Here is my problem: I just ordered a new Exedy Organic Clutch and Fidanza 7.5 lbs. I am really pumped, however after reading up a lot about them, all the forums here say to break in the clutch for 500 miles of just city driving. That is all good and well, but I am going to school right now, and home is 60 miles away. When I get the parts put in, I am going to do it at home and I am going to have to drive my car back to school on the new clutch. I drive back and forth about every 2 or 3 weeks so there isn't going to be a time where I can go 500 miles without going on the highway.

So I guess my real question is: Do all of the break in miles HAVE to be in the city or can I put some on the highway too?

 

You can put some on the highway, but you want the majority of the miles to be city driving. To be safe, just go some extra mileage to make sure you get the proper break in. I'm sure you can go out for a weekend and drive around in town.

 

lol, i went straight onto the freeway after getting my new clutch had to thought to get home...feels like it broke in alright to me

 

The main concern is that you are easy on the clutch for the first 500 miles. City driving is preferred, but it is not going to hurt anything by getting it on the highway. You'll be fine.

 

Thanks guys. Hopefully I will only have to drive about 60 miles (back to school) on the highway and then I can try and drive around town a lot to get it up to 500. I bet it is going to be hard, wanting to feel what the new flywheel feels like and such and not being able to try it out. Oh well.

 

You'll feel the flywheel just breaking it in.

I just drove normally for those 500 miles when I got my new clutch. I was shifting at 4500 rpms and taking it occasionally up to 6000 rpms and I have had no problems at all. You don't need to baby it, just don't be racing it, bouncing off redline, and burning out and you should be perfectly fine.

 

What Däs said, basically..
The impression I get about breaking a clutch in, from some of the more technical articles I've read anyways...

the "proper" way to break them in is to be easy on them for that 3-500miles, and then open it up on an empty street or 3... because breaking it... breaks it in, obviously... but when you open it up for the first time, the clutch "Glazes" over and hardens to the state that it ought to remain in..

my friend has a clutch he put in and immediatley started beating, so it just glazed over without "fitting" to his car, so whenever he's shifting hard is sounds like a goddamn shotgun going off as the clutch claps into place, and jolts the car...

So yeah, again.. what Däs said... just shift like your mom would while you're on the highway, and don't bring it above 5grandish, i'd say.... make that vtec miss you for a little bit, like you got in a fight with your girl, and then give her that bad ass make up love.

 

That has to be one of the funniest car analogies i have ever heard. although i have an rs, i am still gonna leave it under 5,000, and then make sweet sweet love to her after 500 miles.

 

thats right.. you make love to that car....
here's the thing about integras... they're sexy, like quick, and don't get mad when even just dressed up normal, still make you excited in 15 seconds. =)

 

you will break it in over time, dont be so worried!