Glacier White 200 Cup

[Big Ben]

I have managed to find a non-genuine new wiper linkage on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124488847832. My wiper linkage is currently held to the car with cable ties as the furthest drivers side screw/mounting point has sheared off. Hopefully the linkage I have ordered will be just as good as a £185 Renault unit.

I have exchanged a few e-mails with Alex from AW Motorsports about a LSD. I was thinking about a Quaife but he said that a Blackline is just as good and is a carbon copy of a Quaife. I don't want to go for a Gripper as I still want to use the car on the road from time to time. In addition to the usual maintenance work of stripping, inspecting and rebuilding the gearbox together with new synchros for 3rd and 4th gear Alex has suggested replacing the clutch and slave cylinder.

I have no plans to modify the car with significant amounts of power going though the drive train with a supercharger (at least for the moment). I can see the logic in replacing the clutch and slave cylinder as I have no record of the clutch ever being replaced on the Clio and it might as well be done whilst the gearbox is out. But, and here is the question, would a diff put any additional stress on a standard clutch? If so would there be any point in getting an updated clutch that was not going to be a pain to use when driving the car in "normal" circumstances?

I’d say there’s no point in an uprated clutch. Even if you go supercharger they don’t have massive torque which is what destroys clutches. Standard will be fine

 

[burrellbloke]

I’d say there’s no point in an uprated clutch. Even if you go supercharger they don’t have massive torque which is what destroys clutches. Standard will be fine

Thanks Ben.

 

[suj]

Yes it will be pointless putting an uprated clutch in, but definitely put a new one in, as it's false economy if you don't and it fails a few miles down the road!

I understand the reason why you might not go for a gripper diff due to road use, but it's not like suddenly you will be thrown about etc, I know so many people who run grippers in their daily FWD and RWD cars with no problems (for many years, my mate's Civic Type R has had one for like 6 years and he dailies and tracks it).

ATB diffs are good due to lack of maintenance etc, but the gripper is a superior diff personally. Wavetrac are also a good middle house between ATB and clutched diff, so worth looking at them too.

 

[R20BTG]

Definitely worth doing the clutch at the same time ‘while you’re there’ - it will add £100 to the job but then you know it’s been done.

Two more things ‘while you’re there’, inspect the crankshaft seal and consider replacing, as well as the clutch damper delete mod.

Re: Gripper on the road, I don’t use mine much on the road but it’s fine in flowing driving. It would be slow speed parking/manouvering where I wince hearing the diff locking up.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[burrellbloke]

Yes it will be pointless putting an uprated clutch in, but definitely put a new one in, as it's false economy if you don't and it fails a few miles down the road!

I understand the reason why you might not go for a gripper diff due to road use, but it's not like suddenly you will be thrown about etc, I know so many people who run grippers in their daily FWD and RWD cars with no problems (for many years, my mate's Civic Type R has had one for like 6 years and he dailies and tracks it).

ATB diffs are good due to lack of maintenance etc, but the gripper is a superior diff personally. Wavetrac are also a good middle house between ATB and clutched diff, so worth looking at them too.

@suj whenever you post an idea I always think of the phrase, "Buy cheap, buy twice." On a cost basis the Blackline would be half the price of a Gripper or WaveTrac. How often does a Gripper need to be serviced?

 

[burrellbloke]

Two more things ‘while you’re there’, inspect the crankshaft seal and consider replacing, as well as the clutch damper delete mod.

What is the clutch damper delete mod?

 

[suj]

@suj whenever you post an idea I always think of the phrase, "Buy cheap, buy twice." On a cost basis the Blackline would be half the price of a Gripper or WaveTrac. How often does a Gripper need to be serviced?

You're not one to buy cheap i've seen your mods, it's more like we discussed to buy "for future", so Quaife / Blackline is fine especially for your current setup / power, but as these things happen, things can spiral and you might decide to SC it, if you do you'd then be like "I wish I went for gripper", as the drawbacks of the gripper outweigh the negatives for daily driving (as you'll be in the Megane more than the Clio I assume right?) As Iain said it clunks etc, but it's no more noise than squealy brakes etc lol.
I can't remember if there is a time or mileage service interval,a few boys on here run them so they should be able to give a better answer.

What is the clutch damper delete mod?

If it's like the E36s etc, they have a damper that delays the dumping of the clutch (shocking of the clutch system) but it actually means it drives kinda crappier with it on, especially track driving, you can buy a braided line that replaces it.

 

[R20BTG]

@suj beat me to it, from factory the hydraulic clutch line has a damper in it which smooths out the application and removal of the clutch pedal by slowing the action down. It was probably there to help all the 'Nicoles' (as in... Papa, Nicole) from kangarooing as they came on and off the clutch. In reality it slows the whole process down and by replacing it with a straight bit of braided hose (Supreme Motorsport sell them) it restores the direct clutch action

 

[Big Ben]

Just to add the gripper is available with different preloads as shown below I’d be tempted by setting ‘B’ as a compromise less clonking but still good performance talk to Alex he’s sorted someone recently

 

[suj]

@suj beat me to it, from factory the hydraulic clutch line has a damper in it which smooths out the application and removal of the clutch pedal by slowing the action down. It was probably there to help all the 'Nicoles' (as in... Papa, Nicole) from kangarooing as they came on and off the clutch. In reality it slows the whole process down and by replacing it with a straight bit of braided hose (Supreme Motorsport sell them) it restores the direct clutch action

You know what, I always thought the Clio had one, but rarely heard about people putting in deletes, but I looked for it and found it and now it's top of my list to remove!
BMWs had them (my E36 did, first thing I took off) it made such a massive difference! I need to do my clutch at some point in the near future so I will definitely be chatting to Matt about one.

