Discussion
So coming back from APM this evening I get stuck in traffic at the bottom of the A3. End up stop starting for around 3 miles over a 1 hour period. Car behaves ok with temp rising and falling. Plus I get the usual increase in the clutch biting position - i.e. requires less pedal travel. Eventually get going and get to my junction. More stop starting including some hills for about another 15 minutes. However this time I start to get the clutch burning smell with every pull away and the revs take quite a bit longer to drop between gear changes. Gets about 1/4 mile from home and it's like the clutch is partially engaged all of the time. If you put your foot down you the sensation of wheel spin but without any! i.e. the engine revs but the power isn't going to the wheels - just like revving it but not in gear. I'm guessing (hoping, praying) that the clutch fluid has over heated and all will be ok tomorrow. Anybody with any ideas?? (I had a Clevor Trevor clutch and slave fitted only a couple of thousand miles ago - about 9 months ago).
thegreengoblet said:
So coming back from APM this evening I get stuck in traffic at the bottom of the A3. End up stop starting for around 3 miles over a 1 hour period. Car behaves ok with temp rising and falling. Plus I get the usual increase in the clutch biting position - i.e. requires less pedal travel. Eventually get going and get to my junction. More stop starting including some hills for about another 15 minutes. However this time I start to get the clutch burning smell with every pull away and the revs take quite a bit longer to drop between gear changes. Gets about 1/4 mile from home and it's like the clutch is partially engaged all of the time. If you put your foot down you the sensation of wheel spin but without any! i.e. the engine revs but the power isn't going to the wheels - just like revving it but not in gear. I'm guessing (hoping, praying) that the clutch fluid has over heated and all will be ok tomorrow. Anybody with any ideas?? (I had a Clevor Trevor clutch and slave fitted only a couple of thousand miles ago - about 9 months ago).
Sounds like it has over heated, you also may have glased the plates. See how it is after its all cooled down, it may recover. If the fluid had boiled then you would not have been able to release the clutch at all.
thegreengoblet said:
Thanks for the replies. Will go out a bit later on and see if it's ok. Will be p*ssed if it's the slave as it's relatively new and was a clevor Trevor Raceproven part??
If it is still slipping, see if you have any play on the pedal, you should have a small anount of 'slack' that you take up when you put pressure on it with your foot. If it is solid thn look at adjusting the rod on the master cylinder, as it may be keeping pressure in the system.what do you mean when you say you get the usual changing in the biting point on the clutch? it shouldnt change. Have you had a fault on your car which is going on to harm the clutch .. ie is the clutch slip a symptom of something else?
Also how good is your handbrake? If you're slipping the clutch to keep the car stationary on inclines because you have a poor handbrake that will damage the clutch too of course (not saying thats what's happened but its another contributory factor in some clutch failures).
From the way youve described a change in the feel of the clutch, and that this is usual on your car, i would suggest there's something on your car that needs to be addressed and is then going on to harm your clutch ..
Also how good is your handbrake? If you're slipping the clutch to keep the car stationary on inclines because you have a poor handbrake that will damage the clutch too of course (not saying thats what's happened but its another contributory factor in some clutch failures).
From the way youve described a change in the feel of the clutch, and that this is usual on your car, i would suggest there's something on your car that needs to be addressed and is then going on to harm your clutch ..
Update...
Everything was fine when she'd cooled down.
Spoke to Clever Trevor and apparently if you have a twin plate raceproven clutch - or any twin plate clutch for that matter - then it can overheat after extended use of slipping (ie pulling away). Basically the plates stick together as they are very close to one another (the residue that coats the plates melts and becomes sticky). When all cools down, everything hardens and becomes fine once more. Obviously this will shorten the life of the clutch if subjected to overheating on a regular basis. So in short, a twin plate clutch is a race clutch and is not ideal for everyday road use especially when subjected to lots of heavy traffic. This is why nearly all cars have single plate clutches - except for the likes of Fezzas and Lambos, and Tivs of course. If you suspect overheating, you should pull over and allow everything to cool down. Having said all that, I use my Cerb everyday to commute and over this past year this is the first time I've had an issue and that was after a good hour of crawling 3 miles of constant start and stop traffic. To help prevent the problem, you should always put her in neutral and take your foot off the clutch when at a stop.
Everything was fine when she'd cooled down.
Spoke to Clever Trevor and apparently if you have a twin plate raceproven clutch - or any twin plate clutch for that matter - then it can overheat after extended use of slipping (ie pulling away). Basically the plates stick together as they are very close to one another (the residue that coats the plates melts and becomes sticky). When all cools down, everything hardens and becomes fine once more. Obviously this will shorten the life of the clutch if subjected to overheating on a regular basis. So in short, a twin plate clutch is a race clutch and is not ideal for everyday road use especially when subjected to lots of heavy traffic. This is why nearly all cars have single plate clutches - except for the likes of Fezzas and Lambos, and Tivs of course. If you suspect overheating, you should pull over and allow everything to cool down. Having said all that, I use my Cerb everyday to commute and over this past year this is the first time I've had an issue and that was after a good hour of crawling 3 miles of constant start and stop traffic. To help prevent the problem, you should always put her in neutral and take your foot off the clutch when at a stop.
thegreengoblet said:
Update...
Everything was fine when she'd cooled down.
Spoke to Clever Trevor and apparently if you have a twin plate raceproven clutch - or any twin plate clutch for that matter - then it can overheat after extended use of slipping (ie pulling away). Basically the plates stick together as they are very close to one another (the residue that coats the plates melts and becomes sticky). When all cools down, everything hardens and becomes fine once more. Obviously this will shorten the life of the clutch if subjected to overheating on a regular basis. So in short, a twin plate clutch is a race clutch and is not ideal for everyday road use especially when subjected to lots of heavy traffic. This is why nearly all cars have single plate clutches - except for the likes of Fezzas and Lambos, and Tivs of course. If you suspect overheating, you should pull over and allow everything to cool down. Having said all that, I use my Cerb everyday to commute and over this past year this is the first time I've had an issue and that was after a good hour of crawling 3 miles of constant start and stop traffic. To help prevent the problem, you should always put her in neutral and take your foot off the clutch when at a stop.
Glad it all turned out ok, also sounds like good service from CT.Everything was fine when she'd cooled down.
Spoke to Clever Trevor and apparently if you have a twin plate raceproven clutch - or any twin plate clutch for that matter - then it can overheat after extended use of slipping (ie pulling away). Basically the plates stick together as they are very close to one another (the residue that coats the plates melts and becomes sticky). When all cools down, everything hardens and becomes fine once more. Obviously this will shorten the life of the clutch if subjected to overheating on a regular basis. So in short, a twin plate clutch is a race clutch and is not ideal for everyday road use especially when subjected to lots of heavy traffic. This is why nearly all cars have single plate clutches - except for the likes of Fezzas and Lambos, and Tivs of course. If you suspect overheating, you should pull over and allow everything to cool down. Having said all that, I use my Cerb everyday to commute and over this past year this is the first time I've had an issue and that was after a good hour of crawling 3 miles of constant start and stop traffic. To help prevent the problem, you should always put her in neutral and take your foot off the clutch when at a stop.
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