Staging Lane issues
 

I decided to post my problem here instead of the S197 Tech forums because I know 100% of you guys go to the track...

I was At the track today and I had this annoying problem, when I rolled up to the staging lane, the car wouldn't stay put unless I pressed on the brake pedal, which caused me to foul out a LOT of times.

It just rolls very very slowly, but enough to make me break the beam before the green light comes on, which was very annoying. This is the first time it has happened to me, did not happen the past 3 times i've been to the track (the same one).

You guys know what could be? My car has the manual tranny.

Maybe the clutch cable needs to be adjusted? The idea behind that is that the clutch is still catching the flywheel/motor, which would make the car roll forward? It's a weird idea, though.

Did any other cars have this issue at that track?

nope, only me, and only this time. the past times I didn't have this problem, and the clutch idea seems logical, but I can't think on a way the clutch cable needing adjustment, don't S197's have hydraulic clutches?

they are hydraulic, not adjustable.

maybe a bad slave or something.


give the clutch fluid a good changing and bleeding and see how it goes

It does sound like a clutch that's not completely disengaging. Any hydraulic leaks? Does the clutch feel different than normal? Any noise? Also, if you have someone to help you, have them press on the clutch and watch the balancer at the front of the engine and see if it moves excessively. Also, you can pry the balancer back and forth with a prybar and some light pressure....you can check crank end thrust that way(if you lose a thrust bearing some of the clutch release motion goes to moving the crank instead of disengaging the clutch, but let's hope that's not it). It could also be a warped flywheel, disc or pressure plate, or a bad pressure plate diaphragm.

And yeah, bleeding the clutch certainly can't hurt. The fluid gets hot and beat up after a while and the system loses a bit of pressure from it.

well I did install a line lock the past week, would you think the brake system/break fluid be the culprit?

Unless you had to tap into the clutch hydraulics, it shouldn't matter.

No. No power should be getting to your wheels while the clutch is depressed, although with my car on jackstands and the car in nuetral, I have seen the wheels move which I found strange, although I could stop it with my hands and on pavement wouldn't move ( I drive a honda though). If it's actually able to move your car, I would think that something isn't letting go fully. You probably need something fixed/adjusted. Weak diaphram maybe?

That's just from the minimal internal transmission friction. Mine does the same thing. It's just BARELY enough to overcome the mass of the wheels etc and the axle bearing friction.

clutch feels just as the day I bought it, I'll try bleeding tomorrow.

well I guess my car is getting enough power to MOVE the car on a dead stop...something is really wrong here.

yes, its the same fluid for both systems as I recall

I'll check fluid level then, it must have something to do with that.

How deep were you into the clutch? Sometimes when I'm at the line, because I like to keep the clutch disengaged right before the point of engagement, and I'm holding 4k or so rpm, it sometimes catches and rolls me foward very slowly. Its hard to keep the pedal right there with the heavy pedal pressure.

since I was so desperate of always fouling, I got to the point that I just floored the clutch, but it didn't work either.

But I used to do the same thing that you do, just keeping the clutch barely disengaged

Mine has always done this. It seems to vary depending on lane and where the groove in the track is that day. To cure this I put a line lock switch under my clutch pedal so when I stage the car, I slightly push on the brake, push the clutch all the way down and release the brake. Bring my revs up to where I need them and launch on the 3rd yellow. I wouldn't worry about it unless you are having shifting issues. If you are having shifting issues then the clutch isn't releasing all the way or you have a slightly warped flywheel.

Did it happen in both lanes? Just curious..I know at Cordova I can't just sit deep staged because the pavement is uneven and I will roll slowly forward (it stops once I hit the low spot though)...

Does your car continue creeping or is it 'rolling' a short bit?

First thought I had after reading this is that the track isn't perfectly level. Same thing happens at my track. I have to use the hand brake to hold the car, sucks.

track is level, there was 2 other s197 there and they didn't roll... I topped my break fluid, see if that helps, I'll be going to the track June 21st, the bad thing is we are expecting the temps to be in the upped 100's :(

That heat hurts, man. Hopefully, its a dry heat. If so, at least it won't be quite as bad as this +90% mess in NC. Still sucks though. I'm already ready for the fall.

i notice the same thing with my DSM from time to time. It seems like sometimes the clutch doesnt disengage all the way, but i expect problems from an 18 year old DSM..not a fairly new mustang. Ive been to a few tracks that have a sloped starting line, but usually not enough to make a huge difference unless someone is pissing around staging.

i notice the same thing with my DSM from time to time. It seems like sometimes the clutch doesnt disengage all the way, but i expect problems from an 18 year old DSM..not a fairly new mustang. Ive been to a few tracks that have a sloped starting line, but usually not enough to make a huge difference unless someone is pissing around staging.

this is pretty much the only reason i havent gone to the track yet, when i rev it up at a light to try to launch when it turns green, i always end up inching forward ! ??

When my clutch/throwout went the car would pull forward when in 1st just like you were saying, a 4k rev would move the car a foot forward, and idle would make it pull a few inches, even when the clutch was all the way to the floor. After a new clutch/throwout, no problems. -Jon