ACT SB5-HDSS pressure plate failure

[Impulse]

After about 4.5 years and 45k miles, the pressure plate on my ACT SB5-HDSS finally gave way - although there were signs for about two years

 

Symptoms

About two years ago I noticed that my clutch got harder and harder to engage. It was very gradual so I didn't really notice the increasing pedal effort until my left foot started to hurt after long city drives. I did notice, however, that when it was cold, my clutch would not disengage until everything warmed up. No matter how I adjusted the clutch, for the past year or so there didn't seem to be enough "throw" in the slave cylinder to disengage the clutch. I even replaced the slave and master cylinders, and bled the clutch system every month - but it would be very hard to get into gear. The engagement point was always half an inch off the floor (how I like it) .

 

Failure

It finally gave way this spring when things warmed up and I STILL could not disengage the clutch. About a month ago I heard a loud "pop" and a rattling sound pulling out of my driveway. I thought I had ran over something at first, but the sound went away halfway down the street - so I ignored it after doing a check of the car.

 

Clutch replacement

About two weeks ago it was so bad I could not get into first or reverse gear - it was time to replace the clutch. Initially thinking it was a failed TOB that was dragging, I took off that rubber dust boot to take a look into the bell housing area and noticed that the pressure plate fingers were not very even.

Well.. it turns out that popping and banging sound a month ago was a pressure plate finger snapping, bouncing around the bell housing and spalling out a chunk of Al from the outside, before finally exiting out the bottom somewhere. What a mess. Two of the teeth broke off with only very little pressure when I reached down to pull the assembly out.

 

Make that my second clutch replacement due to failed attached hardware. My first clutch was replaced at ~63k because the stock DMFW broke and rattled like crazy on deceleration. Now my second clutch has died due to a broken pressure plate - even though I still have clutch material left! We'll see if the new SPEC Stage 2+ hardware is any better

 

TOB still good-ish! Video: https://youtu.be/foBHHwwzJ1o

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[Max Capacity]

I have another Spec 2+ in my wagon. This one works easier then the old 2+.

 

The Spec 2+ will make a howl sound when you let the clutch out in 1st great sometimes. That's normal. It's caused by the friction material.

[Impulse]

Thanks Max, your reviews were critical in my decision to choose the Spec 2+ clutch since the Exedy I was looking at originally totally went out of stock everywhere.

 

I never liked the idea that the Spec 2 could not handle an accidental high heat cycle, and liked the Spec 2+ because it had more capability to do that. I'm ~150 miles into the break-in, and I've found the "engagement zone" to be quite small (leading to jerky starts for now) and it to be a little bit chattery if I slip the clutch too slowly. Is this something that might get better as I approach the 500 mi break-in mark?

 

I'm glad to hear that this clutch works better than a previous design. Was there any major physical change you noticed when putting the new one in?

 

I have another Spec 2+ in my wagon. This one works easier then the old 2+.

 

The Spec 2+ will make a howl sound when you let the clutch out in 1st great sometimes. That's normal. It's caused by the friction material.