sometimes you just have to say i screwed up
 

so when i first bought my miata about a year and a half ago. I also got hot for some parts. i bought drilled slotted rotors all new pads some wheels. so far so good. i also bought a piece of shit F1 racing clutch. I was bored this weekend so i put the it in. It took about 10 hours( First time with a miata).
and the clutch will not disengage. I heard the bad about theese on and off for the last year and half. but i decieded to pop it in anyways. Now unless there is a solution to this, i think i need to get a new clutch anyways. So i admit it i bought an ebay clutch with out doing a search about it. Then after hearing horror stories i installed it anyways.

I had the same problem when I installed mine. I thought I'd screwed something up and took it all back apart again to re-check only to find all was well. Eventually, I was able to adjust it out with the clutch pedal and have normal engagement.

Aside from that fiasco, I've been satisfied with the clutch.

Lesson learned I suppose?

User error. I have their 'stage 3' clutch in my car, and while I have no expectations for it to hold out forever, if you install it properly it will work just fine. Look at your invoice, notice anything? Its all rebranded exedy parts. Adjust your clutch pedal free play, re-bleed your hydraulics and then get back to us.

I second adjusting the clutch pedal. Mine had to be adjusted a lot before I could get it into and out of gear. Although I'm still suffering from a crappy bleed job as well, which I need to fix at some point.

i did all that i even shimmed out the slave rod the pedal feels perfect. but it wont disengage.

Im running the stage "3" 6 puck clutch and light flywheel from Gripforce, who makes all the XTD and F1 products.

It has never given me a problem and has been to 5 auto crosses, 1 NASA track event, and Double driven for 6 runs at a PCA.

Its been great for me, not a single problem, not even on the install.

ive used 2 of those clutches so far and never had a problem.

the PPs are hit and miss, they are all made by Clutchnet. You can see my posts about them and how I feel about them.

I was actually hoping you had some insight on this. do you think i could get away with going back to my old pressure plate? or just getting a new one?

Are you N/A? If so.. your stock PP will be just fine. It may not have as much "clamping force" but you will have a new friction disk in there so it should be just fine.

I would suggest getting some emery paper and roughing up the PP face though..

what PP do you have now? Newbsauce eventually did that, keep his ACT XT PP and fit it over the new pucked clutchnet disc and just got a refund for the PP.

I also kept the pucked cluchnet disc and bought an ACT HD PP.

Mine is fine.

Clutch>you

does act or clutchmasters sell just there pressure plates? if so i would do that in a heart beat. the 6 puck disk is almost identical to a centerforce unit, so i don't really mind keeping that. i'm still pissed about it don't get me wrong. i'm still NA right now. But even when i do boost it i'm only looking to make about 200-220rwhp.

ACT sells everything separately. Discs, pressure plates, etc. They will also repuck your disc cheap once you wear it out. I am a big fan of ACT clutches, had one in my car for over 30,000 miles with absolutely no issues. Only reason I took it out was to upgrade to the 949 twin-disc.

This.

I'm on my second ACT, both were used, cheap, and have functioned flawlessly.

Will buy new one day once I am about put in a motor I never plan to take out again.

Good to know I am not the only one. I get a sprung hub 6 puck from them for my DSM. It would not slide onto my input shaft. Counted splines and checked part numbers, everythign correct. Tried my old disk and a few others, no problems with them. Massaged it a teeny bit with a dremel along the edges of the splines, and it slid on wonderfully. Pretty shoddy QC even if it was a well built unit.

Seconded. I have installed a bunch of ACTs and used two and never had issues with them. This includes the supposedly hard-core 2600Lb pressure plate which was incredibly close to my old Explorer for effort and feel which is actually a very good thing.

As brain said the PP a clutchnet and I have had good luck with the one in my Turbo car so I just put a F1 stage 3 in my DD this weekend. Well see.

I think all clutch stuff is a gamble, does not seem to be any body that makes a foolproof setup. I had a ACT 4 puck in my LeMons car and the disk was falling apart after a weekend. I mean chipping parts off the pucks and thats a 1.8 clutch setup with 90 rwhp and a stock PP so who knows.

Cross your fingers.

I had the same problem before on another car. What I did was put washers behind the clutch pedal assembly that goes onto the firewall. I think I put about 3-4 washers and then messed around with the master cylinder and it worked perfectly after that. Although it may be a whole different problem with yours, my clutch didn't disengage and that's what I did to fix it.