Hey, I just had my new Valair ceramic/kevlar button clutch installed and I haven't put too many miles on it (maybe 100), but I've noticed it seems to chatter a little when engaging it. It's snowy/icy out so it's hard to say if its just the tires hopping on the snow a little or not...just wondering if some chatter is normal during the breakin period.

I have kept on stock power for must of the 100miles...I did turn it to 80hp and open it up a little while in fifth, no shifting under higher power...and didn't even work it that hard in fifth. I don't think I could have done anything to hurt it?

 

Some "chatter" is perfectly normal, if by that you mean it's not perfectly smooth when engaging the clutch. Anytime you slip it, it will want to just grab and go, so the more you slip it, the more it grabs and lets go, grabs, lets go.. You may have to relearn to drive it around the "chatter" a little, but it can be driven so that it doesn't do that. Try giving it a little throttle and getting off the clutch a little faster. Don't drop the clutch, but don't sit there and slip it either. An aggressive single disc clutch doesn't like to slip and the more you slip it, the more you will feel it.

 

With a 500 mile break in period, the ceramic has to have time to break in.

It will always be sticky like that though.
Mine is very grabby when I just start out, but smooths out after a few shifts.

Spend the time and break in the clutch right.
You'll damage the Kevlar for sure if you don't. The Kevlar is the part that is harder to break in. With only stage 1's, you could have went for the brass wound organic and been good and had a smoother clutch. But the kev/ceramic is a great clutch when you break it in and take care of it.

Just remember, its not for racing or burnouts. You will destroy it doing that. It's for hauling.

I'll throw this into a different light on break in's also.
The full kevlar clutches, which they don't make anymore, have a 1k mile break in period to set up the kevlar.
So, your relying on the ceramic to hold, and the kevlar to keep it nice.

If you break in your clutch right and have issues, valair will take care of you all day long.

I was told when I got mine to drive it for 250 miles and then do a lot of city driving if I could to help set the buttons.

So take it easy on it, even if it is engaged. It will slip if your not careful.

Mine has 30k or so miles on it and its working great!

 

Good points Travis.

 

Also, if it's rough when you shift, your doing something wrong. You should never feel the clutch when you let out after a shift... Only when it's slipping when your taking off from a light or something.. The only way I could see it being rough on a shift is if you get in the throttle too soon and you slip the clutch when your letting off...

Not to say anyone is driving their truck wrong, just throwing that out there. If you can feel the clutch after a shift, you can probably improve your shifting. I think I feel mine every now and then when I slip the clutch on a down shift, but that's b/c I purposely slip the clutch on downshifts.

 

I can feel mine hooking up.
But it doesn't chatter. It just locks in quick.

 

It's smooth when I'm shifting, no problems at all...just have to get used to how little pedal it uses. The only chatter is during take off. Glad to hear it's OK....and I will take it easy and keep it on stock power for awhile.

Thanks.

 

I had to relearn how to drive it after installing mine. I know exactly what your experiencing lol. Its nothing like the stock clutch was.