mkl22

Have this strange feeling on the clutch pedal. its a bit spongy after traveling some time in stop and go traffic(approx 20-30mins). but once i hit the highways and go on 6th gear at approx 90km/h for 10-15mins the pedal gets firm again. This also happens after you park the car for a few hours after driving in city traffic.

Stabbing the pedal a few times doesnt make a difference. It is not air in the lines as it has been bled a few times before and i have rebuilt both the clutch master and slave cylinders with new plungers and rubber seals. Seems to me like a pressure plate or throw out bearing problem, where its seems after sometime of low speed driving the pressure plate and /or bearing doesnt push back on the clutch fork. But the car seems to drive fine when early in the morning or after a highway run or when the city traffic is short like 10-15min.

Has anyone experienced this before.

mkl22

nope. the bracket seems ok. anyway i bought the car used at 16000km and its now 46000km. its been happening on an off for the last 30k. the previous owner might have changed the clutch, but i doubt it. maybe the pressure plate is the problem. but its funny that the pedal is stiffer after a drive, without touching the clutch.

eviltwinkie

Sounds like its heat related somehow...you flush the brake system with new fluid yet? Simplest thing to test...

mkl22

i have rebuilt both cylinders. still the same. I doubt that its heat related because the pedal stiffens up a some after a 10-15min highway drive compared with the early morning start up. it seems that the transmission need to spinning constantly for a bit to stiffen up the clutch pedal.but in stop and go it softens. i have bled the system a few times and still the same.

still have this feeling that its pressure plate related. but it drives fine...

eviltwinkie

does it stiffen up in stop-go traffic? or only on the highway?

mkl22

stiffens on highway.

same thing as james said here

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/clutch-pedal-feeling-69419/


quote"I have noticed the following patterns now...

After a drive on the interstate w/o shifting, when I need to shift again, the clutch is stiffer. However, it becomes looser again if I rest the car or drive through town again. By stiffer, I don't mean that you have to smash the pedal down (I know that would be a problem), just feels a bit firmer (perhaps that is the best word)."endquote

TrochoidMagic

hmmm, could it be a binding slave rod? whaddaya think chuck?

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

HELLO SUPPORT BRACE WHERE ARE YOU ~~~~~~~~~~~

rotaryman25

Sounds like a pressure plate issue to me, I have seen some pressure plate bolts come loose a bit causing the pressure plate springs to be uneven causing intermitly stiff clutch pedal at times.

eviltwinkie

Pressure regulation = Feel?

The system is a part of the brake system...any brake issues?

Any recent changes?

How long has this been going on?

eviltwinkie

The fluid itself...and thus the properties of the fluid and its conditions at the time...

rotaryman25

There is a seperate resivior in the brake master for the clutch, If one runs out the other will still work.

TrochoidMagic

I, on the other hand still don't like the idea. its not much weight savings, and i prefer them separate so i can run DOT5 in the clutch system and never worry about the clutch piston seals to be the first to go.

for those that can see the benefit of doing that mod...
new integrated design=design flaw imho.

eviltwinkie

I don't see the compelling sale...what's the value proposition?

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

no need IMO.

I can stick with the best (or I think the best) dot 4 and change them every year or so .... I think thats good enough.