Thoughts on removing clutch damper?

[rallysam]

Hi all - long time no talk! Just back from London visiting my old car and doing a little work on it.

Those who've bypassed the clutch damper: Did you ever have any problems later? Any tranny problems due to the "less damped" clutch?

I read the searches, but it's been a while since there was much talk about it. I read that vrg3 did it and blew his tranny (although that could be unrelated). I know Legacy777 did it. No issues since?

Anyone else?

For background: I'm running an aftermarket ACT clutch which might be hard on the tranny, but the car doesn't get launched anymore (rarely driven at all!). Why I'm thinking about removing the damper: my clutch hydraulics have always had this problem where it leaks air into the system and needs to be bled occasionally - but I never found the leak. I already replaced the master cylinder and didn't help. That's why I'm thinking I might as well bypass the damper. I don' t know if the damper is the problem, but i figure - one less old part to leak, one less hose to leak.

Thanks!

[BAC5.2]

Yep, bypass it and call it a day. No other Subaru's have one.

[Legacy777]

Yeah I haven't had any issues. Go for it.

Actually newer WRX's have a damper (or delay) valve built into the slave cylinder. I was reading something about it on nabisco the other day.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthr ... ?t=1541924

[rallysam]

Hmmm... I just tried and seem to have a problem. The hose from the slave cylinder to the damper is too short to reach all the way to the master cylinder.

Any ideas?

Is this a pre-facelift issue? L777: Did you do this with post-facelift parts? I read somewhere that post-facelift has a soft hose all the way from the slave cylinder to the damper, whereas I have a hardline part of the way, then only a short length of hose between the hard line and the damper.

To make things more exciting, I also had a black bear sniffing around the trunk while I was under the hood. Minor heart attack!

[Legacy777]

I didn't use any of the stock hoses, I used a SS braided line with some AN to banjo fittings.

Info is on my swap write-up page, but here's the jist of it

Stainless Steel braided clutch line

Manufacture: Earls
Part Number: 63011714
Vendor Baker Precision
Cost $28.33


AN to banjo fittings (qty. 2)

Manufacture: Earls
Part Number: 997631
Vendor Baker Precision
Cost $11.74

Banjo bolts (qty. 2)

Manufacture: Earls
Part Number: 977517
Vendor Baker Precision
Cost $11

[rallysam]

Thanks for the info.

I think you have a post-facelift slave cylinder? I don't think my slave has a banjo fitting. It has a hard line leading to it, and I can't quite see the coupling, but I don't think it's banjo. I might have to cook up some variation on what you did. For now, looks like I'm just bleeding it and leaving it be.

-Sam

[Legacy777]

Yeah I believe I have a post-fast lift slave...

I think I recall looking at the parts book and seeing that the 91 MY had a hard line to it.

[rallysam]

After tons of bleeding, it's no better. Can't hardly shift. Oh well, I will order parts and replace them on my next visit in September.

[ciper]

The WRX got it in mid 03 because so many Americans who previously owned Civics didn't know how to drive and constantly killed first/second gear. If your 02 WRX went in for any warranty work after 2003 you were most likely retrofitted to it.

[BXSS]

I think they knew how to drive but gave the tranny more credit for strength than it deserves.
A few launches & power shifts & next thing you know you just made a 4spd!

[ciper]

I think they knew how to drive but gave the tranny more credit for strength than it deserves.
A few launches & power shifts & next thing you know you just made a 4spd!

Then why did the Subarus in other countries (with even more power and older transmissions) not have as many problems?

[AWD_addict]

Manuals are more common in other parts of the world, so in general they drive with more experience?

I read in evo magazine that the Legacy RS was known for having a weak transmission. So maybe this problem has always been there, we just don't hear about it as often.

[BAC5.2]

The problem HAS always been there. The basic gist of the Subaru 5-speed manual transmission has been the same since 1989. Few revisions, almost none of them for improved strength have come about over the years.

The "higher output" older cars all had shorter final drives, which does help preserve the transmission. The US was the first to get high output with a 3.90 final drive. It's the target demographic. American's like long gear ratios like the old V8 muscle cars had. Taller final drives and more power put more strain on the gearsets, and they pop like zits. The gear revision in 06 warranted a 3.70 final drive, and we've been seeing more and more 06/07's break recently.

Remember, the fastest stock 5-speed Subaru's in the world only do 11's. Our PPG cars are almost in the 9's now.

[BXSS]

As stated above the non-US 5spds are better @ handling power for whatever reason (Final Drives...) & even then the trannys are consider weak compared to other cars.