 

[RSRowe]

Me and the Baguettes are at Anglesey on the 4th of December if anyone wants to have some rides with a Gripper.

Considering we have the ‘race’ setting, they really aren’t all that bad in terms of noise. You only hear pulling out of 90 degree junctions really.
I was expecting horrific noises and feedback through the wheel having previously driven my mates car with a 3J.

So far as longevity goes, I can’t answer that…. But if a Kaaz can put up with years of abuse from the Pinderwagon, a Gripper can certainly put up with 200ish bhp in a Clio doing a dozen trackdays a year:

Plate differential inspection and complete rebuild - The Pinderwagen

The plate diff I fitted was a huge improvement over the LSD for track use but I was starting to see signs it was wearing out. The oil was getting far too hot and even after fitting an oil cooler it still didn`t perform as well as previously. It worked…

pinderwagen.com

(Remember he’s running 400+ bhp)

 

[suj]

Me and the Baguettes are at Anglesey on the 4th of December if anyone wants to have some rides with a Gripper.

Considering we have the ‘race’ setting, they really aren’t all that bad in terms of noise. You only hear pulling out of 90 degree junctions really.
I was expecting horrific noises and feedback through the wheel having previously driven my mates car with a 3J.

So far as longevity goes, I can’t answer that…. But if a Kaaz can put up with years of abuse from the Pinderwagon, a Gripper can certainly put up with 200ish bhp in a Clio doing a dozen trackdays a year:

Plate differential inspection and complete rebuild - The Pinderwagen

The plate diff I fitted was a huge improvement over the LSD for track use but I was starting to see signs it was wearing out. The oil was getting far too hot and even after fitting an oil cooler it still didn`t perform as well as previously. It worked…

pinderwagen.com

(Remember he’s running 400+ bhp)

and he drives it as it is intended and does so many trackdays / Ring trips / Spa trips!

 

[RSRowe]

Yeah he doesn’t mess about. The power and how he treats it, it’s bonkers that the damage it had was as limited as it was.

The way I look at it, is my box will need synchros before the diff needs maintenance.

 

[suj]

Yeah he doesn’t mess about. The power and how he treats it, it’s bonkers that the damage it had was as limited as it was.

The way I look at it, is my box will need synchros before the diff needs maintenance.

Yeah i've known him for years on Northloop forum (I remember when he got the car), he does use it hard but also like most of us look after it well.

Haha yeah I was thinking that about the boxes on these, the synchros will die before the diff needs rework.

 

[PITA]

I have managed to find a non-genuine new wiper linkage on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124488847832. My wiper linkage is currently held to the car with cable ties as the furthest drivers side screw/mounting point has sheared off. Hopefully the linkage I have ordered will be just as good as a £185 Renault unit.

I have exchanged a few e-mails with Alex from AW Motorsports about a LSD. I was thinking about a Quaife but he said that a Blackline is just as good and is a carbon copy of a Quaife. I don't want to go for a Gripper as I still want to use the car on the road from time to time. In addition to the usual maintenance work of stripping, inspecting and rebuilding the gearbox together with new synchros for 3rd and 4th gear Alex has suggested replacing the clutch and slave cylinder.

I have no plans to modify the car with significant amounts of power going though the drive train with a supercharger (at least for the moment). I can see the logic in replacing the clutch and slave cylinder as I have no record of the clutch ever being replaced on the Clio and it might as well be done whilst the gearbox is out. But, and here is the question, would a diff put any additional stress on a standard clutch? If so would there be any point in getting an updated clutch that was not going to be a pain to use when driving the car in "normal" circumstances?

The eBay linkages are made of a softer metal than the OE linkage. The splines on the wiper spindles stripped quite quickly.
Also, check your wiper arms as the splines can wear away from a dodgy linkage, mine were non existent.

 

[LiamP]

I think I am one step behind you, sent Alex a message on exactly the same topic so the above has been very handy, thanks everyone

 

[burrellbloke]

The eBay linkages are made of a softer metal than the OE linkage. The splines on the wiper spindles stripped quite quickly.
Also, check your wiper arms as the splines can wear away from a dodgy linkage, mine were non existent.

Ah, oh dear. I think I will use the new wiper linkage and hope fo the best so I can spend money on more exciting projects.

 

[burrellbloke]

I think I am one step behind you, sent Alex a message on exactly the same topic so the above has been very handy, thanks everyone

I would expect it was an easy decision for you just to go for a Gripper?

 

[LiamP]

I would expect it was an easy decision for you just to go for a Gripper?

Yeah that is the plan, race spec, ‘clubsport’ is starting to go out the window

V6 box has arrived…

 

[Onrus]

I had my box redone last year with a quife fitted and my mechanic said the standard clutch and slave cylinder is the best option. I’ve had a lot of work done to the car in two years but the best thing so far is the clutch it feels so sweet