Clutch Break In
- Thread starter bennyG19
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Just drive it.
Do what you would normally do to extend its life..
Don't sit at a light with the clutch in.
Don't slip it.
Don't rev the engine and dump the clutch.
Take care, bill
Do what you would normally do to extend its life..
Don't sit at a light with the clutch in.
Don't slip it.
Don't rev the engine and dump the clutch.
Take care, bill
Everything Bill in Utah said: Plus if you tow, don't tow for the first 500 miles (city) 1000 miles (highway).
The time to teach a wife or kid to drive a stick is just before replacing the clutch
.
Frank D
The time to teach a wife or kid to drive a stick is just before replacing the clutch
.Frank D
i hope i never try to tow anything with the miata, it wouldn't be pretty.
i taught the wife while the clutch was on its way out. i think she could hop in there today and take off on her own, but she's too scared to drive it by herself. i don't care, it leaves the fun convertible for me to drive!
i taught the wife while the clutch was on its way out. i think she could hop in there today and take off on her own, but she's too scared to drive it by herself. i don't care, it leaves the fun convertible for me to drive!
Originally Posted By: bennyG19
i hope i never try to tow anything with the miata, it wouldn't be pretty.
i taught the wife while the clutch was on its way out. i think she could hop in there today and take off on her own, but she's too scared to drive it by herself. i don't care, it leaves the fun convertible for me to drive!
You'd be surprised what I've seen guys tow with around here, so I had to toss that in. My wife gave up driving stick over 20 years ago.
Frank D
i hope i never try to tow anything with the miata, it wouldn't be pretty.
i taught the wife while the clutch was on its way out. i think she could hop in there today and take off on her own, but she's too scared to drive it by herself. i don't care, it leaves the fun convertible for me to drive!
You'd be surprised what I've seen guys tow with around here, so I had to toss that in. My wife gave up driving stick over 20 years ago.
Frank D
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: bennyG19
i hope i never try to tow anything with the miata, it wouldn't be pretty.
i taught the wife while the clutch was on its way out. i think she could hop in there today and take off on her own, but she's too scared to drive it by herself. i don't care, it leaves the fun convertible for me to drive!
You'd be surprised what I've seen guys tow with around here, so I had to toss that in. My wife gave up driving stick over 20 years ago.
Frank D
I towed my four wheeler (700 lbs) with my 99 2.0 4cylinder Mercury Mystique and it did just fine. Car still running with original tranny at 160K. Uncle bought it from me for 1500 bucks and drives it 45 miles to work each day. It looked funny and I got a look of strange looks, but I wasn't going to buy a gaz guzzler just to tow a four wheeler.
Originally Posted By: bennyG19
i hope i never try to tow anything with the miata, it wouldn't be pretty.
i taught the wife while the clutch was on its way out. i think she could hop in there today and take off on her own, but she's too scared to drive it by herself. i don't care, it leaves the fun convertible for me to drive!
You'd be surprised what I've seen guys tow with around here, so I had to toss that in. My wife gave up driving stick over 20 years ago.
Frank D
I towed my four wheeler (700 lbs) with my 99 2.0 4cylinder Mercury Mystique and it did just fine. Car still running with original tranny at 160K. Uncle bought it from me for 1500 bucks and drives it 45 miles to work each day. It looked funny and I got a look of strange looks, but I wasn't going to buy a gaz guzzler just to tow a four wheeler.
That's within reality. How about a 20' boat behind a VW Rabit 5 speed stick on a slick boat ramp? I saw that along with a Ford Escort pulling something along those lines on the boat ramp. Both ended up in the drink, and their owners fined heavily IIRC.
The good news is BITOG'ers wouldn't dream of stressing a car like that.
Frank D
The good news is BITOG'ers wouldn't dream of stressing a car like that.
Frank D
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
That's within reality. How about a 20' boat behind a VW Rabit 5 speed stick on a slick boat ramp? I saw that along with a Ford Escort pulling something along those lines on the boat ramp. Both ended up in the drink, and their owners fined heavily IIRC.
The good news is BITOG'ers wouldn't dream of stressing a car like that.
Frank D
uh, yea, uh, sure... ahem.
M!
That's within reality. How about a 20' boat behind a VW Rabit 5 speed stick on a slick boat ramp? I saw that along with a Ford Escort pulling something along those lines on the boat ramp. Both ended up in the drink, and their owners fined heavily IIRC.
The good news is BITOG'ers wouldn't dream of stressing a car like that.
Frank D
uh, yea, uh, sure... ahem.
M!
No left hand turns for the first 39 miles ,then no right hand turns for the next 19 miles .
Originally Posted By: Steve S
No left hand turns for the first 39 miles ,then no right hand turns for the next 19 miles .
Love that one. But yeah, clutches don't have a break in. Just drive it. Try not to slip it too much or beat on it. Keep it away from rookie drivers. This will guarantee long clutch life. I've seen clutches last well over 100k on properly driven cars.
BTW replacing clutches is no fun. That dust is awful. Think of dust bunnies, but instead of regular dust, you have all that awful fibrous lung killing junk to contend with.
