If you are not smelling the clutch burning up at the high rpm's then I doubt the clutch is at fault.

 

We need a feature to like specific posts lol.

 

My clutch started to slip pretty good before I swapped it out......and I never smelled it.

 

I would go with disconnecting the exhaust behind the header to see if the mufflers are plugged. When my Honda had a clogged muffler it would eventually lose power and kill the motor while driving. Waiting for about 20 minutes would relieve the back pressure and the car would drive normally again until the pressure built up. I thought it was a fuel/carb issue until a Honda tech told me to start loosening the exhaust one joint at a time, starting from the back. As soon as I disconnected the muffler the problem went away.

I agree with X757X, if you're going to change the header, have your cracked one welded first so you can just leave it on if it solves the problem.

 

Did your car also run hot and give you aneed o2 sensor code?

 

I will re iterate this One more time. The cat is welded solid to the manifold. THERE IS NO WAY TO UNBOLT THE CAT FROM THE MANIFOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think you are missing my point......it definitely sounds like there is something going on with a clogged cat, clogged flux capacitor....or clogged muffler blinker port ....he's not making good power, and he's getting an 02 error...I'm not arguing that. His motor is not healthy.

BUT......there is also a problem with his clutch if the motor revs up, but the car doesn't accelerate. It's physics....either his front tires are spinning, or his clutch is slipping........how else in the hell would he be able to have his transmission in gear, his motor gain rpms, but the car not accelerate??

I don't care if the motor is making 2hp or 200hp.....if the motor gains rpms, and the cars speed doesn't increase...something is slipping. This isn't rocket science......

 

 

I am not missing your point. But no one is listening to mine. A clogged cat can cause transmission issues. A clogged cat puts a lot of extra stress on the motor. This can cause a lot of extra stress on the transmission through the motor.

 

Please explain in detail how a clogged cat can cause transmission issues.....and what issues in particular??

That sounds like something a shady mechanic would tell a helpless old lady just to get some more money out of her.

 

I'm not trying to get any money, as a matter of fact I'm not saying it messes the transmission up, I'm just saying that it can cause issues that seem like transmission problems due to the extra stress being put on the motor. It's like trying to force the car up a very steep hill in to low of a gear. This can cause the clutch to slip, even if the clutch is actually fine.

He's got another cat to swap in and try. This will save him money. Everyone else wants him to yank the trans out and buy a new clutch. This is much more expensive and time consuming than swapping the manifold/converter.

 

So by restricting the exhaust flow and having the motor make LESS power, a clogged cat can make an otherwise good clutch start to slip.....from a motor that's making LESS power?? Using that type of logic....a clogged air filter will also make your clutch start slipping.

This thread has gone full Herp Derp

 

IMHO, a clogged cat will cause the engine to literally choke. As stated above, an engine is an air pump. Constrict air flow and it will stall, not over-rev. To check your clutch, set your hand brake, depress clutch pedal, place tranny in 2nd gear, rev to about 2k and slowly let out the clutch. A strong clutch will cause the engine to stall. A failing clutch will slip but the engine will not stall.

 

OK I just did this. Let out the clutch 3/4 of the way. Engine never stalled, didn't even start to loss any power. I'm afraid signs are pointing to a failing/failed clutch.

I'm still going to get the original header welded back together to give that a shot. I mean the R50s header was sitting for almost 18 months and had almost 150k miles on it. So I think I'll be better off with the R53's original header until I can get a decent aftermarket. (Another topic)

So after the clutch install I'll still have the overheating issue. A clogged cat/fouled exhaust still isn't out of the question here.

Just a shitty coincidence that I put a fouled header on and my clutch bit the bullet a month later...?

 

Pull the fan off and shake the dirt out of it and then give the blades a spin. I think that you will find that the fan has more life in it than you think. I have the original one from my 2005 S when it sounded like the fan was dying - sounded like sand in a barring race. The fan has no barring as far as I can tell, it's s water proofed desktop computer case fan from what I can tell. Took mine off, put the new one on. Took the old one off and tipped it upside down and shook it. About a cup of gravel came out. Okay about a 1/4 tea spoon of gravel came out. I still have it and the fan blades spin freely and without noise.

 

Great tip. Thanks for that. Taking in/Appreciating all the info you guys are giving here!

I assume it's the same as the R50s fan which I know has the recalled fan installed from MINI. I'll definitely take it off and give it some TLC once I get up under the car.

Once you noticed the fan making the grinding noise, were you able to feel out and hear it inside the car. I noticed it a couple weeks ago at a red light. Scared the hell outta me. I was in a pretty bad place in town and still decided to stop and check out the car after that. I could feel it grinding/shaking up under my feet... It went away after I restarted the car.

 

clutch is sooo000 easy to diagnose, press gas in 3rd or 4th does rpm climb faster than speedometer and when you let off the gas does it drop back down to where it should be? CONGRATS You have slipping clutch. When they go out you can get on and off the gas and watch the rpm gauge go up and down as it slips and then grabs again.

For lack of power I would check for a broken crank damper first

 

Yep, those are the symptoms.RPMs climbing don't correlate with the speed.

As far as the crank I currently have the ALTA -2% on there. But when I do the clutch I'm changing to the ATI dampened -2% pulley.