Hey Ryan … I ordered the RJM clutch pedal assembly and installed it a few months ago. I meant to post some comments about it after some use, but never found the time. The car is now in winter hibernation, and I now have some time. My comments are:
First, the RJM assembly is well made. The overall quality matches or exceeds that of the stock assembly.
Second, the RJM assembly is far superior to the stock in terms of overall clutch "feel". The clutch shudder that I often experienced from a standing start with the stock assembly has virtually disappeared. It makes the driving experience better. (Incidentally, I have been driving vehicles with manual transmissions for 45 years so the "shudder" experienced with the stock assembly was not a newbie issue).
Third, the free play at the top of the pedal takes a bit of time to get used to largely because there is virtually no free play in the stock pedal, so the sensation is different. I completed the minor adjustment outlined in the instructions which reduced the free play a bit, but caused the lower switch to start heading out of alignment. Anyway, not a problem … just letting others know that the free play may seem a little odd at first.
Fourth, the RJM assembly is a bit of a bear to install, due largely to the very cramped quarters. Certainly, you don't have to be a master mechanic to install it, but youth and a good back would help! It took me about 6 hours to install, but I was very fussy about following the instructions, and making sure that fitment was proper. It also requires good lighting … preferably with something other than a trouble light that I used, and regretted every time my hands or arms got close to it.
Finally, I'd offer an "alert" for Step 37 … when you install the smaller clevis pin into the supplied clevis fork through the AFP slider mechanism. At this stage, the installation is almost complete. I had to "fuss" with the pin while attempting to push it through … and suddenly it went through, at which time I heard a faint dreaded clink, which turned out to be the rear bronze bearing in the new fork that had popped out and struck some part in the footwell as it went flying. There was some momentary fear as I thought "where the f did the bearing end up". Fortunately, a quick search revealed it deep in a crevice in the footwell. It was easy to re-install, but I could have done without the panic just as the installation was nearing completion. You may want to alert folks of this issue. Simply placing a finger on the backside of the fork to ensure that the bearing stays in place would solve the problem.
Bottom line: The RJM assembly is great. I never went the way of removing or changing the clutch helper spring so I can't comment on whether the assembly helps more or less than switching the spring. But I can say that the assembly works well and makes driving a stick a much better experience than the stock assembly.
|