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yokohamaboi 03-31-2009 01:16 AM


Originally Posted by Flashwing (Post 2943024)
Well, ask yourself this question as I did...

Imagine yourself out driving around and your clutch pedal snaps. Now you are either unable to drive your vehicle or you risk causing serious damage to your transmission. So now you're stuck with a vehicle you cannot drive and you're either on your way to work, to hang out with friends, or maybe you're on the race track or a mountain drive.

You'll have to have the car towed somewhere, maybe a dealership. Then they have to order the part which could take days while you pay to use a loaner car. Then, Mazda charges you $250 for the clutch pedal and an hour of labor to install it.

So, you had your day or maybe week ruined, your car tied up and all of it over a clutch pedal you could have had preventative work done on.

You don't have to pay BHR to get a welded pedal, you can take it to any local shop and get it welded. We've never said you MUST buy the pedal from us or else! We have maintained a constant message of "get it fixed someplace" for your own safety.

I honestly don't think a bracket is the way to go. You have to drill holes and adds another point of failure to the pedal. The whole assembly is 4 bolts and 30 minutes to swap.

The choice is up to you...the mazsport bracket that fluid sells, BHR's new welded assembly or a local shop to weld the pedal for you. If money is your primary concern, having it welded locally is the best bet.



hmm good point i give this a 50/50 , depends what the buyer wants. Theirs always the Ghetto way JB WELD!!! jk :lol:

Flashwing 03-31-2009 02:09 AM


Originally Posted by yokohamaboi (Post 2943037)
hmm good point i give this a 50/50 , depends what the buyer wants. Theirs always the Ghetto way JB WELD!!! jk :lol:

Remember, JB Weld is a privilege, not a right. :lol::lol:


Originally Posted by Vyndictive (Post 2943036)
Well - not to steal both of your thunders... but if you remove the clutch pedal and then take the non-damaged stock clutch to a decent tig-welder and tell them the problem and where the stress/loads are, they'll be able to set you up for a decent price, and if they're able to do it right away, the welding only takes about 15-30 min.

Exactly, which is why Ray said the following:


Originally Posted by Charles R. Hill (Post 2942894)
Yeah, and we both have our customers who will vouch for us. The big difference is that I spend most of my time on this issue teaching others how to have my proposed cure done, locally...

BHR has always encouraged people to get this service done locally if there's a reason they cannot get a new pedal assembly from us. At no point have we ever said that our welded pedals were the only way. We do, however, feel tig welding the stress areas is a superior fix to a bracket which requires further modification and assembly.

yokohamaboi 03-31-2009 05:38 PM


Originally Posted by Charles R. Hill (Post 2943339)
What welded piece of metal?

Reinforced Clutch Pedal, brand-new unit from Mazda with BHR welding. ($350, no core return necessary)

SilverEIGHT 03-31-2009 05:41 PM

I can't believe all I have done to try to keep youze guys from bitch slapping each other... I turn my back and all hell brakes loose. :D

I'm not going over my entire opinion again as I have stated it many times but Vyndictive's idea is what I wish everyone would do to keep this all from happening since Mazda doesn't give a crap about us. All of the alternatives have merit.

I welded mine after it broke because I could get it for free. I then used a bracket also because my weld did not have additional support. However, welding it up with support is the best way to go.... BEFORE THE DAMN THING SNAPS!

syntheticdarkness 03-31-2009 06:34 PM

Not to interrupt anything, but I just put a DIY up. In my case, you need the welds and the bracket thats my opinion since the metal sucks. Did you notice that the sensors brackets are thicker then the rest of it. The welds do nice but the rest of the case where there are no welds moves, which I believe by looking at the bracket would solve that, but you need both and that's my 2 cents.:eyetwitch

After I got everything done it went right back together, just bent the lever a tad to help the vehicle start which was no big deal since all the flex was taken out when it was welded.:)

syntheticdarkness 03-31-2009 07:41 PM

Here you go the ultimate fix. It's not the original so watch the whole thing. No welds no brackets:lol::lol::lol::lol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_4a4O7kXQo

05rex8 03-31-2009 08:00 PM


Originally Posted by Charles R. Hill (Post 2944682)
Pretty funny. I can't wait to see the ShamWow version!

Celebrity Death Match; ShamWow Vince versus Billy Mays.

did you say shamwow?


http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...81/Shamwow.jpg

syntheticdarkness 03-31-2009 08:03 PM

I love the optimus prime part. These are the last ones.

Shamwow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bDPAOuizsQ&feature=related

Blanket http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmsWq...eature=related

Oxi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY0tT...rom=PL&index=3

Everyone needs a good laugh right now to pick up the spirits:lol2:.

