unfortunatetly the OP had some problems with the installed clutch....I believe it was removed very quickly, found worn.....they were not sure if it was a manfacturing defect, instalation error, etc.

 

With the amazing bite of the base model FX100 I wonder if all that clutch for street use may have been the cause. Was there any conclusive evidence of his clutch failure? Guess I'll have to search other threads to find out what happened in this one.

 

I have the FX 200 with the CM clutch and I love it now....after getting use to it. You do get use to the chatter especially with mods. I love the quicker revs and smooth engagement.

 

Well after looking at all of the OP's related posts I could not find anywhere an admission of fault by the driver or defect by the manufacturer. It looks as though the OP did have it replaced under warranty so who knows. Maybe I missed something.

I'm not gonna lose sleep over it. It seems every time I think the worst is possible with Margaret the opposite is true.

I've said it before... "this car just keeps getting better"

 

I never uncovered what caused the clutch to fail prematurely. It could be bad batch of kevlar, installation error or driver's error. I ended up with a Fx400 6 puck. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

hows the fx 400 feel compared to the 200???

 

Would not reccomend this product. I am on my 2nd one failing and have another friend here who just got rid of his 2nd failing CM setup. Loves to self engage with pedal all the way to the floor. Real fun in traffic to have to hold your foot on the brake on level ground, or even slight incline, to keep from hitting the car in front of you.
Only gain over stock is weight. Personal experience take it ot leave it.

 

are you goin to rplace with oem clutch?or another brand perhaps?
are you using the c.m. clutch and flywheel?or stock flywheel and c.m. clutch?

 

bump

 

What are the other options if I don't wanna go stock?

I really would like to get rid of both chatter and especially the chewbacca howl.

 

You can get an aftermarket dual-mass flywheel for less than OEM (LUK makes them I think), and then use a stock or Velo clutch...give you about the same feel as OEM for lots less $$.
If you switch to a non-dual mass flywheel, be-sure to order the right clutch...IF you go over to a standard flywheel, I think you must go over to the sprung clutch...or it may self-engage....most vendors know the right info, and can walk you through it!!
The Chewbacca is from a stuck dual mass flywheel (they sometimes leak a bit of the gel stuff onto the face too)....real $$$$ to fix...you need to do a full clutch job.
Most folks live with it till they need a clutch...the chatter...sounds like a high performance clutch...the price to be paid for a higher clamping force clutch.....the "race" CM clutches make lots of noise....if you want quiet...go back to OEM or equivalent.

 

I've also got the noisy/crunchy clutch feel when I push and release the pedal (only when the engine is warmed up). How can I be sure to fix this as well? Could this be the clutch sleeve? Or something to do with the master and slave cylinders?

 

Do not buy CM FX200. Mine is slipping after 12k miles. My previous one lasted for more than 60k miles, and replaced because of a stiff throw out bearing.

Will FX100 make a difference in the lifespan? I can't afford replacing a Kelvar clutch every 12k miles. Even though it might due to my friend driving it a few times. I thought the clutch would be more forgiving.

 

It's not your friends fault, it's the clutchmaster clutch. Dump the CM and your problems will go away. I recommend the OS Giken, it's expensive, but reliable. If you want to go cheap check out the Valeo kit with single mass flywheel.

 

Thanks for confirming on Clutch Master FX200. I bought it under the advice of Jan from RMW.... his ECU tune was surely nice, but the clutch is costing me a fortunate.

I currently have a ClutchMasters lightweight aluminum flywheel used for 12k miles, and a spare OE Dual-Mass Flywheel used for 60k miles.

Can I buy the Valeo clutch kit without buying a single mass flywheel again? Or can I just buy a $200 OE clutch kit and use my original DMF?

I also have a Cusco LSD in the drivetrain.

Please advise. What other parts do I need to order? 12k miles ago I've put on a new throw out bearing, a new guide tube and a few new bushings.

Oh btw, I had two orders from your website before, spent over $1300 on crank pulley, engine mounts and other stuff.

 

That bites Fei. Was there a reason why you didn't use the CM flywheel? Please post photos of the glazed bits when they are out. Good luck with your next clutch!

