KILLING MY CLUTCH!!

[97firechicken]

I HAVE HAD MY 97 TRANS AM FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW, IN DECMEBER I HAD TO GET A NEW CLUTCHBECAUSE I LITERALLY SNAPPED THE DISC TO PIECES. I DECIDED TO GO WITH A SPEC STAGE TWO CLUTCH AND I HAVE ONLY PUT ABOUT 20,000 MILES ON IT AND NOW IT'S SLIPPIN IN EVERY DAMN GEAR!! I CANT EVEN GIVE IT 1/2 THROTTLE BEFORE IT JUST STARTS SPINNING. SPEC SAID THEY MIGHT REIMBURSE ME BECAUSE IT WORE SO PREMATURE BUT FIRST THEY WANT MY MECHANIC TO DROP THE CLUTCH AND SHIP IT OUT TO THEM SO THEY CAN INSPECT IT!! THIS IS MY D.D. SO I CANT REALLY AFFORD TO HAVE IT DOWN FOR SO LONG..
SORRY FOR SUCH A LONG POST BUT I REALLY JUS HAVE 2 QUESTIONS.
1.) HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MY CLUTCH, AS WELL AS MY PILOT BUSHING WORE OUT SO FAST?
2.) IM ALSO LOOKING TO BUILD UP MY T-56 TO HANDLE MORE POWER, WHAT COULD I DO?

[Chris 96 WS6]

Possibly it was installed wrong.

Please turn your cap lock off. That stuff is hard to read like that.

[Grims]

Sure you broke it in right?

I myself would be doing a break dance if I manged to get 20k miles out of a clutch...

[97firechicken]

Sorry bout havin my caps on but jus set like that because i need 'em for work.. anyways ya i broke it in for a good 15000 mi. and when i we dropped my tranny iy wasn't in really good shape, and we replaced the throw-out bearing with a bushing, my mechanic said that the bearing has a tendency to seize up after a while because dust from the disc can clog it up, was he bs me? could that have contributed to my clutch goin out?

[Chris 96 WS6]

I think that's probably accurate. Also remember a performance clutch isn't going to last like a stocker will...especially if you are using the performance clutch to its full capabilities ;)

[Grims]

You broke it in for fifteen thousand miles!? :eek:

[Black93Z]

usually normal break in on a clutch is 500 miles street/highway. so shit thats alot of break in, but chris is right, its a performance clutch which makes its life shorter from a stocker. now as for the whole dust thing, im kinda suspicious cuz there is some dust that can get in there but i would think from the centrifical force from the flywheel and the clutch that most of the dust would be slung away from the bushing... its just a suspicion

[97firechicken]

LOL my bad i meant that i broke it in for 1000 mi and it lasted about 15000 mi. but now i think i might know what the problem is, just this weekend my car started leaking oil, and i haven't had a chance to get under there yet but from i can see with out jackin up my car it seems like it coming from the bellhousing. which is leading me to think its my rear main seal. if that is the case does that mean that my clutch is still good?

[Grims]

No, I always oil my clutch up before I go to the track.