madkaw Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 i realize this question is subjective to many factors but I will ask anyway.I bought as bw-5 speed from a 82zxt that had 60k miles on it. This was lady owned and beautiful until it crashed. Under normal useage how many mile would the clutch be good for. I will be putting this behind a modified 2.4na and the clutch looks great. Am i being to cheap to think about using a used clutch assembly or do they usually last many more miles. Is there a tell tale sign for abnormal or excessive wear on the assembly. thanks steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 A normal clutch is good for 80-100K with your average driver behind the wheel. The idiot that holds the car with the clutch on hills might get 1/2 that. As far as wear I look at the rivets and the friction surface. The rivets should look like they're well below the outer surface of the friction material on the clutch disk. Also the clutch will have some grooves in it, and when they're worn the entire surface of the friction material will be smooth, because the grooves are worn away. If you're worried about it you could just buy a clutch disk. Check the flywheel for heat checking. It shouldn't have deep blue or purple spots on it. If it does have it surfaced. The BW trans has very wide gear spacing. Might not be the best behind a NA 2.4 liter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted December 30, 2005 Author Share Posted December 30, 2005 Will the wide spacing of gears be that much of a deal for an everyday driver?I want to use this tranny with such few miles on it. Plus , further down the road the engine might see an upgrade . What would be ,or is there a counter solution for the wide spacing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 No, it won't be a big deal for a daily driver. No easy solution except to use a different transmission. I like the later ZX trans. Much tighter ratios. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madkaw Posted December 30, 2005 Author Share Posted December 30, 2005 I should elaborate that my engine is not stock. I am putting 1200$ in a e-88 head and the block will be .40 over and all the other upgrades to make the engine run well.(headers, electronis ign. SU's, balanced engine). I would like to HOPE for horsepower # close to a stock zxt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted December 30, 2005 Share Posted December 30, 2005 I dont think parking on hills with the vehicle in gear hurts the clutch? I have never heard that atleast. I have 80,000 miles on the clutch in my truck and I leave it in gear all the time rather than use the parking brake(parking brake cable is rusted tight). Im just curious if it really does hurt the clutch....... Guy EDIT....Ok jmortensen, did you mean while the vehicle is running and trying to hold the vehicle from rolling back on a hill or just holding the clutch in while at a stop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted December 31, 2005 Share Posted December 31, 2005 EDIT....Ok jmortensen, did you mean while the vehicle is running and trying to hold the vehicle from rolling back on a hill or just holding the clutch in while at a stop? Yeah, that's what I was talking about. Holding the car from rolling back with the clutch is not a good idea. Holding the clutch in isn't the best idea either. You're basically using the throwout bearing and the pilot bushing the whole time you have the clutch pushed in. If you put it in neutral and let the clutch out that's better for the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 You're basically using the throwout bearing and the pilot bushing the whole time you have the clutch pushed in. If you put it in neutral and let the clutch out that's better for the car. Don't forget the center THRUST BEARING! Personally, I DISCONNECT the clutch switch on EVERY car I own, including my wife's 2000 Frontier. We existed for DECADES without an "Idiot Interlock" that says to start your car in "N". I can think of nothing more strenuous for a babbit bearing that placing it under FULL LOAD without lubrication, and rapidly accelerating the components. Think about it, that is EXACTLY what you are doing by depressing the clutch and starting the car on a cold morning! Hell, every time you start the car!!! Ever wonder how you can set up endplay tight, and 20K miles later when you check thrust clearances it's changed by a few thousandths? I am a big "put it in N" fan, for a hill I use the E-Brake. On the one car, I can use the line locks, but that ends up being bad for the tires---the rears at least...LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted January 1, 2006 Share Posted January 1, 2006 Oh, and as far as checks, use the FSM, there is a Clutch Plate Thickness specification, a rivet head depth specification, as well as several other checks you can make. If you need the information from the 240mm BW Clutch Assy, I have the FSM for my 83ZXT, and probably can scan and e-mail you the checks and specifications pages--drop me an e-mail and I will get on it if you need it right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Well I have never heard that leaving the vehicle in gear and using the clutch as a parking brake is a bad thing. I dont see how it can hurt it? It would be putting the same about of stress on the cluch as it would if you were driving. Now holding the clutch pedal in at a stop, that I know is not good for it. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 Well I have never heard that leaving the vehicle in gear and using the clutch as a parking brake is a bad thing. I dont see how it can hurt it? It would be putting the same about of stress on the cluch as it would if you were driving. I wasn't trying to say that. You just misunderstood. I meant holding the car at a stop sign or a light with the clutch vs the brakes, not parking the car and putting it in gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudypoochris Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 We have clutches go for the life of the vehicle (200k) and some that last 20k (when my dad drives). What I typically notice is that the clutch almost never completely goes away unless it is really abused. What usually happens is that the clutch looses it's stickiness in certain rpm ranges. Probably just because my dad glazed it though. But it totally depends on the driver from what I have noticed. If you always launch at 1,200 rpm then your clutch will go for a helluv along time. 4,000 not so long etc... Also duration of the slipage has alot to do with it. So in my opinion your question is difficult to ask, but I would assume that the clutch on a 280zx would last as long as just about any other stock clutch. BTW: Are you asking for signs before it is installed or after it is installed. Signs would be slipage if it is already in... If not look for a glazed disk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LS1T Posted January 2, 2006 Share Posted January 2, 2006 I wasn't trying to say that. You just misunderstood. I meant holding the car at a stop sign or a light with the clutch vs the brakes, not parking the car and putting it in gear. Indeed I did! Ok now I fully understand what your saying. Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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