Clutch Tamer Hitmaster. Who has one in their car?

[stratman2SSRS]

Hi guys, do any of you guys have experience with the Magnus launch controller clutch slipper, or the clutch tamer Hitmaster for drag racing, and how do you like it? Drag racing only. They are supposed to control clutch slip consistently.

http://clutchtamer.com/

http://magnusmotorsports.com/product...ontrol-device/

[abshire1006]

I just found this myself, I’m getting ready to build me one. I have access to all the parts so I’m gonna give it a shot and let’s hope it works. I have to order my new clutch tmw and after I install it and the system I will let you know how it works

[stratman2SSRS]

I ordered the clutchtamer Hitmaster. We will see how it works in the spring.

[abshire1006]

I built mine yesterday, just waiting for the solenoid to come I. And I’ll be good to go. Gonna I y’all it when I got my trans out the car to change my clutch. Also got my micro switch for my 2 step, and my welding rods to build my intercooler ice box. Gonna be busy lol

[Jayjellyfish212]

I went with the MAP brand unit, pretty much same thing. I’m planning on the electrical connection to operate on a momentary switch to arm it and a delay timer to shut it off before my 1-2 shift. Should be interesting to see how it all comes together now in my staging and launching routine. Looking forward to just be able to side step the clutch while holding full throttle on the 2 step and letting the tamer do its thing.. unit is on its way. Figured if I got it now I have few months left to get it situated etc.

[IWANTA(ss)]

Originally Posted by Jayjellyfish212

I went with the MAP brand unit, pretty much same thing. I’m planning on the electrical connection to operate on a momentary switch to arm it and a delay timer to shut it off before my 1-2 shift. Should be interesting to see how it all comes together now in my staging and launching routine. Looking forward to just be able to side step the clutch while holding full throttle on the 2 step and letting the tamer do its thing.. unit is on its way. Figured if I got it now I have few months left to get it situated etc.

Any thoughts on the clutch device?

[Jayjellyfish212]

Originally Posted by IWANTA(ss)

Any thoughts on the clutch device?

I’ll definitely keep you all updated from my end as things arrive. Waiting on few items to arrive. I’ll probably put together a diy on a here to so you can see easily the stuff I end up using. To do this right you need a few proper fittings and a LPE controller and a few relay’s too. I’ll definitely put together a list and the vendors
And a little ditty on it all. Certainly will work though and allow consistent launching. I have everything ordered and just waiting on deliveries. The LPE controller I ordered is on backorder unfortunately. The controller is needed to convert a signal from the ECU for the mph shut off. I’m planning on having it shut off my 2step and the clutch slipper device completely at a chosen mph before I make the 1-2 shift.

[NXTLEVL]

Hi guys

I'll be going down the controlled clutch release path this winter as well. I ended up going with the Magnus clutch release valve (exactly the same as the MAP unit) and will also be using the LPE STOV-004 box to shut it and my 2-step down. Sounds like nearly identical to what you're doing Jayjellyfish212. My tranny is out for a refurbish now but as soon as I get it back I'll start the valve plumbing and wiring. It would be useful to compare notes.

[Jayjellyfish212]

Originally Posted by NXTLEVL

Hi guys

I'll be going down the controlled clutch release path this winter as well. I ended up going with the Magnus clutch release valve (exactly the same as the MAP unit) and will also be using the LPE STOV-004 box to shut it and my 2-step down. Sounds like nearly identical to what you're doing Jayjellyfish212. My tranny is out for a refurbish now but as soon as I get it back I'll start the valve plumbing and wiring. It would be useful to compare notes.

Sounds good! I believe the MAP unit and Magnus unit are identical too! I'll be using the LPE STOV-004 box to shut it and my 2-step down so yup, we are both heading in the same direction looks like.

Update on my end with this mod:

The good-
I received the MAP hydraulic clutch controller yesterday. Looks as it does online but nice thing is that it is not as large or bulky as it looks online, so it should fit just about anywhere in the engine bay around the brake booster and stuff.