GaMEChld 03-31-2009 11:36 PM

rofl, "fu**ing optimus prime cant even tear this sh** off!! its 80,000 lbs of pressure"

SilverEIGHT 04-01-2009 07:32 PM

Fluid Motorsports, I'm sending someone your way. His name is Chris.

Race Roots 04-01-2009 07:34 PM


Originally Posted by SilverEIGHT (Post 2946875)
Fluid Motorsports, I'm sending someone your way. His name is Chris.


Thanks, I will be on the look out for him.

SilverEIGHT 04-01-2009 07:44 PM

Actually, I think his name is not Chris now that I think about it... Damn, I'm getting oldtimers.

Jon316G 04-01-2009 07:54 PM


Originally Posted by SilverEIGHT (Post 2946891)
Damn, I'm getting oldtimers.

Don't you mean alzheimer?
Close enough I guess ;)

SilverEIGHT 04-01-2009 08:42 PM

Yea, that was intentional. :)

kersh4w 04-02-2009 12:01 AM

i've had people PM me because i've been repping the clutch brackets in my sig. as far as i know, they all followed my advice and bought them.

they are just that good.

Race Roots 04-02-2009 12:09 AM


Originally Posted by SilverEIGHT (Post 2947012)
Yea, that was intentional. :)

:)


Originally Posted by kersh4w (Post 2947425)
i've had people PM me because i've been repping the clutch brackets in my sig. as far as i know, they all followed my advice and bought them.

they are just that good.

Thanks I really do appreciate it!

Gotian 04-02-2009 10:34 AM

Hey I have a question about the TSB, I am out of warranty ( hit 50k about 2 weeks ago) and my clutch is squeaking like crazy, Will they still replace my clutch as if its still under warranty or will they charge me for this if i take it to the dealer? I have a 2006 that fits the tsb.

Gotian 04-02-2009 10:55 AM

Well thats discouraging to hear. Guess i would just have to take it to the dealer so they can diagnose it and see if they will do it no charge. if they are gonna charge you can bet im gonna be buying one of those reinforced ones from you.

SilverEIGHT 04-02-2009 12:07 PM

They are also probably going to charge you a fee just to look at it. Mine charges $95 and applies that to the job if I go through them for a repair. I really don't think they are going to cover your clutch bracket but ... who know's maybe you have a good dealer. I suggest you go ahead right now and take it off and get it welded up before it snaps at a very inconvienent time as that will get into your billfold pretty deep. Welding on your own time frame is the easiest and cheepest way to go.

Gotian 04-02-2009 01:21 PM

How and where would I weld it then? Im not big on welding either so a DIY would be very nice

Race Roots 04-02-2009 01:40 PM


Originally Posted by Gotian (Post 2948263)
How and where would I weld it then? Im not big on welding either so a DIY would be very nice

DIY: https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-yourself-forum-73/diy-clutch-pedal-bracket-removal-fix-170387/

SilverEIGHT 04-02-2009 01:48 PM

Gotian, that would be nice to have. I just brought mine into the shop here at work and let one of the welders take care of it. I wouldn't know where to begin to tell you to start. Other than find a reputable welder. If you can't find the proper shop then you might be best to work it out with Ray or Fluid. Have you taken your bracket off the car yet?

EDIT:
Thanks for the DIY Fluid

Balthus 04-02-2009 08:53 PM

Another one bites the dust
 
Add me to the list of clutch pedal bracket victims.

I had the squeek of death for about 1 week. The car was still working, but it was a bit hard to get it into gear one morning. I drove it to work. When I returned to the car in the evening, I couldn't get it into gear and the pedal would get stuck to the floor when pushed down.

The car was towed to my Mazda dealer, where I was told that it was the clutch hydraulics. $300 later, the car was working again, I drove it home, but clearly saw that one of the two spot welds was broken and the pedal was shifted to the right (perilously close to the brake pedal).

Today I brought it back to the dealer, and though it's not under warranty, I told them what a piece of crap this bracket is, that would break on a car with just 33k miles and how pissed I was that they gave the car back to me with a broken clutch pedal bracket (dangerous!). I also instructed them to check out this thread.

I was called back later in the morning that they are going to fix the pedal for free - "good will from Mazda".

And I'm glad they did - I was already the victim of the engine recall... and now this. This is the most enjoyable car I've ever owned, but as I read in another thread "its warts are starting to show."

kersh4w 04-02-2009 10:05 PM

yeah, put the fluid motorsports bracket on as soon as possible.

i really think mazda should just give out vouchers to buy the fluid motorsports bracket. hah.

just an fyi, mine is technically the "mazsport bracket" in reality they are one and the same. and i cant express how much i love that thing.

it changed my driving so much. i was getting to the point where i feared each shift - im not joking - because it was so rough. now.. now shifting is a breeze. i used to think i couldnt heel-toe cause i sucked, now.. heel-toeing is a breeze and a love doing it.

i'd recommend this as the first mod anyone does. over short shifter, tints, rims, accessport, spoiler, tires, speakers, and whatever else.

combining this with the short shifter = bliss.

