How do you know if your clutch is going?

VaSteve · 03-28-2004, 04:10 PM

What are the signs to look for when your clutch is going? I drove someone else's car and the clutch was much different than mine. He said that either his clutch was dying or mine was.

marcesq · marcesq's Garage

The old trick we used was to put the car in the highest gear and try to drive the car away . . if it stalled the clutch is ok . . . if not . . . well you get the picture.

Clutchs feel different. Although my setup is all new, it feels completely different than Dougs who also has new parts.

howiee · howiee's Garage

Get your car going about 30-40 mph and put it in 5th. Then floor it. If the engine slowly revs up and your not going any faster your clutch is gone. If it chuggs along trying to gain speed then your clutch if fine. This way seems a little less harsh on the car.

Zeke · 03-28-2004, 04:41 PM

I certainly don't mean to be even in the slightest sarcastic tone, but you can't tell when a clutch is slipping?

Suggestion: Go to a third gear hill and shift into third at about 2500 rpm and hold it to the floor and let the rpm's rise as you climb the hill.. When the engine torque overcomes the clutch, you'll hear a sudden rise in the rpm's. That's when you let off and drive it to the shop. If it runs smooth all the way to, say 6000, you're good to go.

Sometimes all it takes is a minimum adjustment to slack off the clutch cable a tad. That would be mainly if the clutch starts to disengage right near the top of the pedal travel.

obrut · 03-28-2004, 04:49 PM

I don't think that slipping is not the only sign of a failing clutch though.

I understand that if the pressure plate springs are going then you will get shuddering through the driveline when attempting to a slip the clutch.

Anyone concur?

Zeke · 03-28-2004, 05:01 PM

I guess it all depends on the definition of "going," which is how he put it. But, I would agree with you that a shuddering clutch is not one to have.

Funny, that seems to be one of the idiosyncrasies of the Boxster clutch. It depends again on who's driving the car. If the driver favors slipping the clutch a lot at start up, they seem to develope a shudder. Another driver gets in and lets the clutch out more agressively and the shudder goes away in minutes. I let the engine come down to almost idle as I leave. No shudder.

911pcars · 03-28-2004, 05:02 PM

And if you still want to validate you clutch is slipping, try this:

Vehicle speed of around 20 mph in third gear. Depress clutch pdeal and rev engine to say 4000 rpm, then dump the clutch. That is, side slip the pedal and floor it. If the clutch is weak, the engine speed will stay relatively high despite the "engaged" clutch.

BTW, if you do this numerous times with a healthy clutch, you will soon need a new clutch.

Sherwood

trj911 · trj911's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by 911pcars
BTW, if you do this numerous times with a healthy clutch, you will soon need a new clutch.

Sherwood

LOL!!! Exactly what I was thinking!

obrut · 03-28-2004, 05:29 PM

Milt and others

I test drove a 930 that was like that - if you released the clutch anywhere betweem idle and about 2000 rpm it drove away fine. However, if you got the revs above 3000 rpm and slipped the clutch off the line the whole drivetrain shuddered to the point of the gearbox/shifter rocking in your hand. It was explained to me that the engine torque at 3000 rpm was overcoming the pressure plate springs and they were cycling on and off - does this sound right? what would need replacing for a fix? (hypothetical questions as I walked from the car and bought another)