speed shifting or luanching from stop for timing the quarter mile.

The only proble with downshifts is when I try to downshift from too high a speed. For example trying to enjage 2nd from speeds above thirty, then I do have to double clutch too match gear speeds.

 

Yeah, for the people complaining that the clutch engages/disengages far from the floor, you do realize you don't have to press the clutch all the way to the floor, right?

 

Of course, duh.

 

hehe, I just got the impression some people were upset about the long travel because they thought they had to push the clutch to the floor every time.

Having the clutch engage/disengage at the top is a good thing as you can lower the clutch pedal and get a much shorter travel.

 

I have no objections with the clutch pedal engaging at the top, IMO there is no other way for a car to operate [efficiently].

I guess it is the three or more inch travel to the friction point then another inch to full release (four inches in all, please no jokes ) that is questionable. Maybe I've been spoiled by clutches on Ludes, Tegs, and Civs... but I know some M3 drivers that have said the same thing when driving my (or another person's) Z.

Not all Z owners have this though... some say that the clutch does engage close to the floor for them. I'm gonna adjust mine so that it engages a few inches from the floor (around two inches from floor to friction/engagement and then one inch to full release = three or so inches complete clutch travel).

 

I have the high engagement problem as well... along with the clutch being a bit on the hard side. anyone here have a clutch that's harder than your average z?

 

I adjusted my clutch today at work. At first I adjusted too far.. 2 and a half turns... was going up a small incline and had my foot off the gas and off the clutch, and the car was still moving up hill! Felt like an automatic for a while. So I knew I adjusted it too much, went back and turned the fork back a turn and a half, making it a full turn from stock. Now it works like a dream, no hopping from first gear, no jerky-ness. Hey guys, this is well worth the fifteen minutes and hassle!!

 

KManZ,

Can you go over the process of adjusting the clutch? Any pictures or directions would be helpful. I really dont even know where to start but I have some mechanical ability. If it is a fifteen minute process I would like to do this to my car. Thanks.

 

I will take some photos tonight of the process and describe it. Its fairly easy to do, the only tough part being that described in the above link.

 

Thanks KManZ. Look forward to the directions and photos. I will be happy with the jerky-ness gone.

 

yeah i need to do this too...... my car is wayyyyy to jerky

 

My clutch is / has been real heavy... it is one of the reason I find driving my Z as a daily driver somewhat hard. My clutch is really long too... is there anyway to adjust the "heaviness"?

 

So, that's why my left leg is so damned huge....

 

Anything yet KManZ?

 

yes, can anyone explain why certain z's have heavier clutches than others? Thanks!

 

Hmm, I'm surprised that this idea hasn't been more publicized. I'm going to have to try it. Hopefully there'll be some pics up soon.

 

yea can someone PLEASEEEEEEEE get to the bottom of why the clutch is so damn hard on some z's, and easy to work on other z's.... so at least if i know what to work with, i can finally get my z driving the way it was meant to be driven