Arghhhh!!!!!

SeaDweller · 10-02-2001, 09:33 AM

I'm having a rebuilt engine installed in my car as we speak, and the mechanic sent me an e-mail to let me know that whoever did the clutch job neglected to grease the throw-out bearing, so it was destroyed. I guess I now know what that clicking was...........

Why is it so hard to find someone that can do things right? I could understand if the labor rates were $10/hour, but for $65/hour, shouldn't you expect it to be done right?

Sheesh.......

------------------
Michael
'78 911SC Euro

Rot 911 · 10-02-2001, 09:56 AM

And that's why I do my own work. I figure I can't screw it up anymore than some anonymous mechanic who I doubt cares as much about my cars as I do.

Kurt V

john walker's workshop · 10-02-2001, 10:44 AM

the TO bearing is greased from the factory. no additional lube is necessary other than wiping some long lasting grease on the guide tube and the groove inside the bearing bore. if the bearing fails, it's usually because the freeplay adjustment was nil, or the driver rides the clutch pedal and always holds it to the floor at stop lights.

SeaDweller · 10-02-2001, 11:27 AM

Thanks for the info John. The inside area of my throw-out bearing was bone dry, and was scored badly, evidently from a lack of lubricant. There's less than 200 miles on the new clutch, so something must have been out of whack for it to be damaged so badly in so short a time.

I'm having a new clutch cable installed this go around, so hopefully I'll be set for a while.

------------------
Michael
'78 911SC Euro

plain fan · 10-02-2001, 11:57 AM

John, if you aren't supposed to hold the clutch pedal to the floor, what are you supposed to do at stop lights?
Thanks

------------------
plain fan

rscupper · 10-02-2001, 12:11 PM

take it out of gear

SeaDweller · 10-02-2001, 12:17 PM

I remember when I was around 20, I went to look at a Volkswagon Super Beetle that was for sale. The owner had just put a new clutch in the car, and I had a habit of holding the clutch pedal down at lights. When I test drove the car, I held the clutch pedal down at a light and the owner let me have it. He said it was very bad on the components to hold the pedal down, and not to do it in his car.

True or not, that stuck in my head, so in every manual transmission car I've owned since then, I put the shifter in neutral, and release the clutch at lights. When I see the light is about to change, I depress the clutch, put the car in gear, and go. It's a tough habit to break, as I still find myself holding down the pedal at times, but for the most part, I try not to.

I never have investigated the reasoning behind not holding the pedal down, so maybe someone in the know can enlighten us.

------------------
Michael
'78 911SC Euro

Steve F · 10-02-2001, 12:32 PM

For every second that you have the pedal depressed,you will have,#1, the T/O bearing in motion,#2,for all the time that a T/O life's span is(ex.500 hours) ,you are ageing it prematurely,robbing your future shifts of "T/O time"I hope that makes some kind of sence.

[This message has been edited by Steve F (edited 10-02-2001).]

Superman · 10-02-2001, 02:23 PM

This is true. The TOB is doing quite a bit of work while the clutch pedal is pushed, and none at all when it is released. I'd agree that (within reason) it is good to take a car out of gear at stops.

------------------
'83 SC

Early_S_Man · 10-02-2001, 02:45 PM

If you can judge that the light was about to change, or just for a few brief seconds at a four-way stop sign, for example ... it would be permissible to hold the clutch down and not change to neutral, but one-to-two minutes at a red light or waiting in line at a bank drive-up is not a great idea!!!

------------------
Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa
1992 Dodge Dakota 5.2 4X4 parts hauler

jbirkett · jbirkett's Garage

While living in the UK for about 6 months back in 98 I learned that the emergency brake is not for emergencies. At first it kind of drove me nuts that evey time we were at a stop light they pulled the emergency brake up. I had an automatic, one of the few, because my wife didn't want to have to drive on the opposite side of the road, move about the round-abouts and all that new stuff as well as shift. One of my co-workers had a Merc and the clutch was always going out because the emergency brake was a foot opperated job. I did get used to puting the gear in nutral though.

------------------
John Birkett
72'T Targa

BRAINIAC · 10-02-2001, 10:17 PM

And here's the number one reason not to hold the clutch at stoplights. Premature wear on the engines main bearing thrust surfaces. All the spring pressure from the clutch is being forced on the crank. At idle the oil pressure is at it's lowest. Bad combination.

------------------
Tyson Schmidt
72 911 Cabriolet
92 C-2 Cabriolet

Fishcop · Fishcop's Garage

The US seems to be the only place the "emergency brake" is called an emergency brake. Nearly every other place I've been to calls it a "hand brake" or "parking brake".

As has rightly been pointed out, it is not actually an emergency brake, it is designed for stationary applications. Do you really think your emergency brake would actually pull you up in an emergency?

------------------
John Forcier
69 911T

rstoll · 10-03-2001, 04:13 AM

Would beat the heck out of the "Flintstone" braking method.

------------------
Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

Wayne 962 · Wayne 962's Garage

Well, I'd say the number one reason people hold their clutch down at a light is to save the tranny. If your synchros are going, you can ease it into gear and then hold it there. When the light turns green, if your tranny is on the way out, you will crunch it into gear. Which is the lesser of two evils? I tend to hold the clutch down for the last few seconds of the light to avoid the green light 'crunch.'

-Wayne

rscupper · 10-03-2001, 09:41 AM

Aw yes, timing is everything.

Jim T · 10-03-2001, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts:
Well, I'd say the number one reason people hold their clutch down at a light is to save the tranny. If your synchros are going, you can ease it into gear and then hold it there. When the light turns green, if your tranny is on the way out, you will crunch it into gear. Which is the lesser of two evils? I tend to hold the clutch down for the last few seconds of the light to avoid the green light 'crunch.'

-Wayne

Yeah, that's what I do. Leave it out of gear if its going to be a wait, but try to get the clutch down a few seconds before I actually have to put it in first gear.

Try to be sensitive to the TOB, but also sensitive to the first gear synchro.

In my older Porsches, when starting off I usually put it into second before putting it into first, to try to make life easier on the first gear synchro. A habit from some of my older porsches with weak or dying first gear synchros, where this method was necessary to get it into first without a grind!