The concerns-
Two things I think I am going to change on the device itself is the size of the lines it comes with. It comes with 3/16 line and -3an style setup. I don’t want to down size anything in my existing clutch line since these cars with manual transmission are notorious for clutch pedal issues.

1- After looking this gadget over and using my engineering brain cells I am going to convert this gadget to 1/4 (7/16-24) and -an4.... as the existing clutch OEM line is 1/4 line at the hard line areas that are located around the firewall etc. This is pretty simple and doable and a extra step but I honestly feel it is the proper way to go when putting one of these on our gen5’s so the fluid line is all 1/4 in nature and I know will keep everything working with out questioning if there was ever an issue I will know for sure it’s nothing to do with the line size at all since it will be same as stock size inner diameter. Obviously all lines added will have to be 1/4 hard brake lines or PTFE line only. I will go with the PTFE type myself for this mod. Last year or so ago i relocated my ABS unit and any brake lines connected to it. So luckily I have all the flaring stuff to tap into the existing line part of the clutch.

2- I plan to change the way the tee fittings run the direction of the fluid as well on the device, so the way they have the set up to the solenoid the in feed is at the mid part of the tee. I will change this so it is in basically reverse of how they have it, so my main feed line goes ( feeds) straight in the tee fitting and the adjuster knob valve part ( feed) is in the middle ( not a big deal and simple to do just by changing the orientations of the feed line etc.) I will make the exiting this way as well.

Side note-
One thing also I believe for any of these devices to work on our gen5’s is there can not be any spring action. By this I mean the factory clutch pedal spring definitely has to be removed. I’m using currently the LPE clutch pedal return spring but this will need to be removed as well.... so no spring at all on our clutch pedals for this to work correctly is what I’m seeing.

I may just bite the Bullet and upgrade the clutch master cylinder using the Tick performance adjustable one as it is the upgrade for these cars and it will already have the cylinder converted to-4an. This will make the entire connections all 1/4” or -4an and make it really easy to install on the mechanical part of the install. This make sense to me to upgrade since everything else on my clutch system is all upgraded other than the master cylinder.

I only am proceeding with good brainstorming and caution so this all goes smoothly because I had my clutch pedal once stick to the floor and it sucked. Never had any issues prior to that one time. I did already have the separate clutch GTO reservoir mod done and upgraded the fluid to high end Dot4 fluid long before that one time happened to me. I ended up upgrading my entire clutch to McLoad twin, slave cylinder, billet sleeve and did the remote speed bleeder while I was at it. I put the LPE spring in to at that time. All has been well so I just want to make sure anything I introduce in the clutch system is well planned.


I will post some pictures soon once i get a few more things delivered and hopefully this all makes more sense...lol

[Jayjellyfish212]

Update:

The LPE STOV-004 controller arrived! Not sure how since LPE has me on a back order till 2/28..... but hell im happy with the arrival today. Lol

So currently I have the Map clutch device and the LPE controller here. Waiting on some fittings and relays now. I’ll post some pictures soon of the parts and what I got going. I don’t plan to adapt this all to the car until I have everything here and ready to and I figure out the electric game plan to run it all...

[NXTLEVL]

Hi Jay

I saw your comments in the clutch hose thread. Now you've got me thinking I need to upgrade to -4an stuff. That would be quite a pain in the ass and financially annoying as well seeing the cost of the valve and needing to replace all the lines and fittings. I guess I'll let you be the pioneer on this one. LOL

[Jayjellyfish212]

Originally Posted by NXTLEVL

Hi Jay

I saw your comments in the clutch hose thread. Now you've got me thinking I need to upgrade to -4an stuff. That would be quite a pain in the ass and financially annoying as well seeing the cost of the valve and needing to replace all the lines and fittings. I guess I'll let you be the pioneer on this one. LOL

Happy to help. If you got time to hold off a little bit on yours I’ll definitely have this all planned out for use on our gen5’s... these devices are sold as universal kits so you gotta take the time to properly adapt something like this to the gen5 since the clutch pedal system has its know headaches.. lol. The extra fittings should only be 20-30 bucks so you could adapt it properly.

