Are there any known problems with these clutches/trannys? I'm asking because when I buck it by accident it make an aweful noise sometimes. I don't know if it is normal or not. Do these clutches wear well?

 

I have an 04 with 85k and my clutch is still going strong. I nailed it up a steep ( 20% grade ) hill the other day in second and broke the tires loose.
There are a lot of complaints on here that people are getting only 30k or less from a clutch but it may be due to driver error or racing.
There is a common problem with third gear grinding but an easy fix is to use GM tranny fluid.

 

Less than 30k on a clutch??!

That sounds pretty extreme...I would assume a brand new clutch assembly even if abused pretty badly would last at least until 50k miles.

They must have been on a steep hill, slipped to friction point, and just revved to red line without letting the clutch out all the way. Haha can you smell the rotten eggs yet?

 

ehh id have to say the slave cylinder and clutch really suck and dont make the driving experience the best....the slave makes the pedal feel shitty at times and the clutch has a self adjusting system that i personally hate because u cant feel engagement at times.... job security by honda if u ask me. lol

 

Don't have a TL-S, but I have 93k on my stock clutch. I do alot of spirited driving since day 1. I've had no issues. My only beef is slippage between 1st-2nd. Over all, I can't complain.

 

clutch is nice here on an 07 tl type s

 

isnt it a little to early to speculate for most tl-s i know its been like 2.5 years but still idk but mine is an early 08 and i only have 10k on it though i drive an automatioc im just saying the for the average driver its to hard to tell

 

Try at least four times that number.

 

There are a bunch of threads on this forum about premature clutch wear, I was just pointing it out.

 

some gen3 clutches have ben found worn out as low as 18, and 20-40 seems normal for rough drivers

There is no way its even designed to go 80!! honda and job security,, plus a 2500 dollar clutch job? how long do you think they want it to last?
Just past warranty is my guess

Pure miles are no comparison -its in the drivng- 20k stop and go commute = 60k easy freeway cruise in 5th

 

a badly abused clutch will NOT last 200k, sorry. A normally driven clutch may last that long, but not one that is beat on constantly.

 

You're right about the "badly abused clutch" phrase. Sorry, I did missed that in his post.

However, a properly operated manual transmission's clutch, assuming it is of a good design for the engine/vehicle and a few other factors, should easily see 200,000 miles and even over 300,000 miles in many cases. I know of an early 90's Acura Integra that, several years back, passed the 315,000 mile mark on its stock clutch and was still going strong.

 

yes- an old lower powered car may still be on the original clutch- but the TL is a high horsepower car with not enough trans or clutch to handle it for long periods
Just past warranty is my general lifespan guess

 

85k and still holding fine, I hope to get to at least 125k before I need one.

 

I disagree. But then again, we're talking about a Japanese clutching system, not an American one. My '66 L34 396Chevelle was rated at 360 HP and 420 lb/ft of torque. I used to race that car a lot and at 5 1/2 years and 88,000 miles later when I sold it, it would still break traction in all four gears. Same for my '88 Mustang LX302. After six years and 77,000 miles, the buyer asked me twice when I replaced the clutch (because it was so tight and sure). Of course, it was the stock unit.

Now my '04 TL is approaching 67,000 miles and will break traction in the first three gears. Not a sign of slippage. My neighbor has over 80,000 on his '05 and not only has the stock clutch (no surprise) but also his original brake pads.

Getting well over 200,000 miles from a clutch is not difficult at all. Unless conditions exist outside of proper operation.

 

200k out of a single clutch? I'll believe it when I see it. My integra had 140k on it and the original clutch was still decent, but will need to be replaced within the next 20k.

 

yeah- dont forget to replace the original timing belt with the clutch at 200~
(that should be red text for sarcastic)

Every driver is different, many TL drivers have no idea about the special system that makes it feel good till the moment of total death...or how to drive a clutch properly... make sure its in N and foot off the pedal when stopped, dont overuse the downshifting,,,

Besty of luck to all on the parts lifespan!!-
gen2 megamod gets 2-5 times the life of same part of other gen2s,,some cars are well cared for and a bit of magic

 

My old H22A accord lasted for about 167k with life still on the clutch. It was the OEM clutch from the old f22a...Yes I transferred it over for a while...I changed it at the 167k mark when I swapped to a closer geared h23 trans...The clutch disk was fine but the PP was gone. After that I drove it for another 50k or so with abuse before I sold the car and it still runs strong. It just depends on driver and how you modulate your foot. But I would really love to get rid of the dampening on the slave though...Gonna find a busted TL and cut open one of these...Really hard to finda manual in the yard though. Gonna see if I can bypass it but might take some work lol.

