Oil Change w/ Napa filter and clutch damper delete line

blodi

blodi

Legendary Member
Joined
6 June 2005
Messages
2,301
Location
Farmington Hills, MI
Did an oil change and installed the SOS clutch damper delete line the other day.
After a previous post inquiring what oil filters everyone was using, I decided to try the NAPA filter some have said is identical to the OEM tall filter. So I picked one up $5.70 and thought I would post some pics of it.
As you can see its identical other than the markings on it. Others have cut them open to inspect them if you search...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3423830453/" title="DSC01728 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3352/3423830453_dc5f452995.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01728" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3424642006/" title="DSC01730 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3404/3424642006_4135b7669b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01730" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3423836125/" title="DSC01733 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3597/3423836125_ecc066d6d1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01733" /></a>
Then it was on to the clutch damper delete line. I thought I would give this a try since every once in a while if I am driving the car hard my clutch doesn't grab as crisply as I would like. OEM clutch 42K on it now, could be the clutch is worn, but for $65 I thought this was worth a shot. Since I have never seen photos of it, I thought I would post some.
Before....the clutch damper is the round puck looking thing. Its surprisingly heavy for its little size...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3424640058/" title="DSC01729 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3323/3424640058_ba7812067e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01729" /></a>
After...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3423838491/" title="DSC01734 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/3423838491_08687f94f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01734" /></a>

I haven't had much of a chance to drive it much or hard since this since we had snow the last couple days here in MI. But so far it does seem the clutch has a little more predictable feel to it, seems to catch faster on downshifting, but I'll update as I get more of a chance to try it out.
 
Thanks for the write-up Ryan, I'm looking forward to more feedback on the clutch damper delete line once you've got some miles on it.

Brian
 
KooLaid said:
Where did you find info on this clutch damper? What exactly does it do?
Click to expand...

The actual location is on the fire wall behind the drivers seat. The big black tube you see in the pics is the fuel tank fill tube. Its a little tight to get to but not too bad.
From what I have read the Type R came with no clutch damper. Also I know there are similar mods out there for S2K's and manual Bimmers.
Hopefully I'll get some more (spirited) miles on it this weekend and be able to give better feedback on it.
 
Blodi, can you look at that NAPA filter and see if it says "Toyo Roki" on it anywhere? If it does, then it is a exact duplicate if the 15400-PL2-004 OEM filter. Thanks---
 
stevieray122854 said:
Blodi, can you look at that NAPA filter and see if it says "Toyo Roki" on it anywhere? If it does, then it is a exact duplicate if the 15400-PL2-004 OEM filter. Thanks---
Click to expand...

It does not. There is more info on the filter here...
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109700
Interestingly the one in that post has different markings than the one I got. same part number though. The box mine was in was pretty dusty though, so mine might be an older version...not sure.
 
blodi said:
Also I know there are similar mods out there for S2K's and manual Bimmers.
Click to expand...
Yes, the S2000 got one in the US around 2003 or so.
I believe it was to reduce the warranty claims on blown diffs from people doing high rpm clutch drops, so it shifted more of the abuse to the friction disc which wasn't a warranty item.
Our early S2000 doesn't have it, but folks have been known to remove them from the later cars.

Brian
(looks like some decent driving weather coming up ;^)
 
Well I got a chance today to put 40-50 more spirited miles on it. I can say fairly confidently that the damper delete indeed makes a nice change in the response of the clutch. I shifted it as fast as I could and it grabbed very assured every time. Sometimes it would grab faster than I was expecting; before I was even back on throttle. Nice cheap easy upgrade I would say.
I have a video of a good example of it slipping/lagging before here:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NQd-MAvZ8Mo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NQd-MAvZ8Mo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Now, it wouldn't do that all the time...just if I was really driving the car hard for a while.
 
This is interesting to me.... Should I do this on my daily driver?

Also, I can't find the damper delete kit on SoS's site..... anyone have a link? And how much is it?
 
okay, was that the 'after' video? or 'before'? Because I still heard it slip.
1st to 2nd, there is a noticable drop off in RPMs.
 
enkrypt3d said:
This is interesting to me.... Should I do this on my daily driver?
Click to expand...

It doesn't effect the stiffness or driveablitly of the clutch, just lets the clutch react faster on faster shifts. It would seem find on a daily to me.

nikey22 said:
okay, was that the 'after' video? or 'before'? Because I still heard it slip.
1st to 2nd, there is a noticable drop off in RPMs.
Click to expand...

Like I said in the post, that was before, and that was only if I really had been working the car that it would get to that point, but driving it yesterday, I could not replicate that.
 
blodi said:
It doesn't effect the stiffness or driveablitly of the clutch, just lets the clutch react faster on faster shifts. It would seem find on a daily to me.