I’ll definitely get this thing ready for a super clean and functional system..my engine bay is clean as a whistle so I always go in with a clean install plan.

It’s just gonna require a few extra fittings to do it.. I got a few fittings on order and have 2 ways to install the device depending on if you keep the oem master cylinder or change to the Tick master cylinder. Both ways on either cylinder will be vary similar but one will have a male an4 for the Tick and the other will have a 7/16-24 to an4 for those who have the OEM master cylinder.

I just wanna make sure the main function and line from master cylinder to transmission is always 4an or equivalent as 1/4 line. I’m planning on setting it up so the main pass through of the solenoid from the master cylinder is 4an/ 1/4 and then out of solenoid to line going to trans is as well 4an/ 1/4. For the adjustable needle valve that tee’s out that slows the pedal down once solenoid is closed I’m planning keeping to the 3an/ 3/16... makes sense to allow that area of line to be 3/16/3an since we are trying to squeeze the fluid to a slow return via the adjustable needle valve. Once I get the game plan situation set for the mechanical part I’ll then move on to the electronic control of this device. I pretty much have that part planned out already but just want my buddy who is a genius with electronics look it over so we can simply arm this thing with a momentary switch and then turn it off at the chosen MPH along with the 2step as well. Pretty much just gonna need to set up 2 relays and the switch including the LPE Controller.

[NXTLEVL]

Do we know what size the fluid passage through the solenoid is? If it's equivalent to -3an does it even make sense to up-size everything else? Having/keeping a -3an size for the adjuster makes sense but if the solenoid is the same... The flow is only as much as the smallest orifice right?

[Jayjellyfish212]

Originally Posted by NXTLEVL

Do we know what size the fluid passage through the solenoid is? If it's equivalent to -3an does it even make sense to up-size everything else? Having/keeping a -3an size for the adjuster makes sense but if the solenoid is the same... The flow is only as much as the smallest orifice right?

The adjustment section is ok to stay 3an but not the main line that will carry through the solenoid. I pulled the Map device apart last night and if you use it as is, you definitely will be downsized on your main function line when not in use. The threaded holes in both the solenoid and the needle adjustable valve are tapped the same size and are 1/8 npt -27 female which is about a holes of 3/8...The fittings themselves are the issue it comes with. Probably ok if you were installing on a 4 banger system but no good for any gen5 in my opinion. The holes in the Tee fittings at the solenoid that are 1/8npt thread into the solenoid and is way to small for our system.. I say this because I can see the issue it will create to the normal function of the clutch fluid to and from the master to trans.


Update on my end:
I actually just did some more digging in to this all... I believe I just found the proper fittings that should fit the OEM quick connector at the master cylinder and the bottom of transmission of the slave cylinder connection. They are 4an to GM quick connector adapters for the clutch system. I’m ordering them now and hopefully they are the correct ones for the quick connector section... I did some comparisons to stuff out there and oem line and I believe I found the correct ones that will keep and improve the main fluid feed ( even without doing this solenoid mod)..

I also determined that the OEM master cylinder is probably the best to use for this kind of set up to work. (Nice thing is I probably won’t need to spend 500 on a upgrade master cylinder now) I discovered that if you go with the Tick performance master cylinder it is a more direct on/off feel from what a few people told me that have done that swap. So in a good note, the OEM that allows a more slow grab compared to the Tick one. From this point on I will be installing my setup using the OEM master cylinder. I am also planning to swap my GTO remote reservoir to a larger size fluid reservoir by Wilwood. This makes sense to have the extra fluid since we are installing a clutch slipper that is probably gonna add a touch more steady contact as the clutch itself engages. The slower the engagement the more the plates will create clutch dust ... so a larger reservoir seems ideal to me...