Lude is getting a makeover...kinda - Honda Prelude Forum

DOHCVTEC190 · 07-12-2006, 09:26 PM

Just sort of ranting. This past Sunday my car became hard to shift and eventually was practically undrivable. While driving, it was just sort of stiff going from 1st to 2nd and so on. Then, I arrived at the house and could not get the car to go into first. I played with it a little bit trying to find out what might have been wrong. I could get it to go into 1st from time to time, but it would making a metallic scraping noise and the drivetrain would jerk and jolt. This is with the car in 1st and my foot still on the clutch. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but my guess is either a spring popped out of the clutch disk or my throwout bearing is trashed.

I have an Exedy Organic Race Clutch and ACT Streetlite Flywheel. I did a few searches on hear and apparently the Exedy clutches are notorious for having springs break out of the clutch disk. I think I read one guy had two Exedy's fail on him in this manner and bought a third Exedy.

So, I ordered some new parts.

-Competition Clutch Stage 3 Carbon Kevlar Disk Clutch
-Fidanza Flywheel
-New OEM flywheel and pressure plate bolts, clutch fork and spring

Anyone have any more insight on Competition Clutch as a brand? I've read the company was started by the same person who started Clutchmasters. And one of the major road racer members on here used Competition, so I'm hoping they're reputable.

Also, finally found a real OEM USDM EL VTEC gauge cluster to put in the car in place of my JDM faces. And putting my GReddy SP2 back on along with a Carsound 2.5" Cat in place of my stock catback and eBay test pipe in hopes that it sounds better (not as loud).

Just a random update on my lude.

lude4lifeh22 · 07-12-2006, 09:46 PM

Ya, sounds like the same issues I had when the spring popped out on my OEM Exedy clutch. I could drive it for a couple weeks, until the spring just got completely jammed.

Not sure on the new clutch you bought. I bought a Centerforce II to replace mine. I have been very happy with it and my Mechanic says they have been making clutches for quite sometime.

Xander · 07-12-2006, 11:09 PM

Competition is a good company

pr1mo_13 · 07-13-2006, 07:57 AM

looking to get rid of the streetlite flywheel now that you have a new one?

blacklude4k · 07-13-2006, 08:31 AM

If you didnt get the silver inverter box with those gauges i have one lying around...

preludatic · 07-13-2006, 11:20 AM

i have an exedy OEM clutch also, i sometimes grind into 5th gear.. could i have the same problem? Clutch has only been installed for about 2 yrs

chester · 07-13-2006, 01:55 PM

Go Tony! About time you started giving your Prelude some more lovin!

I'm also doing about the same mods he is. I've got a Findanza flywheel on the way, still researching my clutch, just installed my exhaust, and also got an OEM VTEC cluster (with inverter box, dash harness, tweeter covers, fuel/temp gauges, dimmer box, cruise/sunroof/dimmer switches) for $65 shipped!! FTW!

Tony still pwns me with his VTEC, though!

LUDE'Z · 07-13-2006, 04:17 PM

I have the same setup as well (Exedy stage 1 with ACT streetlite flywheel) and am worried about this spring issue.

Do the exedy come with any type of warranty on these type of things?

DOHCVTEC190 · 07-13-2006, 04:25 PM

pr1mo_13, yes I would be looking to get rid of the flywheel. However, I need to check it out and make sure it's okay first. I'm not sure if the broken clutch has ruined the flywheel also. I'll let you know and will let it go for cheap too.

blacklude4k, thanks for the offer but I do have the inverter box already. I actually have EL gauges in right now, but they are the JDM faces/needles. I'm going to be commuting a lot this next school year, so I need to know how fast I'm really going instead of guessing with the JDM gauges.

preludatic, I think that would be more of just a synchro problem.

LUDE'Z, I don't think there's any type of warranty against the spring issue.

I can't wait for the install. I've got a lot of brand new stuff to slap in the car!

crdcz03 · 07-14-2006, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DOHCVTEC190

Just sort of ranting. This past Sunday my car became hard to shift and eventually was practically undrivable. While driving, it was just sort of stiff going from 1st to 2nd and so on. Then, I arrived at the house and could not get the car to go into first. I played with it a little bit trying to find out what might have been wrong. I could get it to go into 1st from time to time, but it would making a metallic scraping noise and the drivetrain would jerk and jolt. This is with the car in 1st and my foot still on the clutch. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but my guess is either a spring popped out of the clutch disk or my throwout bearing is trashed.

I have an Exedy Organic Race Clutch and ACT Streetlite Flywheel. I did a few searches on hear and apparently the Exedy clutches are notorious for having springs break out of the clutch disk. I think I read one guy had two Exedy's fail on him in this manner and bought a third Exedy.

So, I ordered some new parts.

-Competition Clutch Stage 3 Carbon Kevlar Disk Clutch
-Fidanza Flywheel
-New OEM flywheel and pressure plate bolts, clutch fork and spring

Anyone have any more insight on Competition Clutch as a brand? I've read the company was started by the same person who started Clutchmasters. And one of the major road racer members on here used Competition, so I'm hoping they're reputable.

Also, finally found a real OEM USDM EL VTEC gauge cluster to put in the car in place of my JDM faces. And putting my GReddy SP2 back on along with a Carsound 2.5" Cat in place of my stock catback and eBay test pipe in hopes that it sounds better (not as loud).

Just a random update on my lude.

glad to hear my twin is getting new parts

DOHCVTEC190 · 07-21-2006, 10:54 PM

Got some of the parts in:

Got the Competition Clutch Stage 4 because I was pressed for time. Competition ran out of materials or something to make the Stage 3 (Carbon Kevlar). Stage 4 was cheaper anyway. Read that a lot of people say pedal feel is almost like stock after break-in but grabs a lot harder. We'll see about that.

Also, was planning to install my Carsound cat from kteller but one of the flanges doesn't match up. The flange that connects to the exhaust is equal on all sides. The flange that connects to the header needs to have 1 short side and 2 long sides. Cat came with 2 flanges of all equal sides. I'll have to have an exhaust shop redo the one flange. Hoping to replace my test pipe with this cat to quiet down the exhaust some.

Just waiting on my Fidanza flywheel now. I have everything else ready for the clutch job. Ordered it from a H-T sponsor on the 9th and they ran out of stock and won't have any til Tuesday. Sucks because I'm doing my clutch job the 29th-30th weekend. They said they'll work with me getting it to me on time (i.e. overnighting it and covering shipping cost).

I can't wait to get this install going. Just to have a new clutch and be driving the lude again. Haven't driven it in like 1.5 weeks. Also, really curious as to what happened to my Exedy.

lude4lifeh22 · 07-21-2006, 11:47 PM

Damn, Stage 4? Thats like a turbo set up. You use it for daily driving?

DOHCVTEC190 · 07-22-2006, 12:28 AM

It's supposed to be good for 250-450WHP. Large range, but yeah. I put down ~240WHP on the spray so it'll be okay. I did some reading on H-T. All the B-series guys say it feels like stock. So did the guy that sold me the clutch and this tech (girl) that I emailed at Competition Clutch. Not sure if it's the same for the H series people, but hoping so. They describe the clutch pedal stiffness as being similiar to stock, but it just grabbing a lot harder/quicker. I understood it as it doesn't like to be slipped as much like a stock clutch can be. But we'll see next weekend. I'll let you guys know how I like the Stage 4 paired with the Fidanza. I have a feeling I'll have to learn how to drive my car all over again.

I did want the Stage 3 at first though. Comp. Clutch just didn't have any in stock and I'm pressed for time. (Bout to move away for school need my car ASAP).