Like I said in the post, that was before, and that was only if I really had been working the car that it would get to that point, but driving it yesterday, I could not replicate that.
Click to expand...

Ok so my car does not do what you show in the video... but it does show some grinding when I shift too quickly at full throttle between 1st & 2nd gears... but its rare.... would this damper delete help this issue? I doubt it as it seems like a slow syncro thing rather than a clutch thing right... :smile:
 
enkrypt3d said:
Ok so my car does not do what you show in the video... but it does show some grinding when I shift too quickly at full throttle between 1st & 2nd gears... but its rare.... would this damper delete help this issue? I doubt it as it seems like a slow syncro thing rather than a clutch thing right... :smile:
Click to expand...

I think you're right, that sounds more like a syncro issue....
 
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NQd-MAvZ8Mo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NQd-MAvZ8Mo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

That sounds like you are going to need a new clutch soon. (It is slipping) I don’t think changing the dampener will help any with that. Have you over heated your cutch to the point that it doesn’t grab? Even when I replaced my clutch at about 60k it did not slip like that.
 
DRIFTER said:
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NQd-MAvZ8Mo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NQd-MAvZ8Mo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

That sounds like you are going to need a new clutch soon. (It is slipping) I don’t think changing the dampener will help any with that. Have you over heated your cutch to the point that it doesn’t grab? Even when I replaced my clutch at about 60k it did not slip like that.
Click to expand...

That was two years ago and its fine now. It was plenty grabby the other day, no sign of slipping at all.
 
when you removed the damper did you leak fluids? did you have to bleed the system?
 
davidf said:
Whats your exhaust? Sounds great inside the cabin.:wink:
Click to expand...

Just a custom Flowmaster setup....
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blodi said:
Then it was on to the clutch damper delete line. I thought I would give this a try since every once in a while if I am driving the car hard my clutch doesn't grab as crisply as I would like. OEM clutch 42K on it now, could be the clutch is worn, but for $65 I thought this was worth a shot. Since I have never seen photos of it, I thought I would post some.
Before....the clutch damper is the round puck looking thing. Its surprisingly heavy for its little size...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3424640058/" title="DSC01729 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3323/3424640058_ba7812067e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01729" /></a>
After...
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51678948@N00/3423838491/" title="DSC01734 by blodi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/3423838491_08687f94f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="DSC01734" /></a>

I haven't had much of a chance to drive it much or hard since this since we had snow the last couple days here in MI. But so far it does seem the clutch has a little more predictable feel to it, seems to catch faster on downshifting, but I'll update as I get more of a chance to try it out.
Click to expand...

Thanks to blodi's and ffffanman's info, (http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107954) I just did this on my daily-driven '92 with an OEM clutch. It's been almost four years since the clutch master and slave cylinders were replaced, so the fluid needed flushing anyways.

I tackled this from the top of the car - just removed the airbox to get to it easily. As blodi said, it's on the firewall behind the driver. Using 10 and 12mm line wrenches, I loosened the fittings, and then I loosened the mounting bracket bolts. I jacked the drivers side up a few inches to slip a drain pan under this area to catch the brake fluid when I disconnected everything and rebled.

Dali sells this delete line for $25 here:
http://www.daliracing.com/v666-5/catalog/index_browse_part.cfm?focus=2480

I bent the hard clutch line by hand (carefully!) and then routed my dampener delete hose. This is looking down from the top:
137.JPG



After reconnecting everything, my wife was good enough to help me rebleed the system :smile: It took awhile to remove the air, but once you reprime the master cylinder and are pumping fluid make sure you keep the tiny clutch reservoir filled. After five strokes you'll need to refill it. I use what I also put in the brakes - Valvoline synthetic DOT 3/4. The system is self-bleeding, so after a bulk flush and getting all of the air out with my wife helping, I then pumped the clutch pedal another 100 or so times to make sure all the air was out.

The clutch is a lot lighter now and will take some time to get used to. With an OEM light clutch, I'm not sure I like how light it is. I can see why the engineers put it there to begin with. After removing it, I can also see why those folks with aftermarket higher clamping-force clutches delete this dampener. It does make a difference in feedback. I can't tell any difference in modulation, predictability, etc. Deleting this just reduces the hydraulic restriction in the clutch line to make your shifts easier and quicker. My $0.02.

Dave
 
Last edited:
Cool, glad my post was some help to you. I can't confirm that my clutch felt any lighter since it had been all winter since I had driven the car. I seem to have a habit of doing my mods in the spring before I put the car back on the ground and then I don't have a good back to back comparison.
I do know that the clutch, as you said, seems to communicate better though.
I think its a great cheap mod. If nothing else...it saves weight!
And FWIW, my clutch still hasn't slipped at all like the video above since doing it.
 
Last edited:

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