what is a clutch slip? is rear motor mount be the cause?

[meGrimlock]

looking for the symptoms of a clutch slip. i'm not sure exactly what it means from descriptions i've found on teh intarwebs. here's what happened this morning:

1. lift my foot off the clutch
2. car is in gear
3. accelerate
4. watch RPMS climb but car does not accelerate for a few seconds.

it engine felt like my foot was still on the clutch pedal, but it was fully lifted off.

i noticed this happened around 2nd through 4th gears. traffic was slow today so I did not bring it past 45mph or in 5th gear often. by the time i arrived at work the "slipping" did not occur.

there is a possible bad rear motor mount. i PMed someone about a single "clunk" sound when i brake or accelerate from a standstill. they said a single "clunk" is usually a bad rear motor mount. could that cause the clutch slipping symptoms? thanks in advance.

[meGrimlock]

update from the ride home:

• clutch engagement point feels sloppy in the pedal. not very sure where it engages
• 4th gear seems to hold the rev at 4000RPM before as i try to accelerate. doesn't want to go above 4000RPM
• looked closer at my rear engine mount, the rubber is torn around the thru bolt and looks like its about to come off

does this mean a new clutch is needed, thanks for any insights?

[dxrodshop]

time for a clutch. if you want to make shure. Put it n 1st let off clutch, ease the rpms up to about 4 grand and shift to 2nd, hammer down on the gas in 2nd gear. wait for the smell of ****. if you smell ****, replace clutch.... rear mount? could be bad your gona find out when removing the trans.

[meGrimlock]

talked to a friend who knows a friend

as a side job, he'll work on the car at $60/hour for est. 6 hours of labor. then parts which i've priced at about $150 for an OEM clutch kit, 3qts of trans fluid, $30.

he also recommended new flywheel, which i've found for $230. he warranties his work and he said if the job wasnt done right he doesn't want to deal with removing the flywheel again.

so total parts and labor we're looking at rougly $770. does that sound about right for a clutch job? thanks all

[nerd racing]

wow... I'm glad I do all my own car work... that adds up fast.

[DuRWooD]

Don't get a new flywheel unless yours was warped - you'd have noticed the engagement get chattery especially in stop and go traffic. Instead, get the flywheel machined. That should cost anywhere between $60 and $100. Everything else sounds about right.

[meGrimlock]

you know something...engagement has been very chattery ever since i got the car with 6000 miles on the clock. i used to hate reversing in cold mornings out of my parking spot cuz it felt like the engine would shake out from under my hood.

i asked the dealer about the 3rd gen. TSB on that very symptom and they said nothing was wrong. i've been dreading if it was actually the clutch or just my sloppy shifting.

[DuRWooD]

Yeah, sound like your flywheel is done, which probably led to the premature failure of your clutch. Are you getting a brand new flywheel, or a re-man?

[meGrimlock]

the online price i found was for a Mazda part, i assume its new. is a reman just a resurfaced flywheel?

[meGrimlock]

so i've been driving around as i've been waiting for parts to come in. the symptoms i described don't seem as prevalent. the clutch still has no engagement feel. could it be something else now, or is this to be expected with clutch problems?

btw, i was really interested in the mazdaspeed chromoly flywheel theMAN has raved about. the only vendor i could find who sells it lists it at over $260 and ships to me for another $25! if i had the cash i'd definitely get it but rockauto.com has a new replacement flywheel for the cost of resurfacing. looks like you have to pay to play and i can't pay

[nos92mx3]

Start by bleeding the clutch line / adjustment?
If you do the clutch, I would have a rear main seal, just incase...

[meGrimlock]

brought the car to a mechanic friend of a friend who works on cars on his off days. they took care of me: installed clutch kit (clutch cover, pressure plate, rel. bearing), flywheel, rear main seal, a new-used rear motor mount with RR-Racing polyurethane inserts.

he showed me the clutch pressure plate and it was down to the bare metal/rivets. there was no friction material at all. the motor mount with inserts is stiff as hell, i feel and hear everything in the cabin, but wheel hop is next to zero.

now my clutch pedal has very little resistance. the guy said it might be either master or slave clutch cylinders but i'm wondering if it just needs to be bled? i attempted to bleed it today with a friend, the clutch stuck to the floor, which freaked me out. i picked it up and pumped it a few more times and the pressure came back but decided that was enough "playing mechanic" for the day. is that normal for bleeding or a sign of a faulty/leaky cylinder? thanks