Teh Official "Dude Where's My Forum?" Thread, Brought to you by the minds of Box, and her fiancée, Lorelei Options

[Bitter]

I hear the Focus RS has a light clutch.

[SwissFerdi]

Near as makes no difference they are equally light. Stock clutch and flywheel on both as far as I know. The trans in the Celica was bench-pressed in by my buddy and the rest I connected with my monkey hands, including clutch travel set to "There's no grinding and it shifts like it should" with little regard to factory spec, so who knows if it feels like it should.

Samir has driven it and he said it was cake compared to his stage 3 (4?) something-puck S54.

Also, the RS did have a rather light clutch in my brief experience. Think Subaru, little feel or feedback.

This post has been edited by SwissFerdi: Oct 24, 2017 - 9:44 PM

[Box]

Lots of new cars have light clutches, also lots outside of my budget. If I could I'd probably just get a BRZ and call it real; quick enough for what I want stock, handles well, spacious enough coupe, and is RWD with a TorSen. Gets even better with bolt-ons and a tune as well as aftermarket suspension bits and sticky summer tires.

I don't know, I thought about going to a hydraulic throw-out bearing and push clutch like in the LS1 cars but apparently it's incredibly involved and expensive or possibly impossible now since those that made the parts to do the conversion have stopped. For what it'd cost would just be better off selling it and buying a LS1 car, but I don't want a LS1 car otherwise that's what I'd have bought in the first place. Even then the pedal effort was maybe half, but that could be just enough to not cause problems. Which I'd like a LS1 Corvette, but again budget becomes a problem. The RX-8 probably has a light clutch since it uses the same transmission as the Miata, but then you have RX-8 problems. Bleh, maybe the universe will take pity on me and grant me the use of my left leg again.

[Box]

Near as makes no difference they are equally light. Stock clutch and flywheel on both as far as I know. The trans in the Celica was bench-pressed in by my buddy and the rest I connected with my monkey hands, including clutch travel set to "There's no grinding and it shifts like it should" with little regard to factory spec, so who knows if it feels like it should.

Samir has driven it and he said it was cake compared to his stage 3 (4?) something-puck S54.

So the Miata and Celica are pretty close then? That's good to hear then. Mine was stupid heavy, heavier than the Firebird even. Like if the Firebird is 4-5 times heavier than the Miata the Celica was 6-7 times heavier. I guess whoever had it before my uncle put in some kind of obscene stage III/IV clutch for no valid reason.

[SwissFerdi]

Yes.

[narly_charley]

You guys use Loctite on your brake caliper bracket bolts in your Toyotas/any cars? Earlier this year I had one of the bolts come out in the rear of my ES330 and the caliper fell down and was grinding against the inside of the wheel (had to get it towed home because I didn't have anything to stick int he hole).

Just curious what you guys do.

[Bitter]

You're married with a kid, that's why you didn't have anything to stick in the hole.


I do use blue loctite and German torque.

[narly_charley]

You're married with a kid, that's why you didn't have anything to stick in the hole.


I do use blue loctite and German torque.

That's very true... Also, what the hell is German torque? I had to google it, but nothing came up. Is that what you can do with the wrench with one arm? I don't torque anything but lug nuts when doing normal maintenance stuff.

[Box]

German torque is where you yell at it and blame Jews for it not going right I think.

[Bitter]

https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu...-8&oe=utf-8

You suck at google!

Gutentite!

[Box]

Couldn't find anything to use as an extension, but I was able to move my seat as far forward as possible until my legs rubbed against the dash and that seems to help a lot. Of course this won't work since the bottom of the steering wheel is on my genitals, my legs are rubbing the dash, and I can't get in and out of the car. I can seem to use the clutch without it incapacitating me though, so that's a plus. I'm thinking a 2" extension on the clutch so I can move the seat back to where it was but still keep the range of motion for my leg to depress the clutch the same, and I should be ok. Which how I've had my seat there was still plenty of bend left in my knee, but apparently with any weight I need to minimize how much it bends. That and I was having to straighten my leg to clutch in order to not hit the brake with my heel, I have knock knees, so I think that was contributing as well. Being that close up I was able to keep my leg more angled while using the clutch, so it's probably a combination of leg angle and how far it has to stretch. I know weight is a big factor though, since in my brother's Audi I had to stretch(he's a good bit taller than I am) and it never bothered me because the clutch is so light. So I'd still like to reduce clutch pedal weight if at all possible.

[Box]

Someone traded in a 2003 Miata Shinsen Edition today at my brother's work, if it checks out he's going to buy it. I guess it'll be a good way to see if I like the NB2 Miata or not.

[Bitter]

Fabricobbled some heat shield repairs on the Mazda today, bit of a time suck but worth it.






She's tight like prom night, nary a wiggle or rattle in sight. It'll stay on. Used some 3/16th (or was it 1/8th?) by 1 inch anodized aluminum stock and just eyeballed everything except two parts which I roughly measured just so they wouldn't end up too long and have wasted material. Drill the holes down a couple sizes and just ram the bolts through, they make their own threads, saves a step for having to fiddle with nuts on the backsides. The last one was the hardest one, I had to take a threaded clip thing and knock off half the clip part so it was just a threaded fastener with a tab hanging off to lock into the frame when it turned inside the hole, pain in the butt. The aluminum I just bowed a bit so when it was tightened it would just push onto the shield and hold the end from rattling around.

[Box]

Provided she wasn't a size queen by prom night anyway.

I'm so glad I live in the south and don't have to deal with that b.s.

[Box]

So I keep hearing something creak and squeak under the dash while depressing the clutch pedal, and when it doesn't make noise it seems the pedal isn't as hard to press. I'm thinking it's perhaps the return spring binding, going to try and take a look later up underneath the dash. Found some good pictures showing it:

[Bitter]

I've dealt with binding creaking clutch pedals before, likely the bushings on the pivot for the arm are gone bad!

[Box]

I hope not since apparently they're discontinued, the still make the $35 spring though. Which apparently there was a TSB for '98-02 cars for the spring breaking or it making noise when the pedal was depressed, the fix was just to replace the spring. Going to play contortionist and if it's all there will see if applying spray lubricant will help.

[Bitter]

They may be disco from GM but I bet there's aftermarket available or a universal part out there that works fine.

[Box]

Bad news and good news. Bad news I got down into the floorboard and got stuck and had to be rescued, I got down like I always have with the seat all the way back and reclined and then lay on it on my back with my head and arms over the seat edge under the dash. Well apparently I can't do that anymore because my back locked up and I had to be pulled out of the car. Onto the good news, the spring and bushings are all there and in decent shape. Was able to use Cerflon spray lubricant on the spring, bushings, and clutch arm pivot/friction points. Also used silicone spray lubricant on the clutch master rod and the rubber bushing/boot the rod goes through. After recuperating somewhat and resetting the seat surprisingly it actually made a notable difference. Would say pedal effort was reduced by 50-100%, so where it was about 4-5 times heavier than the Miata it's now around 3 times. There's still a clicky squeak from the spring when you first put your foot on the pedal and there's still some rubbing groaning from the master cylinder, but it's a lot better. Which after my back stops killing me I'll try and drive it again, but from what I can tell I should be ok at least for driving it normally. Repeated clutch use on back roads or stop and go traffic could be another story, but at least for back roads it has the torque to stay in fourth or fifth the entire time if need be.

[Bitter]

I found a rare photo of Box.