Gotian 04-03-2009 10:00 AM

thanks for all the info guys, im gonna weld together my bracket before it snaps off, ive had the sqeak for about 4 months now (guess im a lucky one, **knocks on his wooden desk**)

kersh4w 04-03-2009 11:07 AM

after you weld it, really consider the clutch bracket. you are just bandaiding the problem if you only weld it.

see, the bracket goes past just fixing the problem, it really is a performance mod in its own right. it eliminates any movement in the clutch allowing for much better pedal feel. the stamped steel used to make the assembly is very thin and weak. you can easily bend it by hand. you could step on it sideways and crush it. but the bracket is made out of 1/4" thick steel. its not going anywhere. you can kick the clutch all you want, and all you get is perfectly smooth shifts.

Flashwing 04-03-2009 11:09 AM


Originally Posted by kersh4w (Post 2949936)
after you weld it, really consider the clutch bracket. you are just bandaiding the problem if you only weld it.

You're only bandaiding it if you simply buy another clutch pedal and do nothing at all.

kersh4w 04-03-2009 11:12 AM

i agree with that too. from my perspective, the welds are most of the issue, but a significant chunk has to do with the the fact that the stamped steel assembly will bend under pressure. indeed, that is what causes the welds to fail, the constant bending pressure each time the clutch is depressed. stronger welds might last longer, but who wants an assembly that bends?

thats why if you reinforce the assembly with a fluid motorsports bracket, you really fixing the problem entirely. and in fact, it makes the cars shift feel better than new.

Speedy400 04-03-2009 01:16 PM

Is there any warning that the bracket may be going? Is the car driveable once it breaks?
I'm wondering with only 10K miles here, if it's worth it to do some preventive maintenance and weld it before it happens.

Gotian 04-03-2009 01:56 PM

do the preventative maintanence, i have 50k miles and it started squeaking 4 months ago so you figure at around 40-45k is when it start squeaking for me, other members have had worse luck and it started earlier.

SilverEIGHT 04-03-2009 03:45 PM

Should be your first mod... even before clear corners.

souljamcdiddy 04-03-2009 05:03 PM

I will inspect mine for the last several months I've had squeaking when engaging clutch... didn't think much of it really. Thought I would just hit it with some WD40 before I read this thread. I'll definately be taking a closer look now. :uhh:

VampireSix 04-03-2009 05:46 PM

My clutch pedal had been squeaking off and on for a while, and finally after reading this thread I took it into the dealership, fearing the worst.

The tech crawled into the driver's footwell, looked around with a flash light, got up and walked away, came back with a can of some 'heavy' spray oil, spent more time in the footwell with a flashlight and the oil, then got up and told me 'all done'.

I asked what was wrong, and they told me something about a piece of the clutch pedal assembly was cracked (not the bracket, I don't think), causing a spring to be exposed, which in turn was rubbing away the grease that was supposed to be there (It's been a month or so since I had it looked at, so this is the best I could remember). Oh, and I may need a new assembly at some point ($200ish), but there was no reason to get it now. And the dealership didn't charge me a dime (way out of warranty, too).

I don't know how accurate this is, and I hate being a naysayer in a thread of experts and people obviously pissed off about their clutch pedals... but maybe a squeaky clutch pedal isn't a definite sign of a faulty bracket.

SilverEIGHT 04-03-2009 06:38 PM

I had a squeaky clutch for about 6 months or so before mine snapped. I don't recall the squeak being associated with the snap.

Speedy400 04-04-2009 05:43 AM

The squeaking and the cracking of the bracket could be related:
If it starts to squeak, it means there is increased friction and binding of the pin / hinge mechanism. This puts more stress on the bracket, making it flex more at the weak points. Because of the increased flexing, a few months goes by and the bracket fatigues and cracks.

