grsd03

Hi all,

I've got a 08 NBP Type S 6MT. I've been reading through some of the threads on here and have read alot about the clutch giving out really early (14000miles, 28000miles, etc). I've driven other manual cars before and there clutch seemed to last for however long I owned the car, even know the people that own the car now and they still haven't had to replace the clutch and its almost at 120000km.

I don't ride the clutch and I don't launch it at high rpms. I normally launch around 1200 - 1500(thats on a bad day). I was wondering is the clutch really that fragile on these cars? If so is there anything other than not abuse the clutch that I can do extra to prolong the life?

csmeance

try to use it less

SouthernBoy

No the clutch is not unusually fragile at all. Assuming nothing is wrong with your clutch components, installation, and driving technique, you should expect well over 200,000 miles out of your clutch. Of course, extraordinary circumstances such as towing, racing, or living in a city such as San Francisco do not apply here.

As for special operating techniques, there are none. This also assumes that you know what you're doing with a manual transmission in the first place because frankly.. most don't. For starters, always double clutch on downshifts, never sit at a light with the clutch engaged unless you must, NEVER hold the car on a hill with the clutch, never rest your foot on the clutch pedal while driving, use as few RPMs as possible to get the car moving from a stop and DO NOT ride the clutch any more than is absolutely necessary. There is more, but you get the idea.

grsd03

Thanks for your reply SouthenBoy, some good advice.

01tl4tl

personally- I believe the sychros do their job on downshift well enough that old school double clutching to allow time for the trans revs to slow,,,is not required.
A skillful application of throttle blip- to match the engine and trans revs to each other- is good thing to have!
The trans should not be used to slow down- the brakes are for that job!!! and are way cheaper to replace than a clutch worn out from unnecessary use as described by above poster....keep foot off pedal at all times not in direct and intentional useage, leave in N at lights, slip it out of gear without clutch approaching red lights,,,
should be abe to ease back off the line with less that 1000-1200 rpm, on level ground.
The trans is to help the engine be in the correct torque range-revs-powerband, to get off the apex of the corner in style~

SouthernBoy

I hardly think that double clutching is in any way, shape, or form "old school". Were that the case, road racers would not be double clutching their machines.

Rev matchinng alone, while much better than just making the downshift and easing the clutch out, is not complete. All it does is match engine speed to wheel speed.. it does not spin up the transmission input shaft, leaving that job to the synchronizers of the chosen gear.

As for using the engine (not the transmission) to brake the car, no such point was raised. It's not a bad thing to do this as long as common sense dictates driver operation. Double clutching will most definitely extend the life of synchronizers as well as bearings and gears (less synchro material being stirred around in the box).

Tripnbeats

I look at it like this.....theres some good and some bad batches of clutches/parts from all manufacturers..... if you're one of the unfortunate people with a bad one....i think acura would cover it because they want you to know this car is worth your investment....also a lot of people dont realize the tl clutch isnt normal u expect a clutch to give as soon as your foot moves up on the pedal.....the tl's doesnt it has to come up a lil more. I wouldnt worry though. get the pattern down on your clutch and you can drive the car without probs.

SouthernBoy

I had just the opposite experience with my '04 TL. The TL clutch pedal has a relatively short travel and an even shorter takeup. My clutch begins to engage when the pedal is around 1 1/2" from the stop pad. Since the takeup is short, not much more travel is needed before enough clamping pressure is exerted to begin to move the car.

At least this is how my TL behaves.

SouthernBoy

For the record, I know "of" someone who writes for a local paper (Detroit or Chicago - not sure but I believe it is Detroit). At the time of an article he wrote about driving a manual transmission, he had an early 90's Integra which was his daily work commute car. It had 315,000 miles on the original clutch and was still going strong. The techniques he used were covered in my earlier post, plus many of the posts I have written about this subject. So it can be done.. getting great life from a clutch assembly. But you have to work at it and learn and form proper habits early on in order to expect such longevity. I know I could do this, as long as the mechanicals, parts, and installation were in order, but I have never kept a car anywhere near that many miles. The most I have racked up on a manual was around 86,000 miles on a '66 SS396/360 Chevelle with an M21 Muncie close ratio box. Granted the TL clutch and transmission is no match for the strength and durability of the Muncie and the Chevy clutch in that Chevelle. But still, I know I could get amazing life from my TL's clutch should I ever keep it that long.

JLev

IMO, double-clutching on the street is overkill and a pain in the ass if you haven't been doing it for a long time. Unless I'm lazy, most of the time I simply rev-match on the street. SouthernBoy does have good points regarding longetivity.

I'm still on the original clutch in my S2000 and I've been tracking it since 2002. I definitely don't see it making it past 70,000 miles though (I have 45,000 right now). I've only had it for a few months, but the TL-S clutch feels pretty solid. If I have enough willpower to keep it off the track (doubt it), it may last quite awhile.

SouthernBoy

Been doing it since my teens and that was well before you were born. Actually, it's not a PITA at all. Kinda like breathing.. you get so used to it, it's just an extension of your normal mode.