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-   -   Boiled clutch fluid at the track! (http://www.the370z.com/track-autocross-drifting-dragstrip/43165-boiled-clutch-fluid-track.html)

atropine 09-26-2011 10:59 AM

Boiled clutch fluid at the track!
 
At least that's what I think happened. Doing long (30-40) minute track sessions at Miller Motorsports Park last Fri. Toward the end of session 3 I pushed the clutch pedal in and it stayed on the floor. I was able to lift it back up but it did it again so I came in to the pits. Within 30 seconds pedal was back to feeling normal. Inspected everywhere, no evidence of clutch leak. Car was getting very hot and I actually spewed just a bit of coolant out the expansion tank. Oil temp maxed out around 240, but I think maybe the extra heat dissipated by my huge AE oil cooler in front of the radiator led to increased coolant temps. Miller is a very fast track and with the way my car is geared, it is best suited to just leaving it in 3rd for most of the track with some occ. shifts into 4th. I wasn't shifting much, but I was running extended periods of high rpms (6000-7500). Can I flush my clutch with some higher-temp fluid to prevent this in the future? BTW, ambient temp was mid-80s. I drove the car to work this morning and it feels totally normal.

cossie1600 09-26-2011 11:04 AM

yeah i change mine 3x a year. the reservoir is tiny

ChrisSlicks 09-26-2011 11:13 AM

Just go to ATE or RBF-600 for the clutch fluid and you should be fine. It is pretty easy to bleed. The exhaust is in pretty close proximity to the clutch line, parts of it are insulated but continuous high heat will boil the stock fluid.

cossie1600 09-26-2011 11:15 AM

since you most likely boiled yours, definitely go for a full bleed. i just suck old fluid out and dump in new ones the first week i got the car, it seems to be okay at 14k miles

atropine 09-26-2011 11:24 AM

thx guys. is there a bleeder screw at the bottom somewhere, or do i just suck the reservoir empty and dump in new fluid, let it mix a while, then repeat several times? ATE or RBF-600 is compatible with the clutch system for sure? Does it need to be replaced more frequently?

ChrisSlicks 09-26-2011 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atropine (Post 1329841)
thx guys. is there a bleeder screw at the bottom somewhere, or do i just suck the reservoir empty and dump in new fluid, let it mix a while, then repeat several times? ATE or RBF-600 is compatible with the clutch system for sure? Does it need to be replaced more frequently?

There is a bleed screw on the transmission on the drivers side. You will probably have to lift the car a little to reach it. It will take 2 people to bleed.

I swap the fluid out once a year, no compatibility issues.

cossie1600 09-26-2011 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atropine (Post 1329841)
thx guys. is there a bleeder screw at the bottom somewhere, or do i just suck the reservoir empty and dump in new fluid, let it mix a while, then repeat several times? ATE or RBF-600 is compatible with the clutch system for sure? Does it need to be replaced more frequently?

I would do it right and bleed it since you already boiled it. I sucked and replaced as I did it when the car was brand new

atropine 09-26-2011 01:33 PM

Cool, thx guys. That is on my soon-to-do list now. Any idea how much fluid it will take to do a good flush/bleed?

BTW, any ideas on how to keep my water temps down? (other than alter my driving)

ChrisSlicks 09-26-2011 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atropine (Post 1330076)
Cool, thx guys. That is on my soon-to-do list now. Any idea how much fluid it will take to do a good flush/bleed?

BTW, any ideas on how to keep my water temps down? (other than alter my driving)

It doesn't hold much fluid overall. I used maybe a 1/4 to 1/2 of a 500ml bottle.


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