Clutch failure at 99k miles (damper springs were broken)

[Ilovevr6]

I replaced the clutch today on my mirage, after seeing alot of stories about others having the same issue ( failed damper springs) I'm pretty convinced I'm going to get rid of the mirage now. IMO the clutch is horribly under-engineered I had plenty of life left in the disk but all the damper springs were broken, the hub has ALOT of play in where it connects to the splines, the rivets on the backside of the hub have been worn down by the pressure plates fingers. I'm pretty upset about the difficulty of working on it as well. I've said for years it's only a 3 cylinder so it must be easy to work on. But IMO its just as rough to do a clutch in a mirage as any other fwd. Some components are lighter but that's about it. Talk me out of trading this thing in for a miata guys 🤷*♂️

Edit: just wanted to add I thought it would be easy to work on these cars because it makes less torque than a decent impact gun. I expected it to be put together more like a side by side in terms of simplicity considering the small engine.

[Top_Fuel]

...replaced the clutch today...had plenty of life left in the disk but all the damper springs were broken

That seems consistent with Loren's observations when he replaced his clutch:

"The springs in the clutch disk are possibly a problem area, especially for an aggressive driver."

You can check out his thread here...tons of information on the clutch disc springs...

The Mirage Clutch (analysis and weaknesses etc with pics)

...after seeing alot of stories about others having the same issue (failed damper springs)...

There haven't been that many clutch failures on this forum...and we have a fair number of 5-speed cars represented here. Maybe a handful of people have replaced their clutch so far. Steve's car had 300,000 miles on the original clutch. My own car is getting close to 100K with no signs of clutch noise, wear or problems. But I drive the car very easily for fuel economy.

What's your driving style like?

[Dodge Aries K]

The aftermarket replacement unit seems to be a bit better. As for a Miata, that's a totally different car. If you like that better, go for it. I personally can't drive a Miata, it's way too painful for me to sit in.

What year and trim level is your Mirage?

[Loren]

I didn't find the Mirage any more difficult to work on than any other "basic" FWD car. Not sure why you'd expect it to be easier to do a clutch job vs. anything else. Clutch jobs are always rather involved.

It is what it is. It's designed for economy, not performance. If you want a car that you can rag on and not have to replace the clutch at 100k miles (or less), then it might not be the car for you. If you drive it gently like most Mirage owners, then the clutch should last 300k miles.

I have two Miatas in my garage, and I've owned at least 8 other ones.

Every car has its weaknesses. For 1990-2005 Miatas, a couple of the weak spots are the clutch slave cylinder and the rear brake calipers. Or if you have a 90-93, the differential WILL fail, transmissions often get stuck between 1st and 2nd gear, and the very early ones had crankshaft problems. For 2006-2015 Miatas, the thermostat likes to stick open after 20-30k miles.

No car is perfectly engineered. Hmmm... I guess there were some 80's era Mercedes that were pretty close from what I've read.

But, a good online community like this one is great for identifying those problem areas so that people know what to look for, what to expect... and in this case, perhaps what areas of the car to avoid abusing.

[foama]

AFTERMARKET CLUTCH


LUK invented the sort of clutch cars use today. They are OEM for BMW, AUDI, Daimler, VW, and many more.
I would prefer their's to the Mitsubishi product any day.



For Mirage, complete set: LUK part number: 619319100

clutch plate: LUK 319024510

pressure plate: LUK 119021410

[Fummins]

These aren’t hard to work on. What did you find difficult? I hear Sonics and sparks are much better cars.

[Clessy]

I mean 100k miles is around 5 to 7 years of driving for me and even having a shop do the job would put it at $1200 max. So spending $1200 for a clutch for 5 years seems like a better deal than car payments for another 5 years. I mean this car cost nothing to maintain, nothing to insure and nothing for fuel. You'll also be getting nothing for its trade in value.

[Dirk Diggler]

I replaced the clutch today on my mirage, after seeing alot of stories about others having the same issue ( failed damper springs) I'm pretty convinced I'm going to get rid of the mirage now. IMO the clutch is horribly under-engineered I had plenty of life left in the disk but all the damper springs were broken, the hub has ALOT of play in where it connects to the splines, the rivets on the backside of the hub have been worn down by the pressure plates fingers. I'm pretty upset about the difficulty of working on it as well. I've said for years it's only a 3 cylinder so it must be easy to work on. But IMO its just as rough to do a clutch in a mirage as any other fwd. Some components are lighter but that's about it. Talk me out of trading this thing in for a miata guys ��*♂️

Edit: just wanted to add I thought it would be easy to work on these cars because it makes less torque than a decent impact gun. I expected it to be put together more like a side by side in terms of simplicity considering the small engine.

Crazy question but are you living smack dab in the middle of Appalachia? Would massive hills play a role in premature clutch failure?

[Cobrajet]

I haven't had to change the clutch in my Mirage yet and it sits at 162,000 miles. All city driving. It looks very similar to the clutch I did in one of my Geo Metros.

If there are easier clutches to do than these I have never seen one, save for perhaps an old Saab. As was mentioned, a clutch replacement is always going to be a fairly involved process since it involves separating the engine from the transmission.

[Fummins]

I hope the op doesn't feel bullied or emasculated now! I can recommend a good feelings journal that might help if she does.