Burnout at the track causing hard clutch pedal.

**Kramsdell** · 11-15-2011, 02:38 PM

A few months ago I installed the tick MC in my car and I've been loving it. Smooth shifts through and through. I took it to the track last Sunday and my first run I went through the wetbox and did a short burnout to dry/heat the tires, after I rolled out I noticed my clutch pedal was extremely hard to depress. After several pumps of the clutch pedal it almost went back to normal. When I took off from the line I could not get the car to accept second gear at all until a few pumps of the pedal. I limped down the track and tried another run, this time completely avoiding the wetbox and doing no burnout whatsoever. The shifts were smooth and I ran my best time yet. My question is, what would cause my clutch pedal to be hard like that only after burnouts, and be fine shifting at 5.5-6k down the track? Confused as hell right now...

**az gt eater** · 11-15-2011, 03:53 PM

You might have to adjust it better. You may also have a worn clutch problem. Or blown out the slave. Did you check your fluid? It can get dirty in a hurry. Also, what kind of shielding do you have? The fluid can get hot in the line sitting right by headers wo shielding. LT's can get red hot quick.

**Kramsdell** · 11-15-2011, 03:58 PM

I thought heat was my problem before my tick unit because I was having problems with the stock master, I'm still on stock intake manifolds. My clutch fluid was a bit dirty, but I used the ranger method and it's pretty clear now. I just don't see how it would have issues after a burnout and not going down the track shifting at high rpm.

**az gt eater** · 11-15-2011, 04:14 PM

Try giving the adjustment another turn or two. I'm assuming you don't have any problems on the street? And since? The old boy way to tell if you are fully adjusted is to raise the rear, then adjust until the rear wheels don't move when you pull the clutch in in gear. And I would think you would want to go a little beyond that. Warm the car and clutch up good before you do this. On a side note, you must have really skinny arms and hands to get that Tick in without having headers. I couldn't believe how tight that damned thing was.

**Kramsdell** · 11-15-2011, 04:22 PM

Yeah I followed the directions and just adjusted it out till it would go into gear smoothly, I don't want to overextend my pressure plate, so I'm afraid of adjusting it out any further, it's about lined up with the brake pedal. Took me an hour to uninstall the old MC and bleed the tick, then it took three hours to get the damn thing in there just right and bolted in, def. a PITA. but it was worth it.. I hope. :/

**az gt eater** · 11-15-2011, 04:26 PM

That's gotta be the biggest pain to install. I pulled my headers to install it. I would honestly let it out some more, then simulate the conditions you ran into at the track and adjust it as needed. It is, after all, very easy to adjust. And if you are gonna go through all that, it would be pretty easy to wrap the line with heat tape. And Ranger it again. Then, next time you go to the track, leave the kick panel out in case you need to adjust it some more.

**Kramsdell** · 11-15-2011, 04:28 PM

It is wrapped with heat tape, and I even went so far as to run the line INSIDE the car and back out to the transmission to avoid as much heat as possible. Everything works perfect untill that damn burnout...

**Cutlass** · 11-16-2011, 07:13 PM

Something is binding somehow. Is the hose kinked? Maybe there is a bunch of heat transfer from the clutch/pressure plate into the fluid through the slave. Using DOT 4 fluid offers better heat handling abilities over DOT3. Are you using DOT3 or DOT4 brake fluid?

**Kramsdell** · 11-16-2011, 07:15 PM

Prestone DOT 4 fluid

**Cutlass** · 11-18-2011, 06:31 PM

Well you're on the right track there then. It must be the slave or the clutch itself binding after a burnout. I showhow think its heat related but I can't quite come up with a good explanation why. My advise, try replacing either the clutch assembly or the slave cylinder...or both. Seems like that would have to fix the problem.