 

I've done tons of write-ups on the proper operation of a manual transmission over the years, starting back in my college days. And I practice what I preach. A simple test to find out if someone has more than the basic knowledge about this subject is to ask them to describe the actions they perform when downshifting. That tells me a lot about what they know and don't know.

When I am riding with someone who has a manual, I can't help but notice they style of operation. I never say anything unless asked but almost everyone has little (and up to major) flaws in their operation of their clutch and transmission.

Try it sometime.. the downshift question. That is if you really know how to do it correctly. You'd be surprised.

As for the 200,000 mile mark, I stand by my statements.

 

Gentlemen, it's really as simple as this. The factors that affect the longevity and service of a clutch assembly are;

o Was it designed correctly for the engine/vehicle and anticipated conditions?
o Was the installation done correctly?
o Are the components of high quality?

Then we get into this;

o During service life, have any failures occurred not due to operator error?


And finally we reach this;

o Has the assembly suffered abuse? (racing, towing, unusual conditions).
o Does the operator know how to properly operate a manual transmission?


Assuming all of the above is covered and addressed, and poses no concerns, then it all falls on the shoulders of the operator. And friends, that is where it most often rests anyway. How you operate your clutch and transmission almost always will dictate how long the components are going to last and what kind of service you might expect.

 

Agreed with southernboy. A clutch can last as long if it is well taken care of and the operator knows what he/she is doing. It is possible. I could have still kept on going on my old disk to 200k if not passed that if the PP didnt start slipping a bit in the higher rpms. But daily it was fine.

 

Southernboy,

You talk like your releasing some sort of amazing revelation. Driving a clutch isn't rocket science. Sounds like you're making yourself feel like your in the know and everyone else is an idiot. Maybe you just have to fine tune the way you talk.

About the downshifting question:

Since you're dancing around something obvious, I would have to assume you're talking about rev matching.

 

Play nice with all the other members...

 

Nope, not at all. I'm quite sure a lot of people know many of the things I know and I am not at all adverse to learning or correcting habits and techniques. As for fine tuning the way I talk, I don't recall having taken an attitude or holier-than-thou position nor am I about to do so.

The downshifting question? Rev-matching is only part of it.. not the complete picture. The better method is to double clutch, which of course includes rev-matching.

A final offering. You have 14 posts. Might I suggest you pick your text more carefully in your future postings. You get more with respectful behavior than with underhanded comments. We really do want you to stick around and both offer and learn what you can from this site. Just a thought.

 

Do a search on some of his threads, you will learn a lot. I use his downshifting technique now.

 

i did mine at 78900. didnt have issues ubtil the last 2k miles....i started getting the stuttering 1gear symptom. then they put in a bad throwout bearing n now its shot. but that was all confirmed by acura and its on record and honda agreed to fix n replace the parts. I just have to drop the car off for a 2 week period.

 

so hold on how to fix the 3rd gear problem
change trany oil??
which trany oil should i put in
if i go to dealer how much would i get charged

 

What most on this site who have experienced the infamous 3rd gear problems have used is General Motors Synchromesh Friction Modified transmission fluid. The part number is 12377916 and it's expensive at around $17 a quart. You can usually find it at Chevrolet dealers and you will need to buy three quarts since a drain and fill takes 2.3 U.S. quarts, which rounds to 2 quarts, ten ounces. I did my neighbors '05 just this past Sunday morning. The easiest and cleanest manual tranny fluid change I've ever done (have done my '04 twice).

 

well on some cars it works and on some it doesnt....i did mine with the new and old Acura stuff and the GM stuff.... it didnt do anything still felt the prob.... so did the tech and he was able to duplicate it many times to prove it was done. maybe i just started doing my changes late....who knows.

 

I'm pretty happy with my clutch, 05 with 55K no slippage no problems!

 

I can certainly imagine that. I've never had any of these 3rd gear problems before or after swapping out my tranny fluid. Guess I was one of the lucky ones who's manual was fine from the start.

 

yea bro I know a few who have gotten it fixed and a few who never even had issues and just stuck to acuras method of things.....is yours a late or early build??? I had an early one.

 

Mine was built in very early July 2004. I bought it on July 17 and it had been in inventory for two days.