Clutch wear and warm up time?

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demarpaint

demarpaint

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Its a topic that's been discussed but here's a different twist. I've read thru many threads about engine warm up time, and it seems a lot of people either start up and take off, or let the car idle for 30-60 seconds and then take off.

Now in colder weather and an older car the idle is still pretty fast, could easily be 1200-1500 rpms or faster. What effect would that have on a clutch? It can't be good!

Frank D
 
Originally Posted By: Steve S
No effect at all.


I thought that at a normal idle of say 600-700 rpm vs 1200-1500 rpm engine racing to warm up can't be good for the clutch when you release it to take off? I view the flywheel as a sanding disc, and the clutch as material being sanded. The faster the sanding wheel is turning the faster the material getting sanded wears down.

Frank D
 
Yea, unless you have the clutch pedal in. With it out and the trans in neutral, the clutch disk is fully clamped to the flywheel via the pressure plate and there is no strain on the throwoutbearing. The gears in the transmission and the input shaft will be turning though.
 
When I take of, I bring the revs to about 1000 rpm and then start letting the clutch out, so if your idle is 1200-1500, just don't hardly give it any gas when you start letting the clutch out.

Starting out on a steep hill will hurt a clutch way more.
 
Let me try to clear things up. When warming up the vehicle it is in neutral with the pedal up. When you take off you have to release the pedal to get the car moving. The less rpms the less wear while the clutch is being released, its slipping until it is fully engaged and your foot is off the pedal.

Frank D
 
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Let me try to clear things up. When warming up the vehicle it is in neutral with the pedal up. When you take off you have to release the pedal to get the car moving. The less rpms the less wear while the clutch is being released, its slipping until it is fully engaged and your foot is off the pedal.

Frank D


The wear isn't going to be measureably different. Incorrect clutch use and heat build up will do much more damage. No need to worry about it.
 
Who releases their clutch at idle anyway? It's a non-issue. That would be harder on the clutch because of the longer slip time so you don't stall it.
I always give it some gas, and she's fully out in 6 feet or so.
 
The only time I ever replaced a clutch was on a car/cars I bought used. I've run most MT cars 100K miles plus and sold them with the original clutches. But I also warmed them up until they idled at or about 1000 rpm or less. I do give them gas once the clutch engages, but when they idle at 1500 rpms that sort of messes things up. I would say I'm off the clutch in a few feet, but the big E-150 takes more distance than a Honda Civic, and a few more rpm.

Frank D
 
I also noticed in the early FI engines when the rpms dropped to a certain point (engine under load as clutch starts to engage) sometimes the computer or a sensor increases rpms causing a take off to be different than what the driver intended it to be. Driver giving a little gas, the computer/sensor giving gas, and more rpms than intended on take off. Also if the A/C compressor kicks in when taking off it messes everything up. It doesn't happen all the time but just enough to be annoying!

Are the new vehicles still doing this?

Frank D
 
Yes, idle speed control is alive and well. I welcome it on torqueless 4 cyls with featherweight flywheels.

If one goes by the "almost stall" school of clutch taking-off they can still bring the revs down at a higher initial RPM-- the friction used propels the car. If 500 RPM is the "almost stall" speed, it's the same speed relative to ground speed whether the car is warm or cold. So you can achieve "clutch up" time the same either way.
 
I liked it so much better w/o FI. No idle speed control/computer to mess things up.

Frank D
 
Manual chokes too? I converted some carbed cars to manual chokes because it was easy to do a better job manually than the automatic choke did.

I would never voluntarily go back to that antique [censored], but if forced to it would be with a manual choke.
 
Fuel injection idle speed motor systems are superb ideas.
They get the oil flowing fast with a nice high idle when started, and quickly go down. Then they stay stable when any accessories are on.
It's the best we can do with our mechanical engine and oil pump.
 
When I was driving my 4.3L GMC to work, the idle speed motor made a nice cruise control while driving out of the long parking lot.
11.gif
 
Originally Posted By: XS650
When I was driving my 4.3L GMC to work, the idle speed motor made a nice cruise control while driving out of the long parking lot.
11.gif



It works well in a hay field too; just put it in low and let it idle along, no need to touch the throttle.
 
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