Help! Issues after ACT Clutch install.

[notthenewguy]

How long did it take to get like that? Mine worked great for 13,000 miles and now the problems have started.

Not long at all for me. Clutch has been in for maybe 2500-3000 miles.

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[SadRobot]

Not long at all for me. Clutch has been in for maybe 2500-3000 miles.

Hmm. It seems like the same issue is happening at random mileage. I'll be driving it to the shop on Monday morning to see what they can figure out.

 

[notthenewguy]

These all sound like leaky hydraulics. You are getting air in the line somehow.

that’s what I was thinking too. Had a dealer check all that and they said it’s all fine. Had ACT bleed my hydraulics as well. I will say, the original shop that installed my clutch tried to fix the lockout issue with a new slave cylinder. I purchased one from a local jeep dealer and when the shop installed it they said it had less travel than the slave cylinder originally in my JL. Not sure if the dealer gave me the wrong part or if they redesigned it but the shop did mention it looked different and had less travel compared to my old one.

 

[notthenewguy]

Hmm. It seems like the same issue is happening at random mileage. I'll be driving it to the shop on Monday morning to see what they can figure out.

Best of luck to you. Keep us updated. I might have to go back today or Monday, too.

 

[SadRobot]

that’s what I was thinking too. Had a dealer check all that and they said it’s all fine. Had ACT bleed my hydraulics as well. I will say, the original shop that installed my clutch tried to fix the lockout issue with a new slave cylinder. I purchased one from a local jeep dealer and when the shop installed it they said it had less travel than the slave cylinder originally in my JL. Not sure if the dealer gave me the wrong part or if they redesigned it but the shop did mention it looked different and had less travel compared to my old one.

I'm now using a replacement slave cylinder because we thought that was the issue but it appears not to be.

Did ACT send you to a shop? When I purchased my clutch they told me they only manufacture the clutch and could not recommend a shop or do install work.

 

[notthenewguy]

I'm now using a replacement slave cylinder because we thought that was the issue but it appears not to be.

Did ACT send you to a shop? When I purchased my clutch they told me they only manufacture the clutch and could not recommend/do install work.

they did not recommend a shop but after reaching out they did take a look at my jeep themselves. The jeep was fine when I picked it up. Now, it can be shifted smooth, but it requires my to shift very carefully and slowly. And even then it’s a toss up.

 

[SadRobot]

they did not recommend a shop but after reaching out they did take a look at my jeep themselves. The jeep was fine when I picked it up. Now, it can be shifted smooth, but it requires my to shift very carefully and slowly. And even then it’s a toss up.

Yeah mine was shifting great when I drove it away from the shop on Wednesday. Then starting Thursday night it would get locked out of 1st gear like every 10th time I shift. Now it's Saturday and it's getting worse each time I drive it.

 

[notthenewguy]

Yeah mine was shifting great when I drove it away from the shop on Tuesday. Then starting Thursday night it would get locked out of 1st gear like every 10th time I shift. Now it's Saturday and it's getting worse each time I drive it.

yup. Similar to mine. I’ve noticed that adjusting the shifter cables from inside the car can improve/worsen my issue, but it never goes away permanently.

 

[Jeep Wick]

If you are not losing fluid, I would say there is air trapped somewhere. Extensive bleeding of the slave cylinder should solve this.

 

[notthenewguy]

If you are not losing fluid, I would say there is air trapped somewhere. Extensive bleeding of the slave cylinder should solve this.

any method you recommend? It’s my understanding these slave cylinders are a problem to bleed.

 

[SadRobot]

any method you recommend? It’s my understanding these slave cylinders are a problem to bleed.

This is some advice from @Actman he posted on my Trip Journal page after I had the slave cylinder swapped out and the clutch was engaging almost at the floor:

"1. The most common being air needs to be bled out. These vehicles are a bear to bleed the clutch hydraulics, since the slave cylinder is aimed uphill from the bleed port. Without special tools, I have had the most success by bleeding it before it is bolted up and aiming the slave cylinder downhill, but it takes and two people and some care. The person operating the pedal should control the pedal by hand, or the pedal will pull itself the floor when you stroke the pedal (or remove the assist spring beforehand)."

 

[teedublya]

My Centerforce clutch was swapped out for an ACT clutch a couple weeks ago because I was having the same issues getting into and sometimes out of gear, plus some chatter when starting from a stop under heavy load. The symptoms were very intermittent; sometimes fine, sometimes terrible, but generally just felt like the clutch wasn't disengaging.
Centerforce told me they recently changed their installation recommendation to only use a dry graphite lube on the splines as a result of similar customer reports. ACT emphasized to use only a small amout of their included grease as well.
The CF clutch went into my 23 JLU at 10k miles and had the occasional chatter early on. This seemed to be fixed by bleeding the hydraulics, but would only last about a month before needing another bleed. After about 3k miles, the chatter wasn't helped by bleeding and the shifting issues started. CF clutch in the photos has about 4k miles on it and the release bearing was toast. My friend guessed maybe as the bearing was wearing, the repeated bleeding helped mask the change.
Right now I'm running the CF hydraulics with the ACT clutch because the OEM hydraulics are on backorder and I'm traveling in Mexico. The pedal feel with this setup is about as light as stock but not vague. I'm happy with everything as it drives right now and hoping it I'm done with the issues for a while.

 

[Jeremynolan94]

Mine is also making this sound now:

That is identical to the sound mine has made since installation. Very frustrating, but so far it doesn't seem to affect operation.

 

[SadRobot]

My Centerforce clutch was swapped out for an ACT clutch a couple weeks ago because I was having the same issues getting into and sometimes out of gear, plus some chatter when starting from a stop under heavy load. The symptoms were very intermittent; sometimes fine, sometimes terrible, but generally just felt like the clutch wasn't disengaging.
Centerforce told me they recently changed their installation recommendation to only use a dry graphite lube on the splines as a result of similar customer reports. ACT emphasized to use only a small amout of their included grease as well.
The CF clutch went into my 23 JLU at 10k miles and had the occasional chatter early on. This seemed to be fixed by bleeding the hydraulics, but would only last about a month before needing another bleed. After about 3k miles, the chatter wasn't helped by bleeding and the shifting issues started. CF clutch in the photos has about 4k miles on it and the release bearing was toast. My friend guessed maybe as the bearing was wearing, the repeated bleeding helped mask the change.
Right now I'm running the CF hydraulics with the ACT clutch because the OEM hydraulics are on backorder and I'm traveling in Mexico. The pedal feel with this setup is about as light as stock but not vague. I'm happy with everything as it drives right now and hoping it I'm done with the issues for a while.

Seems like both CFII and ACT are having issues. I really want to get this solved because going back to the stock clutch is not want I want to do.

 

[SadRobot]

That is identical to the sound mine has made since installation. Very frustrating, but so far it doesn't seem to affect operation.

Have you had an problems going into gear at all? Something must have changed 2 weeks ago. After 13,000 perfect miles it makes no sense that all the sudden it won't go into gear.

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