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Dropping the clutch good or bad?

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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 05:54 PM
  #1  
RUmble's Avatar
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Dropping the clutch good or bad?

So the 6 second 0-60 time from Car and Driver is achieved by dropping the clutch from 8000 RPMs. I'm sure most 0-60 times for MT are achieved by dropping the clutch.

How safe is it for the car to drop the clutch from maybe 6k-7k? 8k? Is it inadvisable to do so if I want to keep this car for 8-10 years? I don't mean launching like that all the time of course...

Has anyone tried doing this? How does it feel?
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 06:06 PM
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Just dont do it. I have never had a need to drop the clutch while driving to the grocery store or work or anything.
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 06:59 PM
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Dropping the clutch and launching the car from such a high rpm will damage your drivetrain eventually (sometimes sooner rather than later).

Only do it if you can afford to rebuild it all the time.
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 08:53 PM
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i did it from 4000 with the traction control off, i just sat there as my wheels spun
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 08:57 PM
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I liken dropping the clutch to professional boxing. The parts you bang on will not function so well after repeated abuse. This should be a big "no duh" though
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 09:55 PM
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Yeah, you can't be surprised by the answers you will get to this question. There is simply no way of getting around the fact that dropping the clutch at 8000 rpms just isn't going to be good on the drivetrain, though it will probably "survive" a few times.

The salesman that was with me on my first test drive actually told me to do this (he knew I had a 3rd gen so I think he was trying to impress me). I made sure NOT to buy my car from that dealer!
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 10:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin
The salesman that was with me on my first test drive actually told me to do this (he knew I had a 3rd gen so I think he was trying to impress me). I made sure NOT to buy my car from that dealer!
Exactly why I made sure the car I bought had never been test driven before.
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 10:02 PM
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Wow! Factory engineers don't build ANY production car strong enough to live up to that type of abuse...And the factory warranty will most likely be denied.
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by JasonHamilton
Exactly why I made sure the car I bought had never been test driven before.
How did you do that Jason, aside from ordering one?

My car only had 8 miles on it when I bought it.
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 10:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin
How did you do that Jason, aside from ordering one?

My car only had 8 miles on it when I bought it.
heh. Made sure my car didn't have 60 miles on it :P

Mine had 7.

After I agreed to buy the car, they let me drive it for a test drive. I didn't need to test it, so the trip was extremely short and I came back immediately. The odo was up to 14 miles...
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 10:57 PM
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I have yet to dump my clutch, and I probably won't do it anytime soon.

I'm sure the stock clutch can handle a few clutch dumps before it starts to slip. As for a real number, only experimentation and some money for a new one will yield the answer.
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 11:03 PM
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Got my car with plastic still on the front and plastic covering seats. Never test driven by anyone.

And yes, dumping the clutch at high rpm a very bad idea, unless you don't plan on driving the 8 you do it to.

I did not race the **** out of the demo I test drove, though the salesman did.
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Old Oct 3, 2004 | 11:03 PM
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Originally Posted by RUmble
So the 6 second 0-60 time from Car and Driver is achieved by dropping the clutch from 8000 RPMs. I'm sure most 0-60 times for MT are achieved by dropping the clutch.

How safe is it for the car to drop the clutch from maybe 6k-7k? 8k? Is it inadvisable to do so if I want to keep this car for 8-10 years? I don't mean launching like that all the time of course...

Has anyone tried doing this? How does it feel?

I'll tell ya what, why don't you do a 7k rpm clutch dump EVERY day, and let us all know how well the clutch, transmission, U-Joints, driveshaft, differential and axles hold up, okay?
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Old Oct 4, 2004 | 02:45 PM
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Play nice, obviously the mags all did it so its an okay question for a newbie to pose....
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Old Oct 4, 2004 | 04:11 PM
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Yeah, be nice.

Bring me your car and I'll try it myself! :D
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Old Oct 4, 2004 | 05:42 PM
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Ok so I'm guessing the answer is no.... don't drop the clutch. :D
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Old Oct 4, 2004 | 07:53 PM
  #17  
JeRKy 8 Owner's Avatar
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If youthink thats bad Ive neutral slammed my automatic Rx8 at least 7 times since buying it back in August 2003 from 6000 RPM. Im probably goingto need a new torque converter and tranny in 2 years. Yippie!
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Old Oct 4, 2004 | 08:38 PM
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His warranty would likely replace the tranny at least once, twice if two completly different parts failed (twice is big maybe) but Id bet on the first one being a sure cover.
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