2013 GT500 Failed Clutch Thread

[93 347 Cobra]

One thing to consider is where people are resting their left foot between engagements. Due to a clutch release point up near the top of the travel it's critical not to lightly rest one's foot on the pedal. That effectively slips the clutch. I could do it on my '93 which engaged very close to the floor, my '03 was about mid-way in the travel so it would have no effect, my '14 is at the top few inches so I've had to be very conscious of that and modify my habits. If guys are coming from other sticks they may be unconsciously doing this.

 

[Bllit11]

Mine was fine after ford replaced it and was still going strong when i sold it with 10k on the odo

 

[SVTGROUPIE]

SORRY IF I'M DOUBLE POSTING... I don't know how to link to other post in the other thread but I think this is the correct place for this...

Hi everyone... I had a clutch explode on me as I have seen on another post on here just this last Saturday 10/30/13. Not just failed, but EXPLODED.

I am going to describe what happened and then post specs and what else I found about what caused the problem.

Freeway speeds, casual drive. Shifting from 2nd-to-3rd gear approx. 70mph+, likely higher RPM. Rattling parts like nuts & bolts in a washer started, clutch on floor, no power. Pulled off the side of the road then towed to Ford. Diagnosis: clutch "exploded", ripping holes all over the bell housing, and damaging flywheel as well as starter. After inspection there was no "good" explanation as to why this happened but dealer said they would have checked for "Over-Rev" code however tech's had already cleared the codes by disconnecting the battery <-- not that I was concerned about Over-Rev but interesting this happened?

Ok so after they agreed they will warranty everything I asked about a better clutch offered from Ford Racing, etc. Although no option was given at the time the dealer took a step above and the Accessory Manager called me to offer a much better Centerforce twin-disc clutch made for much more horsepower and I only have to pay the difference in cost between the Ford Clutch ($1200) and Centerforce Clutch ($1600). So for $400 I got a higher performance clutch without paying extra labor etc. Great job on the dealership part that I will never forget!

After trying to look up the Centerforce clutch for the 2014 Shelby I came across this video on Youtube that describes the exact issues I had been having on this clutch since DAY 1 that I told the service writer about before. I seemingly had a "stuck" clutch issue, etc but that it was really just overlooked since it didn't happen ALL the time and it was hard to replicate. Now after seeing this video this is EXACTLY what I was experiencing and explains the reason for the mismatched speed due to the clutch likely NOT DISENGAGING based on this CLUTCH ASSIST SPRING. <-- this is my guess

After seeing this video and reading the comment, I am absolutely convinced that the clutch is NOT the failure and that the CLUTCH ASSIST SPRING is the culprit (in my clutch-exploding experience). I wanted to share what had happened as I was afraid for them to put another stock clutch in and risking shrapnel through the floorboard (into my legs) or into the tires. The metal shards punctured the bell housing nearly a dozen times... imagine if it had gone through!

YOUTUBE LINK: 2013 Mustang Shelby GT500 high rpm sticking clutch fix - Clutch Assist Spring Removal tutorial - YouTube
PICS:

Thanks for looking... hope it helps someone!

Wow! Ford should start a recall for the symptoms you described b/f someone gets hurt. This really concerns me...I have not decided to purchase one yet. At least you were not injuried and now you have a better setup. Thanks for sharing your unfortunate experience.

 

[biminiLX]

I would not talk yourself out of one based on this thread. As I mentioned, my stock clutch has held big power at the strip, no complaints.
-J

 

[Chris!]

I would not talk yourself out of one based on this thread. As I mentioned, my stock clutch has held big power at the strip, no complaints.
-J

This. More of an exception and not a rule

 

[smoothblue]

Hate to say it but add me to the list 2,100 miles only
• Slipping, high rpm low speed for selected gear

 

[2011 gtcs]

Hate to say it but add me to the list 2,100 miles only
• Slipping, high rpm low speed for selected gear

Time to Upgrade to a Spec.

 

[smoothblue]

I have heard a lot of bad feedback on Spec.. Anyone here run the Mcleod or Ram?

 

[phil123]

I had a Spec super twin ss installed after going through two factory clutches with a stock motor. Choose Spec after some discussions with Van. He had some excellent reasons for going with Spec and I always have found him to be honest and knowledgeable. Have about 1500 miles on the clutch. Have had it on the road track but not the strip yet.

Clutch does not slip at all. Never had chatter. Flywheel is quite a bit lighter than stock and makes the car feel more responsive. Pedal effort is probably about same as original clutch maybe a little more, nothing extreme. My wife is petite and has no problems driving it. It is a little bit on or off gets better with time. The car is used as a daily driver and clutch works fine for that. You just have to pay a little more attention. It is noisy in neutral when engaged. Spec calls it clatter, not same as chatter. No regrets at all about going with Van and choosing Spec.

 

[smoothblue]

Pulled the trigger on the McLeod RXT.. Gets installed next week.