Need the help of R3V - Amputee Driving a Clutch

[5Toes]

^ No I havn't.

I think I really just need to get a bunch of these parts in hand and tinker

[KillaCam]

n54 swap with dct trans....bam auto with stick shit capability + faster shift time and its a n54 twin turbo like 300hp stock!!! + the msrp crate sticker of like 15k but ahh its only money right.... when college time rolls around use your financial aid money for the swap

[5Toes]

No. I dont want paddles

[DaveSmed]

Because the way they work is the hydraulic fluid goes in pushes the piston, then the piston's resistance pushes it back out. Correct?

No sir, the spring in the pressure plate moves the piston back, the hydraulic fluid is simply a medium of transmitting force in that case. Ask someone who has had air in the fluid or bled their clutch, thus removing the pressure applied by the spring from the fluid, the pedal stays on the floor.

That and your air system is way too complicated. And it would work like shit. (no offense) You need the ability to modulate the clutch, no way around it, has to be done. You can easily do that with air or hydraulics, though hydraulics can provide actual tactile feedback (which I feel is very important) and greater accuracy.

Check this part out: http://www.bepco.biz/Catalogs/AirBrakeCat/119.pdf That would handle supply, modulation, and venting all in one valve (for air) Way simpler. You could operate a clutch with that easily...

I would still say your best bet is a motorcycle lever setup on the shifter, with a cable running to the center console to operate one of those hydraulic e-brake setups drift guys use, through a linkage with the appropriate ratio for shifter lever stroke and effort. Thats where the fine tuning comes into play.

Building it is easy. Making it work well is the challenge. ;)

[5Toes]

Okay, so I had the basic idea for the clutch slave. And iar in the system sucks, because it compresses, unlike hydraulic fluid.

[5Toes]

http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/drifting-tech/468673-cable-e-brake-hydraulic-conversion.html

[5Toes]

So going hyrdro..

easiest thing would be to get a level on the shifter to power the stock e30 master cylinder.. which would obviously be relocated. Im not an engineer, so how do one transmit motion in the same direction... IE push in at start, push in at rear besides using hydraulics?

Then after the master it would be stock parts to get it to the slave, unless I get fancy and use stainless steel braid, etc.

[DRTSRFR]

I'm lovin this thread and the fact you're thinking outside the box!

Keep it up! Just because it's already been done doesn't mean it can't be improved...

Now for my idea...Why not use a fly by wire system? A potentiometer and a high strength solenoid to actuate the piston on the master cylinder.

The potentiometer could be as simple as the throttle on a prius. One of the good ones of course.

[5Toes]

Okay poor man's terms? GREAT IDEA

[Vtec?lol]

omg, just listen to me.

[5Toes]

have you seen how a motorcycle clutch works?
Its just like a throttle body, the line is mounted to a lever and as you pull the handle it rotated about a 1/8-1/4 of a turn. think of it as putting a throttle body down where the clutch slave cylinder is. connect the line from the shifter mounted handle (think B&M shifter style or hurst) to the throttle like lever that is mounted to the throwout bearings arm thing. simple, easy, and plenty leverage so very little fatigue to the hand and arm. this is too easy, don;t waste time or money on pneumatics or hydraulics.

I dont understand you. Draw me a picture? Im not being sarcastic at all

[5Toes]

I'm lovin this thread and the fact you're thinking outside the box!

Keep it up! Just because it's already been done doesn't mean it can't be improved...

Now for my idea...Why not use a fly by wire system? A potentiometer and a high strength solenoid to actuate the piston on the master cylinder.

The potentiometer could be as simple as the throttle on a prius. One of the good ones of course.

So the pot measures my input, then gives a ratio of power to the solenoid depending upon my input?

Excellent

[5Toes]

1650 views. AWESOME

[DaveSmed]

This is an awesome thread.

First and foremost, remember you have to be able to drive the thing. one hand is going to be on the wheel, one on the shifter, so the clutch control is going to have to be mounted to one of those two places.

Electric would be another easy one to make work, stepper motors would be perfect, but you will again have zero feedback like in an air system (though gain much more accuracy)

Straight mechanical (the motorcycle) runs into the problem of gaining the required leverage. There are mechanical auto clutches, and they usually have a bell crank arm length of ~4in at the bell housing, and ~8in at the pedal. That is a lot of force multiplication, and you will not only be giving up the ~8in pedal leverage, but you will be operating this with your hand, which is weaker.

A combination of the two (a bell crank actuating a hydraulic cyl) seems to be the best bet IMO.

[DRTSRFR]

So the pot measures my input, then gives a ratio of power to the solenoid depending upon my input?

Yep...just a big version of an R/C setup. The sending unit could actually be quite small, like the trigger on a mini crawler or a TRAXXIS transmitter. I was visualizing a trick little setup right on the shifter...pull-shift-release, with infinite modulation. No AIR tank and full control of the position of the pressure plate.

Even cooler would be something that would actually read the pulses sent from the remaining nerves/muscles in your leg(think prosthetic bio/mech hand).

I know that's a stretch, but once I start thinkin'...8-)