Jeremy

 

CM FX200 + CM Flywheel was the package that Jan (RMW) sold me 2 years ago. I trusted in him without questioning.

My next options are:

1. OEM used (60k miles) dual mass flywheel ($0) + OEM new Valeo clutch kit ($200)
2. CM used (12k miles) single mass flywheel ($0) + ?
3. Valeo new single mass flywheel ($200) + Valeo new clutch kit ($200)
4. OS Giken: $1800 (too expensive, I've lost faith in expensive clutch kit for now)

Please help me to decide. I need a set that is more forgiving and will last for a while.

 

Fei, the OS giken clutches are expensive but their quality justifies it. Plus you can get rebuild kits for much less than the whole kit costs down the road.

Depending on my financial situation when the clutch goes I am either going with the Valeo single mass kit or if the OEM DM flywheel looks ok then another stock setup. The weight of the Valeo single-mass kit is very close to OEM so I would doubt the chatter would be anywhere near the Al aftermarket light weight ones. I also don't foresee making huge power numbers so stock clamping strength is fine for me.

 

Thanks!

But as I already have the ClutchMasters single mass flywheel, any other clutch kit that I can buy other than ClutchMasters will fit it?

 

I made a mistake, Jan sold me the ClutchMasters flywheel, instead of the Fidanza one.

The part numbers are:

ClutchMasters FW-801-AL
ClutchMasters 03-050-HDKV

ClutchMasters flywheel is still quite expensive, over $400, maybe I should not throw them out? It also advertises that it has a replaceable high-carbon steel friction surface. Does anybody know about replacing that surface? Would you think it's a good idea to mate CM stage 1 with them? Maybe avoiding full face Kelvar will do the trick?

I had a few pictures of my old OE clutch and DMF (60k miles), can you tell if they are worth using again? I replaced it last time because of the throw out bearing.

http://www.netbyair.com/downloads/fo...h/IMG_6138.JPG
http://www.netbyair.com/downloads/fo...h/IMG_6139.JPG
http://www.netbyair.com/downloads/fo...h/IMG_6140.JPG
http://www.netbyair.com/downloads/fo...h/IMG_6143.JPG
http://www.netbyair.com/downloads/fo...h/IMG_6144.JPG

 

your stock flywheel doesn't look bad at all. No big hot spots. If you want to save some money you could just order a OEM style valeo clutch for it and throw it back in.
You can use any stock size Cooper S (sprung) clutch kit with the CM flywheel. Just to make sure you understand, this is not the same type of clutch you would run with the OEM flywheel. Those are solid discs with no springs on the clutch disc itself. Sprung clutch discs for the Cooper are for after-market applications.
I had a CM stage one on my old Focus SVT (same trans as the cooper) and it barely lasted 15k miles. Total piece of junk.

 

Much appreciated!

 

My stock clutch and flywheel worked fine for 200 ft lb tq. at wheels.

Unless you have lots of power adders, the stock clutch is hard to beat .

I have Competition Clutch stage 4 (installed in Dec. 2010) which is still breaking in. It engages almost like stock except the light flywheel and track cam makes launch around town a little tricky. Also, more rattling until you step on the clutch pedal, which is to be expected for non dual mass flywheel.

Examining the stock clutch and flywheel with 40,000 miles showed very little wear.

 

You guys are harshin' my mellow.


Looks like I will be keeping my eye out for a new clutch just in case. I'm at 9,000 miles on the FX100. Still seems o.k. but I'm no pro driver. I've only been driving stick for 15 years.

To be clear, when you all say your clutch is slipping, does this mean you have to ride the clutch when taking off or you are missing gears when shifting? Does your clutch release late in the pedal stroke? All of the above?

 

From my experience, if it's hard to get into gear, or takes a lot of effort to press the clutch pedal, or the pedal travel is not smooth, then it's the clutch slave cylinder not moving smoothly, or the clutch release bearing getting very stiff.

If the clutch engagement point is at the top of the pedal, or when accelerating in the 4th gear, experienced a slip in the transmission but not the wheels, then it's the clutch disk wearing out.