| Author | Message | ||
| Martin (Miami348ts)
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Frank, easy answer...the reason why your clutch lasts is...you know how to drive. I had my clutch replaced at 25K. The reason...because I am an idiot. But I also had my flywheel replaced then, reason for this...I am an even bigger idiot and drove the car a few days with a slipping clutch. Lesson: practicing formula one starts of the traffic light is not a wise thing to do. Or better said, not a cheap thing to do! Becasue you all confuse me with how to drive the car correctly I wills tart a new thread on General "How to use the clutch right?" | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
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Whoever you send it to can put any thickness or composition on the disc that you want. Just tell them what you want. They don't care if it is off of a Ferrari or a Pinto. | ||
| Larry (Larry)
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Edward, that's a great idea! do you or anyone know the lining thickness for the clutch plates? or the composition? can the plates be made of a stronger composition? Thanks, Larry | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
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In most cases you can just replace the disc providing that the pressure plate has not been overheated. The disc is what wears the most as it is designed to. You don't replace your rotors everytime you replace your brake pads. I do it quite often and have never had a problem. In fact the pressure plate in my Corvair is the original from 1965 but has had 3 discs replaced. When I overhauled my Ferrari engine I was not having any clutch problems but replaced the disc alone while I had it apart. I then sent the old disc off to a rebuilder and had it redone for $35.00 and will put it in if and when I wear the other out. This is just another option that you can look at. | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
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Ferrari doesn't make clutches, my 328 clutch that I installed is an AP/Borg Warner unit. The F1's use a Sachs multi-plate clutch.  | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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I think David's brought up a very good point about other elements leading to premature clutch failure. I also think they just make sh$tty clutches. My dad's 63 Vette was putting out about 450hp, at least 50% of the shifts were powershifts, when he pulled the trans the last time before he sold it he checked the clutch, it was still good as new. I don't think it has to do with revs either as that engine was going up to about 7500 all the time. I think there just isnt a good clutch out there for these exotics. I remember a story about a 550 Maranello starting to smoke a clutch after 5 drag starts? Come on Ferrari, if Chevy could build a good clutch 40 years ago and you can't now it raises questions. | ||
| David Prall (Davidpra)
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It's not always the driver's fault --- a stock 308 doesn't have enough power to be unuasally hard on the clutch. The 308 in particular has a poor linkage design which is prone to partially hanging up; thus, not allowing the clutch to engage / disengage fully. This can lead to premature clutch wear. Excessive heat from the forward bank header, and frequency of oil leakage (usually coming from the transfer case seals) also plague the 308 clutches. The exact same pressure plate and disc are used in older V12 Jags which have nearly double the low-end torque of a 308 -- and they last considerably longer. I've replaced dozens of 308 clutches for customers, and in general the average life seems to run from 8 to 20K miles. If one takes the time to reseal the transfer, tweak the linkage, and make sure adequate heat shields are in place, the clutches can and do easily last 40 to 50K miles. | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
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I worked on a customers car today and installed a Stebro muffler, at least partially installed one, anyway when I test drove the car and went to 3rd gear the clutch slipped. This car is showing 11,000 miles. Damn that's awefully soon to need a clutch. This was a 1986 TR by the way. | ||
| Ernie Bonilla (Ernie)
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I need a new clutch in my 348 what brand last the longest and will take the most abuse, and where do you find them? Geeze for how well the Ferrari's should be built it is sad to see how fragile they are. | ||
| Greg Rodgers (Joechristmas)
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Yes, there are kevlar clutches available that will last a long time. They are about $500 each. | ||
| Larry (Larry)
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to Edward and John Edward, are there other clutches available that can replace Ferrari's clutch? or are we stuck w/Ferrari only clutches. John, the Dino badge tells me it's a 75. have you weighed your gt4? Larry/gt4/09990 | ||
| John Moretti (Moretti)
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I have never replaced a clutch unless I was in the process of rebuilding the engine which is a great time to do this sort of thing. I absolutely thrash clutches to within an inch of their life and I must say the GT4 racing clutch I got put in last year seems fragile but really smokes up the tyres big time  I've had a manual gearbox most of my life and although the Gt4 isn't the best gearbox/clutch I've ever seen (my FIAT2300S coupe is!!)it ain't half bad either to be able to take the thrashing it gets and still peform so beautifully. I've always read about weak Fcar clutches but now having had the opportunity to really hammer one I can see it was all just English magazine hype trying to make their poor excuses for cars feel good (sorry, I just can't help myself, Jags, AMs, etc are just poor excuses for cars  ) One problem with a racing clutch in a normal daily driver - occasionally the foot slips off the clutch pedal and it just GRIPS and...BAM the wheels squeal and you're off!! YEEAAAHHHAAAA!! Sorry, I just luv my car | ||
| Edward Gault (Irfgt)
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The clutch in a 308 is about the same size as a Nissan 300z and they last a long,long time even with occasional abuse. If a Ferrari wears one out in 5000 miles you can bet that it has been abused. I will say this though, even if it has been abused, that is what they make replacement parts for and the car is not ruined for life. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
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I think with a lot of american drivers they want to pop the clutch off the line like their old 396 SS. One of the worst things you could do to a Ferrari in my opinion. Like I say, "Drive your Ferrari for what it is, Not for what it isn't." | ||
| tCoupe (Allen)
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With the Lambo SV that I drove this summer the representative really emphasized fully lifting off the clutch before jumping on the throttle. This is something I do anyway so he had no problem with me running through the gears. He told me that the clutches go out within 5000mi on these Lambos when people ride the pedal. It just takes a little slip then the 500+hp smokes the thing. Un like the Ferrari he said the engine in the Diablo needs to pulled for new clutch. Ouch! Ferrari's accessabilty to the clutch comes from the Race Track. | ||
| Arnaldo Torres (Caribe)
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I do not know which cars you are talking about, because as far as I know, for most Ferraris, if not all, you can replace the clutch quite easily with the engine in the car. I also wander about these low mileage cars having their clutch replaced. It almost points out to owner abuse, but I guess only an honest mechanic that services these cars regularly may have a better insight into the issue. I have also seen many Lambos for which 5K miles clucth replacement seems to be the norm. I am also curious as to why that is. | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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There are two other possibilities too. One the mechanics are taking these people for a ride (couldn't picture that...) or that they replace the clutch because the engine is out for a belt change (the mechanic taking them for a ride again). | ||
| BretM (Bretm)
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Ferrari clutches are rather soft, or at least always were in the past so with someone that rides it alot, poof it's gone. I think 400hp and someone that doesn't know how to drive stick makes for short clutch life. All the Ferrari guys that I've hung out with have been pretty good drivers, but we're (people on FC) the exception to the rule. I would venture to guess that most Ferrari owners are quite so into cars like us, or pay attention to driving as much. Actually out of all the kids I've driven with only one could really drive stick. | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
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What's the deal with all these low mileage cars being advertised with "recent new clutch" ? First of all a car driven less than 5k miles a year or so is generally a problem car once a new owner decides to start driving it. But, why are all these 10k to 15k cars having their clutch replaced ? Out of the five Ferraris I have owned I have never had to have a clutch replaced and I've driven each car 6k miles per year or more. Is it inexperienced drivers or are the drivers abusing the clutch ? I just don't get it. Anyone have an answer ? |