Who was breaking in their clutch like an idiot? This guy. Is my issue terminal?

[Miller220]

Today, on my way up to school, I was chugging along at around 70 mph in 5th gear down US-23. Being the absent minded fool that I am, I wasn't paying attention when the sign saying my Exit was only a mile away, and so I kept chugging along in the left lane. Next thing I know, my exit is right there, and I'm still cruising along. Traffic was mediumish, so though I SHOULD have slowed down, I didn't because it was easier to jet around traffic.

This is the part where I'm an idiot: I got a RAM HDX clutch installed..I hit 500 miles on said clutch literally yesterday. The instructions/my mechanic said 500-1000 mile breakin period. Me being the idiot that I am in my panic of being even later for class than I already was Went down to 4th...and (please do flame me for this part) 3rd at around 80 mph and jumped around the car, and got onto my exit. I smelled my clutch burning...knew it couldnt be good. When I pressed my clutch..it was for lack of a better term bumpy. Prior to me being a total moron, my pedal was buttery smooth the entire way down, and the entire way back up.

Tl;dr I drove my car like a total moron, now my clutch feels bumpy when the car is on. No strange noises, the stick still feels normal..but my pedal has a roughness/bumpyness to it for the last few inches when I press the pedal, and the same goes for when I depress it. Anyone have any idea to what I did? It was buttery smooth before in my haste to make it to class on time, I decided I needed to get my car back into the shop to get a new clutch.

EDIT: Also, the reason I find it odd, is the bumpy/roughness/notchyness goes away when the car is off. Only when its on. Doesn't matter if I'm sitting in neutral or cruising along in 4th around 2k rpm.

 

[Noobz347]

So you feel this thump in the pedal when you have pressure on it? If so, I don't think it's the clutch at all. You may however, end up replacing the throw out bearing in the near future. If that's the case, then it's not the result of anything you did or didn't do.

The other possibility is that you may not have full disengagement of the clutch. If you have an adjustment, give it another half a turn (out) and see if it improves.

 

[fshawn50]

I would bet that its the throwout bearing? That's what mine felt like before it went totally out. Notchy an bumpy. When I finally pulled the transmission the bearings from it went every where on the garage floor.
Did you replace the throwout bearing when you had the new clutch installed? Did you do it yourself or have a place do it for you?
I would defiantly have it looked at. If you continue driving could ruin that clutch or your flywheel?

 

[Noobz347]

I would bet that its the throwout bearing? That's what mine felt like before it went totally out. Notchy an bumpy. When I finally pulled the transmission the bearings from it went every where on the garage floor.
Did you replace the throwout bearing when you had the new clutch installed? Did you do it yourself or have a place do it for you?
I would defiantly have it looked at. If you continue driving could ruin that clutch or your flywheel?

If it is the TOB, I wouldn't sweat it too much until it started making noise.

 

[fshawn50]

If it is the TOB, I wouldn't sweat it until it started making noise.

True that Noobz I forgot about the extremely loud squealing that it also had

 

[Miller220]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses, you made my day infinitely better! I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I called my mechanic earlier..he told me there's a good chance that I fried my brand new clutch. HOWEVER..I drove it home from school(~40 minutes on the highway, minimal-no shifting) and there was nothing out of the ordinary. You'd think that it was just any other day driving home from school. It gets fuzzy though once I start hitting the stop signs and shifting. I've been granny shifting for the entirety of my break-in period(omit my uh-oh earlier today, and the 2-3 times that I hit 3.5-4 grand on accident. I wasn't accelerating hard I just took the rpm's up too high) and double clutching for a better portion of it. I haven't had any issues with grinding. Took me a little bit to get used to the heavier clutch (particularly with backing up for the first few days).

Long story short, Once I'm in gear, everything is hunky dory with exception of a static sound...and I Though I heard a very quiet clatter...though I couldn't repeat it in my 10 minutes I spent driving around. Going from dead stop on a flat road to first gear...pedal had same weird notched/bumpy feeling and there was a slight vibration when I'd completely let off the clutch pedal, then everything would be normal. If I was really careful with my rpm's, the vibration wasn't there, and there was no clattering noise. Still sound like a TOB? Thanks again, for all the replies, appreciate it gents.

