Changing flywheel and clutch

Hi first time poster I’m putting in the clutch master set from good win if anyone wants to know the process I’ve taped it from the basic start with basic tools no lift.

Yes, we definitely want to see the process.

Superb effort from you filming that! Well done and welcome to the forum

I just got my 2nd vax and am foggy, so maybe that is why - but I don't see where the video is? Just the big picture?

Also, how much does that transmission weigh? Curious how easy that is to do as a one-man job.
(from searching for the weight of the prev gen Miata and its transmission weight, as people seem to have talked about that and not it in the Fiat side - it would appear it is 80lbs without fluid)

Haven’t edited it yet, sorry work has been busy I should have it done on Sunday. It’s not too bad of a job the only hard parts are getting to the bellhouse bolts and while your lowering it down there are wires and slave cylinder lines on the top of the trans. I’ll see if I have a scale to weigh the tranny.

Can't be any more difficult than the 500 Abarth and the tight squeeze that makes it easier to just take out the whole engine & transmission together when doing the clutch!

Hoping my clutch lasts a long time in the 124. The way I drive? Who knows.

Miller said:

Haven’t edited it yet, sorry work has been busy I should have it done on Sunday. It’s not too bad of a job the only hard parts are getting to the bellhouse bolts and while your lowering it down there are wires and slave cylinder lines on the top of the trans. I’ll see if I have a scale to weigh the tranny.

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This is what I was wondering - I assume you got the top bell housing bolts with lots of extensions? When I did the clutch on my IS300 last year I used about 3.5ft of them.

Yeah you need to let the transmission sag a little then use all the extensions you have

@Miller Have you noticed any difference with the ClutchMasters kit versus stock? How many miles on the clock when you did the replacement?

Cheers,

John

@Miller Wow thank you for the video! Glad you are using a quality oil MT90 is the best gear oil you can get! I replaced all my fluids at twelve hundred miles and put amsoil everywhere except I put MT90 in the trans. Love the looks of the clutch flywheel kit hopefully won’t need this anytime soon but will definitely be ordering it to have if it works out for you. Keep us posted on your impressions of this kit!

I had 26 thousand on it, the clutch and flywheel were fine but the throw out bearing was bad. Pretty sure the Mazda bearings are made out of cheap metal. The clutch masters setup shifts smooth and grabs way harder. The only caveat is the noise at lower rpms sounds like Ducati. Also order all your bolts in advance the kit doesn’t come with any or the throw out bearing. Overall it’s worth it the revs come on so much faster with the flywheel, and I drive with the top down so the excessive noise doesn’t bother me. If you like the refined ride the fiat has don’t change it car sounds broken with the clutch.

Ah the Ducati dry clutch rattle!

Miller said:

Hi first time poster I’m putting in the clutch master set from good win if anyone wants to know the process I’ve taped it from the basic start with basic tools no lift.

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For first-time poster this is a good start. You immediately contribute to the community. Good job and welcome!

Miller said:

I had 26 thousand on it, the clutch and flywheel were fine but the throw out bearing was bad. Pretty sure the Mazda bearings are made out of cheap metal. The clutch masters setup shifts smooth and grabs way harder. The only caveat is the noise at lower rpms sounds like Ducati. Also order all your bolts in advance the kit doesn’t come with any or the throw out bearing. Overall it’s worth it the revs come on so much faster with the flywheel, and I drive with the top down so the excessive noise doesn’t bother me. If you like the refined ride the fiat has don’t change it car sounds broken with the clutch.

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I'm going to assume that the noise isn't the clutch all by itself but the combination of the clutch and the lightweight flywheel. I was thinking about getting the clutch just for the grab of it without the flywheel. What say you?

[QUOTE="The Chin, with the setup you have I would recommend the whole package (the multi piece flywheel is machinery art) but yeah that’s also an option probably should call up Goodwin or Clutch masters for expert advice.

Miller said:

[QUOTE="The Chin, with the setup you have I would recommend the whole package (the multi piece flywheel is machinery art) but yeah that’s also an option probably should call up Goodwin or Clutch masters for expert advice.

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Absolutely agree - very beautiful flywheel.
Put the same set up in my 2018 Abarth at the end of May - original gave up at just over 10k. Apparently not unusual from what I've read hear. Didn't want the same POS stock that came out so....
Aluminum flywheel, clutch & pp. Flywheel bolts from local Chrysler dealer. Torqued per spec in the TechAuthority manual from Mopar (way too expensive and a POS, the ford ones are better).

Piece of cake job - did it in the driveway in two days. Loved the results. Same Ducati noise.

Lasted < 200 miles in the rig and the car let me down on the side of the road.

According to the tech - clutch to flywheel bolts sheared off, causing engine to over rev! I saw them - yep, sheared right off.
Trashed the motor. I'll post some pics when I get the pieces back.
Their bolts, torqued to their specs. Totaled the flywheel holes.
Tech believes valves are bent. Admits no way this should have happened. Everything was good to go. Why did the engine overrev?

I maintain bolts were defective, if you believe a rapid disconnect from the tranny caused this, which I don't.

It could also be the engine management system glitched and allowed the turbo to overspeed the motor (has anyone ever heard of this?).
It never should have happened. If the CPU or programming was bad and could not handle lighter flywheel - it still has a rev limiter on it! No way the engine could over rev and do what it did if CPU was functioning properly. Didn't see an overboost or see the high rev. If I recall yes, high speed shift into 5th, not anything unusual, though I was busy being confused by no engine at the time. Was a high speed up shift, NBD.

Don't know. All I know is dealer took one look and said, nope, not under warrantee 'cause you have an aftermarket clutch and flywheel. And BTW, a new 1.4 longblock is unobtanioum in the US and the job would cost in excess of $10k. So, if you go this route, realize your screwed on your warranty and on your own from there on out.

$1000 of clutch an flywheel toasted - $3000 for a takeout engine and tranny on the way plus $1000 for the mechanic to remove my tranny and oil pan (he says he was looking for not oil pressure) and lay all my parts in a cardboard box.

I'll probably rebuild and hop up the original eventually and swap it back back in. Pretty sure the multifuel block is shot, and the head. Might have a decent short block. Have to get the car back on the road as I'm getting ready to move to another state. Onward and upward. I could whine about, but what good.

Picks of the process are in the album - really is a piece of cake. I've done more clutches than I have fingers. BTW, I've you have a REAL long set of 3/8 extensions you don't need to droop the tranny.

Clutch Album

Enjoy my challenging experience.

Wow, that’s a lot to unpack! Went through your pictures BY THORS HAMMER how did you destroy the stock setup (which is soft but high quality LUK) 5k clutch drops and speed shifting through corners? What did you torque the bolts to?