spec stage 2 new instal and questions on 1m

[RobbyB1M]

hi guys wanted to see if anyone can give me some input on with my clutch situation.
i recently installed a spec stage 2 clutch on my 1m reason being my car has only 10,000 miles and the stock clutch was fried... i dont beat on the car much and i dont ride the clutch much either . i wasnt sure why the clutch burnt out so quickly but i thought maybe it was the recent owner because he crashed the car.
so a few weeks ago i had a local shop install a spec stage 2 clutch along with a spec flywheel and it was good for a day or 2 then driving my car home my car started getting irregular vibrations, my drive shaft was absolutley mangled . i put the car on a lift took off the exhasut and never saw anything like it but part of the driveshaft where it bolts on was ripped up. i thought maybe the shop who installed the clutch was the last one to touch the driveshaft so he maybe could have bolted it on wrong so i ordered a new driveshaft. i now installed the driveshft myself just a few days ago. the spec 2 cltuch when i first started driving felt nearly stock and not much chatter but i recently got in from driving my car and it got much stiffer . im not sure if it was a break in point on the clutch but at one point of me driving my car the clutch wouldnt engage at all and i had to pull the car off the side of the road i also smelt the clutch.. again im asking maybe if this is what happens to a stage 2 clutch after it breaks in there are probably 500 miles on the spec stage 2 right now. this clutch is pretty much new and if this is not normal i need to fix the issue now so i dont burn out this clutch. the clutch is also making more chatter then when i first started driving the with the new clutch a few weeks ago. i dont beat the car and not sure if this is normal.

[MDORPHN]

No, not at all normal. Something is quite clearly wrong, though hard to diagnose over the internet.

Neil

[LukeM3]

I'm with MDORPHN on this one. It could be a myriad of things. Wow, clutch burning out on 10k miles. That seems way premature. Do you have the CDV delete? Is it mangled on the gearbox end or the diff end. I always mark the diff/driveshaft/gearbox so that they all go back together in exactly the same position. Did you own a salvaged 1M?

[RobbyB1M]

Originally Posted by LukeM3

I'm with MDORPHN on this one. It could be a myriad of things. Wow, clutch burning out on 10k miles. That seems way premature. Do you have the CDV delete? Is it mangled on the gearbox end or the diff end. I always mark the diff/driveshaft/gearbox so that they all go back together in exactly the same position. Did you own a salvaged 1M?

no cdv delete and it was mangled by the diff side. i cant seem to put my mind on what it could be but something is wrong.

anyone else with any input or idea on what could be going on would be much appreciated.

[RobbyB1M]

Bump if anyone has any suggestions please let me know .
Now my clutch is much stiffer and the smell of a burnt clutch is coming back and the clutch is basically new. Also the clutch is slipping out of 1st gear

[LukeM3]

Is there anyway you can post pics of the driveshaft? The flange where the driveshaft bolts to the diff that is mangled worries me. Did you notice any sheared bolts? Sounds like the nuts were not torqued correctly or Loctite was not used. As if they were installed finger tight and then forgotten about. Or creating so much torsional stress like having the parking brake on and trying to get going in first gear. I've picked up many wrecks where driveshafts have been sheared/twisted or damaged. But they've all been accident related. Last one I picked up the driveshaft sheared at high rpm and cut through the tunnel/chassis of the car and entered the interior cabin. Can you imagine that thing coming through the floor at high rpm while driving down the road. Needless to say the car was totaled.

I'm very easy on clutches, so it's rare to replace mine but I've replaced many for friends/ clients/customers. Obviously every aftermarket clutch give you a different drivability sensation and there's some break in period. But from your symptoms "something ain't right"
Anybody care to speculate on the throwout bearing?
As stated above very difficult to diagnose over the Internet, you may have to go back to the drawing board and do a simple remove and replace and go over all your work. It might be something very simple that was overlooked.
Please keep us posted on your progress

[LukeM3]

Check out the Spec clutch discussion in the engine/exhaust forum here
Thought you might find some interesting reading and some knowledgeable (expert) folks there