issai Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 UPDATE: OE fluid bled out of clutch line, replaced by Motul fluid. Pedal effort has decreased probably around 15-20%, not bad at all, although I'm still using effort, I'm not using that last bit of strained "oomph!" to hold the clutch pedal now as I previously would do. Consequently, the shifter gates are far more distinctive now, closer to the Evo feel two nights ago. I can anticipate the grab point probably 50-75% better now. Mathematically, that doesn't make sense as (0 grab feel) * 1.5 is still 0, but y'know what I mean. All in all it's about 20% closer to the feel of my friend's Evo's recently replaced OE clutch + Redline or Royal Purple or whatever aftermarket clutch fluid he used. It seems as if clutch pedal travel has lessened but this could be simply be psychological since the pedal is slightly easier to press. I've been checking out those Puma Race / Speed Cats(?) and Firestone? shoes for months now, debating whether I should buy them. Maybe I should-- and just keep 'em in the car, because of that nice, rounded heel pivot they've got. Street Image said the OE clutch still grabs strongly, but said the newer OE clutches do seem to exhibit less pedal effort because of a change in the spring in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRAZY KEN Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 ...I took out my all season rubber mats...gives my feet more room...I touch the pedals on the ball of my foot and toes. just another .02 cents CK For a nice gift, the piloti's are sweet.I wear them almost every day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issai Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 Ken, let me know when I'm expecting your gracious gift of Piloti's then. jk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombatCQB Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 I too feel my clutch is heavier compared to my coworkers 05 LGT wagon. In the service manual, I can see that the clutch pedal has an "assist" spring behind it. The mechanism seem to show it being compressed when the clutch pedal is out. Once you press the clutch in, the spring helps reduce the pressure. I'll try to get a picture uploaded. I'm thinking maybe altering the spring rate will help here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issai Posted September 15, 2007 Author Share Posted September 15, 2007 Wonder if access to the spring and modding it is easily DIY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombatCQB Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 Most of the linkage in the pedals are held with pins and e-clips. My first thought is to disconnect the assist and observe how it affects the pedal feel. If it's heavier after disconnect, then remove the rest of the assist and disassemble. The spring dimensions will be important, then is off to find different spring rates with the same dimensions. A small experiment might be to preload the spring with some washers, but that might not work if the spring is already fully compressed while the pedal is out. One other question, if you look at the clutch master cylinder, there is a knob like disk at the bottom. The service manual calls this a clutch damper; anyone explain what this does? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meier motor sports Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 nothing in particular. it is a small accumulator and it take up any vibration in the system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombatCQB Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 Here's a pic of that assist spring behind the clutch pedal. The picture is with the clutch pedal pressed down. It doesn't look too hard to remove, but finding a alternate spring will require I figure out what the strength of this spring. Just another thought, over strengthen this spring might make the clutch slower to return. Good or bad, that depends on what it's used for. I should see if this part can be purchased seperatly and get one from the 07 or 08 cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xenonk Posted September 18, 2007 Share Posted September 18, 2007 ^ or just get the dimensions of the spring and order a new one from http://www.mcmaster.com they carry such hardware for you to get.. just get one with more spring rate. Keefe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckJAI Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 I know this is an OLD thread but I feel the same way. I'm thinking aftermarket racing pedals like momo or sparco ones which are longer and fatter, which will help give more leverage when pushing making it easier? Just an idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnout8488 Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Ditto. Did '06 Legacys get a stiffer assist spring, or a lighter pressure plate? Once that question is answered, '05 owners will know what to change so their clutches are easier to press. I'm pissed, my old Saturn Vue had the easiest clutch I've ever felt. I moved to a presumably *better* car, and the clutch feels mushy with no feel at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckJAI Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 ^^ It would be hard to get a lighter pressure plate since most aftermarket ones are usually heavier than OEM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted August 31, 2009 Share Posted August 31, 2009 Mine is not heavy at all (albeit I think the 07+ cars have a different clutch since we're using a SM flywheel). My 115 pound wife drives it everyday and has never once complained about it's stiffness at 28k miles now. Compared to my father's 99 boxster, this clutch is light. Compared to my 2006 Civic SI, it's heavy. That being said, it has the least feedback of the group. The only thing I've figured out is that it likes a good amount of throttle to ease between shifts. Maybe that's just soft mounts and the throttle helps line up the drivetrain between shifts, cause I'm not slipping anymore. Random comparison: My buddy's 2006 WRX 2.5 5-speed had a much better clutch feel, much more positive engagement point that was incredibly easy to detect, and the pedal effort was more linear. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burnout8488 Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 I might have to hunt down '07+ clutch replacement parts when the time comes...and a new flywheel. Sounds like that might be the reason right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckJAI Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 I just went into the dealership and tried another 05' LGT and it wasn't stiff at ALL. Mine was about 2-3x MORE stiff. A technician said that if the clutch is more worn down, the heavier the clutch becomes? Not sure if that is accurate or not, but the difference in pedal feel between the 2 cars was NIGHT and DAY. I'm going to be looking into this heavily, as I was about to sell the car because of this stiff clutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 DuckJAI - That is incorrect. The clutch pedal has a simple operation. It moves the clutch against or away from the flywheel. However worn the clutch is should not change the pedal weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckJAI Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 DuckJAI - That is incorrect. The clutch pedal has a simple operation. It moves the clutch against or away from the flywheel. However worn the clutch is should not change the pedal weight. Thanks, that's what I thought as well. The car has only 65k and it was lady driven, so I don't suspect an aftermarket clutch being in there. However, I do notice when I fully depress the clutch, it does feel squishy and springy at the last 1/4 of the clutch's range of motion. I've driven stage 2 clutches on both 240sx that I've owned and this is stiff. Any ideas on what could be happening here? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 Yeah, others have alot more expertise in this area than I do, but here goes: 1. A problem in your hydraulic system. This is the system that turns clutch pedal movement into sufficient pressure to release and engage the clutch. 2. There is something actually physically wrong with the clutch mechanism making it harder to release and engage it, requiring more physical effort. 3.You have a problem with the clutch pedal adjustment/spring/a squirrel crawled into your linkage and makes it hard to push against. These things do happen though. Unlikely though. This has happened to a fair number of LGT owners, where their pedals get super hard. There should be some expertise here in fixing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckJAI Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 ^ I've also have read many owners feeling the same way, and then there are others who say it isn't stiff at all. I've never found an actual reason why, the only thing I've come close to is that if the build date is older, then it's stiffer. The newer 05' models are lighter, but not sure how credible this is. I really want to find a solution to this because it makes driving the car unenjoyable as I have a bad back. Everything else I love about the car though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 I don't want to try to diagnose it from a distance, and besides which there are members on here with far better knowledge than me of these systems (I.e. Rao, Unclemat, many others)... Are you on your original clutch/pressure plate/TO bearing? Has your clutch hydraulic system ever been flushed? Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdub3 Posted August 18, 2013 Share Posted August 18, 2013 i am curious if you, or anyone, ever solved this issue? i have an 06 that i've put a fair amount of money into to get it where i want. unfortunately i have been fighting a foot problem in my second metatarsal for over a year. despite many doctors and an insane number of different treatments it's no better. the clutch is definitely not helping. i've been fighting the "need" to sell it for the past year. not sure i can play that game much longer unless i can lighten the clutch significantly. even considering an automatic (yuck). though many other cars clutches are soooo much lighter that i might be able to get away with it. if i could only make my subi the same.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal9e3 Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 07+ clutch/FW kit has somewhat less effort, at least in my car. It's a direct replacement, nothing special needed. Not sure if it's going to enough to help you though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goxxy Posted August 20, 2013 Share Posted August 20, 2013 my 09 GT ended up being an aftermarket clutch that the previous owner had installed my thread on it I sold the GT and am much happier in my 2013 WRX, . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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