Is a Clutch Delay Valve good, bad, or even necessary in a 3-pedal 599? | FerrariChat

Is a Clutch Delay Valve good, bad, or even necessary in a 3-pedal 599?

Discussion in '612/599' started by Zarathustra, Oct 24, 2014.

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  1. Zarathustra

    Zarathustra Formula Junior
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    May 7, 2006
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    Gary Robinson
    #1 Zarathustra, Oct 24, 2014
    It is my understanding that smoothly engaging the 3-pedal 599 clutch can be difficult since it grabs rather quickly at the end of the pedal’s travel. “carcraaazy” (who owns 182599) added what appears to be a Clutch Delay Valve (CDV) to his car and it sounds like it improved its drivability:

    http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/612-599/336915-official-599gtb-manual-transmission-thread-last-breed-7.html#post142681138

    It would be great to find out if the CDV is serving him well, but “carcraaazy” seems to have made 3 posts about a year ago and then disappeared.

    However, I question whether a CDV is the answer for facilitating the manual 599, because it may lead to premature clutch wear. Some older BMWs had factory installed CDVs and many owners have removed them because they made their cars LESS drivable. Yes, 599s and old bimmers are incomparable.
    CDV Theory of Operation:
    The CDV is a one-way restrictor between the clutch slave cylinder and clutch master cylinder. It "delays" the engagement of the clutch, much like old record players use a damped tone-arm to gently lower the needle onto the surface of a record.
    Because of this valve, no matter how quickly you lift your foot off the clutch pedal, the clutch engages the flywheel at a constant (slow) rate. In theory, it can save the driveline from shock if the clutch is dumped. But in practice, it can prematurely wear out the clutch. During parallel parking maneuvers, the delay can be infuriating, causing constant clutch slippage. And during hard acceleration, the slippage can greatly shorten the life of your clutch.

    I doubt any manual 599 owner (other than “carcraaazy”) has installed a CDV. But since I am considering the purchase of a manual 599 (if a decent one comes on the market), I would like to figure this issue out ahead of time.

    Please post if you own, or have driven a manual 599, or if you’re experienced with CDVs.
    Many thanks, Gary.
     
  2. ajyiii

    ajyiii Formula Junior
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    #2 ajyiii, Oct 24, 2014
    I can only speak on behalf of my car, but I can tell you that it doesn't need it. The car is not that hard to drive. Yes, it is different than driving, say, my three pedal 612. BUT, it took me all of an afternoon to have it down pat, and honestly if everyone had not built it up so much before I got behind the wheel then I probably wouldn't even have noticed the difference. Its a 600+ horsepower V12 with a manual trans!!!!
     
  3. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    Brian Crall
    #3 Rifledriver, Oct 24, 2014
    I find no difficulty at all with the 599 clutch. I'd leave it alone.

    I think with the torque on tap if that mod was done clutches would be very short lived.

    The Mark 1A brain is so far the best device known to operate a clutch.
     
  4. 360modena2003

    360modena2003 Formula 3

    Jul 11, 2009
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    #4 360modena2003, Oct 24, 2014
    The difficulty in finding a 3 pedal 599 will vastly overshadow any potential clutch problems.

    Good luck ($$$$)
     
  5. werewolf

    werewolf F1 World Champ
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    goodbye
    #5 werewolf, Oct 24, 2014
    I own a 3-pedal 599 (or two), and I also prefer a "lower" clutch-pedal-engagement point ... but that's a problem that seems to plague every manual-trans car made over the last decade or so :(

    The only real difficulty (or challenge) with the 3-pedal 599, is the lightweight flywheel. This means 2 things : the engine revs silly easy, and conversely it's also easily "bogged-down" on pull-out (due to low inertia). These two factors conspire in such a way that pulling-out requires a little finesse. But honestly, it's by far not the most challenging 3-pedal car to engage "smoothly" ...
     
  6. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #6 Rifledriver, Oct 24, 2014
    Not by a long shot, I agree. At least it is not cammy.

    If you want a lower engagement point put in a slightly smaller master cylinder.
     
  7. Zarathustra

    Zarathustra Formula Junior
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    #7 Zarathustra, Oct 24, 2014
    Gentlemen,
    Thank you for the excellent responses! I won't mess with it.
    Now I just have to wait for a decent 3-pedal to come on the market.
    Cheers, Gary
     
  8. Rich@Forza

    Rich@Forza Rookie

    Oct 28, 2014
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    #8 Rich@Forza, Oct 28, 2014
    Just an FYI. The reason people delete the CDV on BMW's is to get quicker response and better clutch feel. BMW put them in so more people could drive manuals(or learn how to) with out killing the engine or have jerky take offs. When doing performance work it is one of the first things removed.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

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