Does anybody know of a better way to break in a clutch other than driving it for 500 miles? I have a 99 TA that I put about 50-100 miles a year on and at that rate it will take me 5 years to break in a clutch. I am having clutch problems on my second centerforce df and I would like to replace it with something else but I dont like to put a lot of miles on my car.

 

put it on a dyno....then only the engine and drive train get the miles....

but really...just take a few weekend drives, shifting more than normal...it adds up.

if you wanna play...you gotta pay

i mean you are kindda asking a similar question to
"how can i find my 1/4mi times without actually racing?"

 

i hear nothing but problems from Centerforce clutches for our cars...look into a Z06 clutch for your LS1, and just drive around town alot shifting more than normal like teke said.
I drove a Ls1 with Z06 Clutch and it feels real nice...and will last longer than those crappy centerforces

 

I had a z06 clutch and it never held that is why I went to the centerforce.

 

I just shift a lot. When im cruising, I go back and fourth. 5-4-5, etc. And I downshift while slowing down as well. I put very few miles on my car as well, and wanted to break it in fast before I go to the track. I think I have 250 miles now, and its felt great since the begenning!

 

How many clutches have you been through already? you only drive the car 50-100 miles a year and they dont last???
How many miles are on the car? race alot?

 

exactly what i was just thinking...

without proper break-in the clutch may not last...maybe that is your problem. not the clutch, but the clutch operator.

 

I have been through the original clutch, 1 factory replacement, 1 Z06 clutch and I am now on my second centerforce. My car has 37000 miles.

 

no offense or anything...but do you kno how to drive a stick?

How a often do you race your car???...my car has 100,000 more miles than your car and its only on its second clutch. the stock clutch went out at 115k.
I kno some kid with a 98 LS1 that cant drive his car for shat, and he's been through quite a few clutches with only 40K miles on it.

doesnt make sense to me, for the amount of miles you put on your car every year

 

This is not my first car with a stick, I know how to drive it. The factory clutches were crap and couldnt handle the power after my mods. and centerforce said they had a problem with the clutch disks and told me the second one was a new design. I just want to fix this damn thing and move on. I am now thinking about a McLeod setup or Spec Stage 3. The car sees more car shows and cruises than race duty but I want to be able to race it.

 

What does shifting the transmission have to do with clutch break-in?

I would think that the important part is to engage/release the clutch, rather than just shift it. So riding down the road, if you press, rev a little, then release in the same gear to exercise the pressure plate, you don't have to actually shift gears to break it in faster.

 

good point...but i think it may have something to do with the slipping of the disk too..

so maybe something you get from the added friction of changing gears.

i think either would work. just as long as you do enough of it.

 

I guess I could just change my speedometer calibration and then drive the car more to break it in. That would keep miles off my car. Any of you guys running a SPEC clutch and flywheel?

 

currently running the SPEC 4 clutch with fidanza alum flywheel.

chatters pretty good, difficult to start from a stop (13lb flywheel), very mild increase in vibration (big cam w/ light fw)...

revs up like CRAZY...so i'm pleased.

not really a daily driver...

 

Is 500 miles really going to kill the value of your car? I understand that it's a "show" car, but what fun is it to drop a ton of money into it and let it sit in the garage, save for three days a year? It already has 37,000 miles on it. It's not like it's a 69 ZL-1 with 7 miles on it or anything. Take the thing out, drive it, and enjoy the hell out of it! IMO, cars are meant to be driven.