PreludeRob

Ok, my friend who owns a 97 prelude came over yesterday because he just bought the Tanabe G-power exhaust and he wanted to show it to me. I own a 98 prelude. Both our preludes are 5speeds. We were sitting in each others car, when he noticed something. He said that my clutch was very stiff. So I get into his car and notice that his clutch pedal is ALOT more softer than mine. I don't know how that can be. I bought my car used last May and there were some aftermarket parts in their already. But I'm pretty sure there isn't an aftermarket clutch installed because my car still grabs like a stock clutch. The other thing is we have another friend with a 99 Prelude whose clutch is also soft. My car seems to be the only one with the stiff clutch. I don't understand.

Is there something wrong with my clutch? If I change the clutch fluid, might that help? thanks.

__________________
98 Diamond White 5sp Lude
OEM kit w/ Spoiler, RS Akimoto Intake, DC Sports Ceramic Header, Aem pullies, Oem red stitch Knob, NR White Face Guages, painted bezels

Also some custom Dings & Dongs over various parts of the body, and one worn clutch

98SHDiamond

Excellent question..I wondered that myself for quite awhile. Is yours a SH?

I compared my 98SH to 97 regular and found SH to have a very slightly firmer clutch. One would never noticed it at all unless really test the clutch engagement for several minutes to get the feel.

Unless because the 97 has 50K miles on it and mine has 28K on SH. Perhaps when it wears out it does turn spongy...Plus the clutch fluid was never replaced in either cars.

averettsm

Mine has that stiff clutch too, 97 sh stock clutch. the werid thing is, it comes and goes. ill get in one day it will feel normal and slightly soft, another day (like today) i get in and its stiffer n' hell. WTF?? 147k mi

clausbelly

It could be the clutch cable is getting bound up, and is getting ready to break. Try replacing the clutch cable with one from a auto salvage yard first.This was a popular fix for clutch drag on some wr250f's a few years back.

__________________
2gb sd cards

preludetypes200

There arent clutch cables...Hydraulic..... I'd say there is probably an issue with the pressure plate or the release fork.

averettsm

I dont know what it could be, it works fine so im not gonna mess with it unless i have to, but almost everything has been replaced in the last 2 months, slave and master cylinder, and the clutch itself, all by the dealership. It might end up being one of these mysteries Ill never solve.

averettsm

just to update, dropped the lude off at ed voyles honda, mostly to get the struts replaced. however i did tell them about the stiff clutch problem. hopefully theyll be able to figure it out. ill let you guys know.

thegamettt

i always thought the prelude clutch was rather stiff myself. It also had to travel quite a long distance to engage.

__________________

AP2 / Legacy GT Wagon
I don't visit forums much, but when I do, it's preludeonline.com. Stay thirsty my friends.

averettsm

Im starting to think that the clutch pedal only gets stiff like that in certain conditions. oddly enough, it seems to happen when i turn on the ac. after i run if w/ out ac for a while it goes back to a normal amount of tension, very strange. and ideas?????

bouckarooo

i dunno, i though the stock clutch was kinda mushy so i replaced it.