I had to go on an extended test drive with a master tech in the passenger seat today. It was working perfectly. No dragging while stopped, solid grab on hard launch and shift to second. I explained my bona fides and detailed the problems and he told me that we could drive as long as we needed to demonstrate the problem.

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Just as I was about to resign myself to taking the car back and have it return on a flatbed, I again tried the first thing that gave me trouble. It was a 60-ish drop from 4th to 3rd while hammering it. Up to the rev limiter with my foot off the clutch, and it didn't grab until I let off on the gas. I said "there it is" and he said "that's all I need."

Parts are on order and should be in late tomorrow. It should be ready by Tuesday, depending on schedule in the shop.

I'm really grateful that the shop never doubted my reports and allocated "as much time as needed" with me to demonstrate the problem. I don't understand how, after the way it was behaving on Saturday and Monday, it managed to work perfectly for almost an hour today while I beat on it, explaining to the tech that "I really don't drive like this, but son of a bitch, this thing is defective, no ifs, ands, or buts."

 

Great service from the tech! thats how should be. Outstanding.

 

Not just the tech, but the Service Department, for giving him the leeway to do the right thing. We also had time to chat about various F-Types, he asked why I'm not in the business anymore, about how Americans can't drive a manual transmission anymore, etc.

He was pleasant and patient, and once he saw the issue, immediately said that it was enough.

I'm pleased that I got it to misbehave, although annoyed that I really had to go through all that for it to show. I had to tell him "I don't drive like this. If I did, I'd get my license revoked."

 

It's Murphy's Law in reverse (figuratively speaking).

 

Finagle's Law: The perversity of the Universe tends to a maximum.

 

Case in point: The flywheel is on backorder.

Sigh.

 

Either more case in point or same case, more points:

They got the flywheel and when they removed the old they discovered that the rear main seal is leaking. Now, we wait for the seal.

Weather's nice to hot so driving the the Miata doesn't exactly incur suffering, but I would like to have it back.

 

You manual gearboxes owners need this:

https://www.massdrop.com/buy/curb-ma...oted_drop=true

 

I picked it up yesterday but only drove home, and traffic was bad. I'll get better driving impressions today. Engagement seems a bit close to the floor but I'm coming from the Miata, so need to acclimate. It may also settle a bit after a few hundred shifts. I'm due for annual service in less than a week, so will have opportunity to address any issues then.

 

The will pick up closer to the floor and it will always be consistent. Once you have a chance to get free from traffic and get on it, you are going to find you have more power than you once thought you had in my experience!

 

Picture of my second generation clutch and flywheel after a year and about 15,000 kms. Please comment, as I want to hear what everyone think about it.

 

I have the gen 2 clutch and have experienced zero problems with it, but I'm not subjecting it to nearly as much flogging as you have been with all your track time. I'm hoping you are able to subject the gen 3 clutch to the same rigors to determine if that will fare any better. To follow up on our PMs, I reviewed my notes from the discussions I had with Spec Clutch and they will need a new clutch kit and flywheel to measure for a high performance clutch. They won't be able to get accurate readings from a used set. That won't be a problem since I can return unused parts for a 20% restocking fee. With that done, we would have a source for multiple stages of street through competition clutches.
SPEC Clutches & Flywheels: Auto Parts, Domestic, Import, Truck, Racing, Drifting :: Products

 

Do you have any ideas on how to protect differential? This has to be considered in parallel with developing the clutch.

 

Wow. This thread just got as fun as the short shifter thread.

 

per chance is this diff the same as an R with all the extra horsepower/torque. At some point we just have drive these cars without fear of breaking. In the old days, we broke stuff all the time......ok I get it more bucks now but still where is the fun if you don't occasionally sit on the side of the road with a plume of smoke and flames exiting the hood. Just asking?

 

Not the same as the R which has an eLSD. The V6S has a real LSD.
Kinda my thoughts as well. I have that kind of fun with my FJ40 on a regular basis.

 

I must have missed the reason for its removal. What prompted it? It looks pretty used, but was it failing in some way?

 

Add another data point for potential clutch issues...

2016 V6S manufactured in 9/15, purchased within the past month. VIN ends with 303xx.

Since it barely had 300 miles when it was delivered, I took it easy for the first week. I still have not really beat on it off the line, but if I hammer on it going from 2nd to 3rd and again from 3rd to 4th, it slips to redline worse than my Miata did going up a hill as the clutch was failing.

As of yesterday, I have about 1300 miles on it, almost all of which had been highway miles for the 1000 I have put on it. I don't recall this issue having presented itself during the test drive...but we didn't get much over 100 in that drive and I don't recall if I went from third to fourth.

 

No surprise...with that build date you probably still have the weak first generation clutch. Take it back to the dealer and have them install the 3rd generation clutch. Somewhere in this thread you should be able to find the right part number.

 

I had just hoped I was beyond the 1st gen since most of the afflicted VIN's were under the 30xxx point.

I did find the post with the part numbers...likely won't need it since I have had the good fortune of having a relationship with a service manager who also races. Am hoping he takes me at my word and orders the parts and just tells me to bring it in when the parts arrive...alternately, he will have me come in, hop in the passenger seat and have me replicate the condition.