Clutch + flywheel

The real problem is that the Miata engine does not have much torque at low RPM. Thus, the heavier flywheel is better for non racing applications. Yes a lighter flywheel will allow the engine to rev up slightly faster. However, maintaining higher rather than lower RPM is usually the secret, even in racing apps. Now if the engine were modified, that may be another story.

(And now for the flak onslaught!)]

As an aside to this thread (not meaning to hijack it), what is the expected life of a clutch on a Miata? How many miles on your '03?

I have an '04 with 25k miles on it, hence the questions....

thanks in advance, y'all.

My '93 has 105k miles and still has the original clutch. One month shy of 15 years since I drove it off the dealer's lot.

Jim

It depends a lot on how the car is driven. Also, forced induction, especially anything past 8 psi, will eat a stock clutch in no time.

My last Miata had 75,000 on the clutch when it was wrecked. One person commented that it looked basically new when I removed it, and had to be better than his clutch that had been slipping.

I gave it to him and he installed it in his car. I haven't heard from him in a while, but it was still going strong over 2 years after he put it in his Miata.

Pat

The clutch on my '90 lasted 91,000 miles. The clutch on my '04 only has 21,000 on it so I don't expect to have to replace it for several years more.

Iva & Vixen

I had to replace the clutch on my '99 at 91,200 miles, as it was slipping. But the clutch on my '93 was OK at 140,000 miles when it got wrecked. I bought the '99 used and I suspect the previous driver was pretty hard on it.

yrs jp

My '93 now passed to my son has 198,000 on the original clutch. No real slipping, but does get grabby now in wet or very humid weather until warmed up a little.

As others have implied, clutch life depends a lot on driver, driver style and hp of the engine.

More hp will likely increase slipping at launch, and may cause some slipping on shifts, but the shifting slippage varies with how well you match rpms at shift points.

Slippage is what wears the clutch. Less time spent with the clutch in the zone between initial contact and fully loaded will increase clutch life.

Very good description, Stephen,

I once had a diagram bookmarked that showed exactly what the driveline is doing when the clutch is used, flywheel contact, etc. It would have been helpful when I was learning how to drive a manual and I knew far less about the internal workings of a transmission.

My daughter is learning to drive, and I told her that even though she wants an automatic, she should learn manual.

The boosted '91 with the Act3 clutch should be a good training platform. If she can master that clutch, she will be able to drive almost anything.

Pat

Not sure what the Act3 clutch disc is. If it is the unsprung clutch disc it is certainly a training tool.

Have only driven a 6 disc unsprung clutch disc a little on a Turbo RX-7. Launches are a real exercise in getting the right rpm to launch smoothly depending on conditions and car attitude. (Flat, uphill, dry, wet, etc.) Subsequent sifts just require good matching of rpm to road speed.

My 1990 just passed 200K on the original clutch. Other than engaging a lot higher than when it was newer, it works fine.

Ken