EDIT: Also, to answer the first response, if I am just resting my foot on the clutch pedal(not actually pressing it) and if I have it pressed to the floor, I feel nothing strange at all. Its Only weird feeling While I'm pressing and depressing the clutch, and even then, it Only has the weird feeling while the car is on. When its off it feels like normal.

 

[Miller220]

I would bet that its the throwout bearing? That's what mine felt like before it went totally out. Notchy an bumpy. When I finally pulled the transmission the bearings from it went every where on the garage floor.
Did you replace the throwout bearing when you had the new clutch installed? Did you do it yourself or have a place do it for you?
I would defiantly have it looked at. If you continue driving could ruin that clutch or your flywheel?

He Installed the throwout bearing that came in the clutch kit. So...after a grand total of 500 miles, did I fry my TOB?

 

[usaf_branham]

possibly, although a tob will start to scream when its going bad. when i put my ram clutch in, i spent the extra $50 to buy a ford racing hd tob and have not had any problems. my only complaint is the clutch itself is 'grabby' and has some chatter on take off (which might be what your experiencing).

let me ask you this; when you have the clutch pressed to the floor, the engine is running, and the car is at a dead stop in first gear, if you give it a lil gas and start to let the clutch out... when the car starts to move forward does it feel like the car is shaking or jerking for a short period of time until the clutch is all the way out??? if so, then you might just be experiencing clutch chatter, which may even be felt in the pedal... my car has done that since day one with the ram clutch. dont sweat it.

now, when you press the pedal in and it feels like its catching against something, you may have somehow kinked the clutch cable, maybe something got in there and rusted it, maybe the tob is taking a crap, maybe the sleeve the tob is riding on got jacked up somehow, its hard to say...

drive it, and if it breaks fix it then. if its your clutch, it will burn up soon enough. good luck.

 

[GameCock5.0]

possibly, although a tob will start to scream when its going bad. when i put my ram clutch in, i spent the extra $50 to buy a ford racing hd tob and have not had any problems. my only complaint is the clutch itself is 'grabby' and has some chatter on take off (which might be what your experiencing).

let me ask you this; when you have the clutch pressed to the floor, the engine is running, and the car is at a dead stop in first gear, if you give it a lil gas and start to let the clutch out... when the car starts to move forward does it feel like the car is shaking or jerking for a short period of time until the clutch is all the way out??? if so, then you might just be experiencing clutch chatter, which may even be felt in the pedal... my car has done that since day one with the ram clutch. dont sweat it.

now, when you press the pedal in and it feels like its catching against something, you may have somehow kinked the clutch cable, maybe something got in there and rusted it, maybe the tob is taking a crap, maybe the sleeve the tob is riding on got jacked up somehow, its hard to say...

drive it, and if it breaks fix it then. if its your clutch, it will burn up soon enough. good luck.

Ditto

 

[trombonedemon]

Ditto

Ditto x 2

 

[Miller220]

possibly, although a tob will start to scream when its going bad. when i put my ram clutch in, i spent the extra $50 to buy a ford racing hd tob and have not had any problems. my only complaint is the clutch itself is 'grabby' and has some chatter on take off (which might be what your experiencing).

let me ask you this; when you have the clutch pressed to the floor, the engine is running, and the car is at a dead stop in first gear, if you give it a lil gas and start to let the clutch out... when the car starts to move forward does it feel like the car is shaking or jerking for a short period of time until the clutch is all the way out??? if so, then you might just be experiencing clutch chatter, which may even be felt in the pedal... my car has done that since day one with the ram clutch. dont sweat it.

now, when you press the pedal in and it feels like its catching against something, you may have somehow kinked the clutch cable, maybe something got in there and rusted it, maybe the tob is taking a crap, maybe the sleeve the tob is riding on got jacked up somehow, its hard to say...

drive it, and if it breaks fix it then. if its your clutch, it will burn up soon enough. good luck.

No Jerking. If I start off from a dead stop, and slowly ease off the clutch, When my foot is totally off the pedal I get some vibration. No jerking or shaking. Its a vibration, and it takes a second to grab. Then it finally really grabs on and Driving is normal. It is worse when I down shift.

 

[usaf_branham]

your clutch probably needs adjusted, do you have an aftermarket quadrant?