kingkong

Ok, I have a 2001 and the clutch buzz seems to be getting worse. I have never done the TSB. I have a couple of questions if you could help me out. Should I get the TSB done, and if so, should I put in a lightweight flywheel since they have it opened up? Thanks, in advance.

WyattH

Isn't the cluch decel rattle/vibrate because of the clutch springs?
Would replacements like Toda, ACT, or Spoon clutch disks (not pressure plates or flywheels but just the puck piece) replace this rattle once and forall?

Race Miata

I picked up the parts yesterday and started my clutch job after dinner (can spend only a short few hours each weeknite so it'll take some time).

To be honest, the revised disc I got (055) doesn't look very promising. IMO, the hub springs look too weak for the car. The hub springs on the factory replacement discs for my '90 miata were beefier. Besides the spring stiffness, I think that the major problem with rattling is the disc design itself. I have used a good few different clutch discs in my miata and amongst them there are 2 different Mazda genuine discs (maybe from 2 different manufacturers). The one with 4 hub springs transmitted quite some tranny rattle over time. Same went for aftermarket ones. And then there's this genuine Mazda disc with 6 hub spring slots where 2 of them run rubber (or whatever material) "bumpstops". This disc absorbed almost all of tranny rattle.

I think that the problem with the S2000 disc (and the problematic disc in my miata that also gave the tranny rattle) is that the springs bottom out at heavy use especially clutch drops. Over time, the springs sag and lead to problems. However, the rattling noise does NOT come from loose springs themselves; otherwise, the rattling would've happened in neutral instead of coasting in gear around 3k rpm. Remember that the noise is originated from the tranny. The sprung clutch disc hub just tries to dampen it. When hub springs sag, they leave their designated spring seats and are held against the spring housing outerwalls by the centrifugal force at high rpm. This will reduce the disc's noise damping ability. Over time, they develop abnormal wear against outerwalls and perhaps spring seats, etc. In my extreme case with the miata disc, the spring seat part of the hub actually broke. All these could've been remedied by running 2 "rubber bumpstops" in parallel to prevent bottoming out the hub springs in the first place. I don't know why Honda doesn't try it.

Race Miata

A lightweight flywheel will lower noise-damping ability and you'll probably get more of the tranny rattling noise in the end. This is one reason why S2000 suffers more tranny noise than miata, stock vs stock (miata fw = 18lb, S2k fw = 14lb).

Race Miata

BTW, anybody has pictures of an old factory clutch disc swapped out because of the decel rattling noise? I know I'll see mine probably tonite or saturday but it would be nice if I could compare it to mine.

thanks,

xviper

Almost any online parts ordering site will show you a picture of an OEM clutch disc. Not sure why you need someone to take a picture of theirs.

Here's one from Hardtopguy:
http://hardtopguy.com/store/customer/produ...2&cat=56&page=2

Race Miata

[QUOTE=xviper,Aug 25 2005, 01:30 PM] Not sure why you need someone to take a picture of theirs.

xviper

Sorry, thanks for the clarification. In this link, you will see an original clutch disc. It has 4 springs instead of the updated 6.
http://reverendsgarage.net/index.php?conte...000_clutch.html

Race Miata

Thanks for the link, xviper. After seeing the pics I'm kind of worried. The new clutch disc I got (055) seems to have skinnier hub springs than either of Reverend's. And Reverend's old one seems to have beefier hub springs compare to the one he's putting in. Also, mine is single-spring design, not the dual-spring discs Reverend shows. Do I really have the 055 disc (the label says so)?

S2KPDQ

FINALLY - I've found someone else who is perhaps experiencing the same issue that I am!

I believe I have this same wierd buzzy vibration that David1 seems to have - any explanation from someone more knowledgable would be greatly appreciated.

If it makes it easier to diagnose, my 'buzz' is also intermitent - sometimes the car is dead smooth (as you would expect), at other times there is a strange harshness that can be felt through the all the pedals but most noticeably the clutch and the footrest (I also get the problem of tingly feet on longer runs).

I've had the car to a dealer here in the UK and everything is normal

The perfect description of the problem is as above in a previous post: if you had never driven an S2000 before and drove mine when it is suffering this issue you would think it was really quite unrefined mechanically.

Nobody on the UK forum seems to know anything about this problem or can diagnose it - so any help appreciated

Car is a MY01, with the updated clutch having only covered 28,000miles...this is NOT the same issue as the clutch buzz on the over-run with the older spec' clutch (I've had that too so know this catagorically).

Thanks in advance...

Andy