Instead of going through all the sordid details, here are the spark notes… car is a 2003 spider gated manual…. November 2024 - removed transmission to be refreshed by a specialist (successful) and clutch to be remanufactured / upgraded by CNS racing (subsequently failed). March 2025 - reinstall refreshed trans and clutch April 2025 - clutch break in completed, clutch begins to slip. June 2025 - after testing by clutch reman shop, pressure plate was failing and not properly manufactured, refund issued. July 2025 - purchased and installed challenge clutch disc and pressure plate, along with hill engineering billet flywheel. August 2025 - after break in slipping begins again, upon disassembly and removal, found f1 clutch sensor bracket to be warped and cracked (image below) putting pressure on the throw out bearing and this never fully allowing clamping force of pressure plate forks. Replaced with hill engineering unit and new hardware. September 2025 - break in re completed, and clutch was rock solid to redline in all gears and launching. October 2025 - 500 miles later slipping begins again. I’m at a loss my question - should I delete the black plastic F1 sensor bracket altogether? I can’t find definitive guidance on this. ChatGPT says yes but we all know that’s a slippery slope…any help would be greatly appreciated. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I haven't heard definitive information on keeping or getting rid of that bracket. I kept it when I went gated and never had any issues as I imagine many other people did. I haven't heard very many positive reviews on "upgraded" clutches. Also, challenge clutches were only ran with F1 cars so I wonder if that could be part of them problem? Honestly just a basic oem clutch seems to be the prevailing option. If the master cylinder is not adjusted properly, that can lead to the clutch not being engaged all the way, however that's not a common occurrence. I also doubt it would be that if you had no issues beforehand.
Get rid of it. Switch to the stroke studs. Literally no drawbacks, but removes a piece of plastic that can, although rarely, break and cause the transmission to need to be pulled.
This is why if you go to a ferrari dealer he is going to put all proven oem parts in the car. There is nothing wrong with rebuilding your own clutch but very few people really know how to follow all the steps to get it right. Your guys basically are lame. The problem with clutch rebuilders is they have breathed too much clutch dust over the decades and their brains are scrambled and they just don't care. That combo makes for the buck stopping with your installer who has to measure and check everything your rebuilder does to make sure your set-up has the possibility of working. The factory for example has written open and closed marcel specs for the clutch disc. If you resurface a flywheel then those disc numbers might change. All those specs are part of a mandatory set-up height that takes into account all the pieces like T/O bearing travel. It isn't complicated but it is mandatory to get a working system. If you can 100% achieve that then buy OEM. When you have a working system and then it isn't that's a system that was never in spec. You also don't need to break in a clutch. It is ready to go from assembly. In fact I don't even know what a clutch beak in is? I still race and raced my 348 ferrari with custom clutch pack that I designed and built. I have changed countless clutchs on racecars and we jut install and then just go beat on them. You should not be driving 500miles like grandma to then find out the clutch don't hunt. you should find that out in the first mile.
