Hi all,
After burning out my clutch (30,000 miles), I just got it back from the dealer ($1600! ouch!). My clutch feels alot more 'grabby' and the car is really lurching forward as I release the clutch. Dealer says this is normal for a new clutch. Stick also feels much tighter than before (not necessarily a good thing).
What really bothers me though is that the engine note has changed entirely. Now the engine noise is much louder and throatier. Its such a deep low pitch that I can feel the sound vibrating through me when driving. It kind of reminds me of when I cracked a muffler on my old car, but its not quite as loud as it was back then.
The dealer said this is because they remove the exhaust when replacing the clutch and probably put new stems to hold the exhaust in place. He said I should 'give it a few miles' to break in.
Am I the only one who thinks this sounds weird? Please help let me know if these issues are normal after replacing a clutch. Although this is the first clutch I've ever had to replace, I don't know why the car would feel so completely different after the job. Its almost like coming back from vacation and finding out your girlfriend is just a totally different person. Its very unnerving.

Thanks guys,
Josh

 

A brand new clutch will definitely feel more "grabby" for a while until you wear it in. As for the rest of it, give it a couple weeks to see if the exhaust seats itself.

Chris...

 

weeks? I have a headache already!

(Thanks)