I had an old timer teacher in tech school who told stories of replacing clutches in Chicago plow trucks after particularly heavy snow events. Guys being covered head to toe in clutch dust. This was back during the heyday of asbestos clutches!
Chicago blizzard pic. Cars were literally abandoned in the middle of the road. It took weeks to clean up the snow.
No left hand turns for the first 39 miles ,then no right hand turns for the next 19 miles .
Love that one. But yeah, clutches don't have a break in. Just drive it. Try not to slip it too much or beat on it. Keep it away from rookie drivers. This will guarantee long clutch life. I've seen clutches last well over 100k on properly driven cars.
BTW replacing clutches is no fun. That dust is awful. Think of dust bunnies, but instead of regular dust, you have all that awful fibrous lung killing junk to contend with.
I had an old timer teacher in tech school who told stories of replacing clutches in Chicago plow trucks after particularly heavy snow events. Guys being covered head to toe in clutch dust. This was back during the heyday of asbestos clutches!
Chicago blizzard pic. Cars were literally abandoned in the middle of the road. It took weeks to clean up the snow.
When you say "don't hold the clutch in at stoplights" do you mean holding the car from rolling backwards at the friction point (some people do this instead of using brakes) or holding the clutch all the way in while maintaining the car in 1st gear?
Do you suggest popping the gear into neutral at lights and letting go off the clutch all together?
Which would cause the least wear?
Do you suggest popping the gear into neutral at lights and letting go off the clutch all together?
Which would cause the least wear?
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The ideal thing to do is to put it in neutral, and let off the clutch. Otherwise it uses the throwout bearing.
Plus, if someone rear-ends you you could let off the clutch and hit the gas and possible roll out into traffic.
I'll admit, if I go to a quick stop sign I usually keep it in first with the clutch down when there is no traffic.
Plus, if someone rear-ends you you could let off the clutch and hit the gas and possible roll out into traffic.
I'll admit, if I go to a quick stop sign I usually keep it in first with the clutch down when there is no traffic.
GMFan,
I agree except that when you are in traffic you should keep it in 1st until the car behind you has stopped and if the car behind you stops too close to you, wait until the car behind it stops too.
I agree except that when you are in traffic you should keep it in 1st until the car behind you has stopped and if the car behind you stops too close to you, wait until the car behind it stops too.
Quote:
Do you suggest popping the gear into neutral at lights and letting go off the clutch all together?
I've never replaced a clutch (and my 1986 Jetta has 335k miles on the orginal clutch and is going strong).
I am ONLY on the clutch for as long as it takes to put into gear or change gears. When coming to a stop, I NEVER shift into 1st gear I just pop it out of 2nd without the clutch. ( you get a feel on how to do that)
Never use the clutch to sit at a light or "hold" your self on a hill. Once it is time to get going, use the brake or time your movement to get off the foot brake to gas.
Take care, Bill
PS: The Jetta has been used to teach 3 people how to drive a manual. The only thing that has been done to the clutch / transmission is a fluid change @ 292k and it broke the clutch cable around 312k. (had to be towed)
Do you suggest popping the gear into neutral at lights and letting go off the clutch all together?
I've never replaced a clutch (and my 1986 Jetta has 335k miles on the orginal clutch and is going strong).
I am ONLY on the clutch for as long as it takes to put into gear or change gears. When coming to a stop, I NEVER shift into 1st gear I just pop it out of 2nd without the clutch. ( you get a feel on how to do that)
Never use the clutch to sit at a light or "hold" your self on a hill. Once it is time to get going, use the brake or time your movement to get off the foot brake to gas.
Take care, Bill
PS: The Jetta has been used to teach 3 people how to drive a manual. The only thing that has been done to the clutch / transmission is a fluid change @ 292k and it broke the clutch cable around 312k. (had to be towed)
Bill-
How do you pop it out into neutral w/o the clutch? Wouldn't this be bad for the transmission-synchros?
How do you pop it out into neutral w/o the clutch? Wouldn't this be bad for the transmission-synchros?
It is hard to explain but once I get to around 10-15 mph It will pop out with no stress.
Never had a problem (I've got 114k on the Toyota, my Silverado has about 65k on it, my 1996 C1500 has over 200k, etc) with any transmission.
Each has a spot where it can work. But my big thing is don't down shift into first while you are moving. If you are moving just keep it in 2nd and accel easy.
Shifting into 1st while moving is hard on the synchros.(sp)
Take care, bill
Never had a problem (I've got 114k on the Toyota, my Silverado has about 65k on it, my 1996 C1500 has over 200k, etc) with any transmission.
Each has a spot where it can work. But my big thing is don't down shift into first while you are moving. If you are moving just keep it in 2nd and accel easy.
Shifting into 1st while moving is hard on the synchros.(sp)
Take care, bill
You get a feel for when you can put the car into Neutral w/o the clutch, lets call it a sweet spot and it varies from car to car. There is also a sweet spot for shifting w/o the clutch once the car is moving, but that's another story and if done wrong can really mess things up. My advise is use the clutch while shifting, and follow all the good advise given above!
Frank D
Frank D
If you are moving very slowly, there is a possibility of lugging the engine in 2nd.
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