So, lubricating the bracket hinge / pin and spring might be good preventive maintenance... before it starts squeaking.

kersh4w 04-04-2009 03:20 PM

my clutch assembly started squeaking occasionally. i installed my bracket.

it doesnt squeak anymore.

the squeak is related for the reasons speedy said.

if yours is squeaking, its time to do something immediately.

and this really should be your first mod.

shadycrew31 04-11-2009 10:39 AM

my pedal just snapped and the guy at the exhaust shop didn't line it up correctly when he welded it, I didn't tell him to either so guess ill own that mistake.

however the bracket is at funny angle now.. I drilled a little of the bracket out so all the bolts would line up but it wont engage the pressure sensor... I can most likely torque down the bolt on the heavily welded side but I don't want to strip anything!!!

so the question is taping the pressure sensor (the grey and black box) so that it is always engaged or attempt some more fabrication on it?

fannin522 04-11-2009 10:54 AM


Originally Posted by kersh4w (Post 2951859)
my clutch assembly started squeaking occasionally. i installed my bracket.

it doesnt squeak anymore.

the squeak is related for the reasons speedy said.

if yours is squeaking, its time to do something immediately.

and this really should be your first mod.

mine was squeeking like crazy and when i took it to mazda they noticed it there putting a new clutch pedal assembly. but that was least of problems lol i also geta new engine and new motor mounts

SilverEIGHT 04-11-2009 11:00 AM


Originally Posted by shadycrew31 (Post 2963143)
my pedal just snapped and the guy at the exhaust shop didn't line it up correctly when he welded it, I didn't tell him to either so guess ill own that mistake.

however the bracket is at funny angle now.. I drilled a little of the bracket out so all the bolts would line up but it wont engage the pressure sensor... I can most likely torque down the bolt on the heavily welded side but I don't want to strip anything!!!

so the question is taping the pressure sensor (the grey and black box) so that it is always engaged or attempt some more fabrication on it?



You can bend the metal piece that presses against the switch. One of the our guys just had to do that and it's working fine. Just take some vice grips to it. It needs to engage so the little notch on the gray neck of the button just disappears into the switch. Does that make sense?

shadycrew31 04-11-2009 11:13 AM


Originally Posted by SilverEIGHT (Post 2963159)
You can bend the metal piece that presses against the switch. One of the our guys just had to do that and it's working fine. Just take some vice grips to it. It needs to engage so the little notch on the gray neck of the button just disappears into the switch. Does that make sense?

Yes it does brilliant thanks man.

SilverEIGHT 04-11-2009 11:24 AM

shady... that is, the notch dissapears when the clutch pedal is depressed. :)

White_Shadows 04-11-2009 06:02 PM

Wait wait wait....so the squeeking is from what??? Someone pm me a picture or whatever...shiot I figured I just had to do some oiling....

syntheticdarkness 04-12-2009 09:53 PM

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=170387

More then likely it is around the spot welds, and where the springs are. I noticed on my assembly that where the spring goes through the bracket that it broke the clips and is starting to dig back through the bracket. This metal is not anywhere near what it should be and that is why the fluid bracket is needed.

White_Shadows 04-13-2009 07:53 PM

Interesting thanks for the link....Looks like I need a second job haha.

shadycrew31 04-13-2009 09:58 PM


Originally Posted by SilverEIGHT (Post 2963177)
shady... that is, the notch dissapears when the clutch pedal is depressed. :)

Yea i figured it out that wasn't sarcasm I was genuinely saying brilliant lol... P.S. worked like a charm everything is all good and well again.


Originally Posted by White_Shadows (Post 2963612)
Wait wait wait....so the squeeking is from what??? Someone pm me a picture or whatever...shiot I figured I just had to do some oiling....

its a $20 weld job simpleeee

SilverEIGHT 04-14-2009 05:09 AM

Cool! Glad it worked for ya!

Shijin-Kun 04-14-2009 05:50 PM

My clutch pedal squeaks and has been for about a month and half now. Recently i noticed that when im above 6.5k rpm and shift into 4th my gear scratches, and i have the clutch all the way down. Could this be a cause of the bad clutch asseembly?

syntheticdarkness 04-15-2009 07:23 AM

You can try the bracket and if that doesn't work then your only out of a few bucks. Next would be the clutch assembly and if that doesn't work, well, it's going to be the one you don't want to do. Doing the bracket helped a little, but I believe I need a new clutch since I witness some things with my car, to much to tell right now.

shadycrew31 04-15-2009 12:05 PM


Originally Posted by Shijin-Kun (Post 2968619)
My clutch pedal squeaks and has been for about a month and half now. Recently i noticed that when im above 6.5k rpm and shift into 4th my gear scratches, and i have the clutch all the way down. Could this be a cause of the bad clutch asseembly?

when you say scratches you do you mean terrible grinding sensation you hear and feel in your shifter? or is it just a noise you hear?

Shijin-Kun 04-15-2009 12:17 PM


Originally Posted by shadycrew31 (Post 2969920)
when you say scratches you do you mean terrible grinding sensation you hear and feel in your shifter? or is it just a noise you hear?

the terrible grinding sensation you hear and feel in the shifter.


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