Clutch Mystery

[5paul5]

At a trackday last weekend the clutch started slipping badly on the straights, this happened each time i went out but only after a few laps. So i pulled out early and drove the short distance home. Since then i have driven the car several times on public roads and try as i might i cannot get the clutch to slip again even on hills ! So, do i go to the expense of changing what seems now to be a perfectly good working clutch or risk it happening again at the next trackday ?. Any one got any ideas ? Car is a standard 1991 1.6. Thanks.

[gdaybruce]

The short answer is that if you're planning more track days, change it! While you're at it, check the crank rear oil seal because while I'm no expert, I wonder if, under the very high temperatures that only track driving can achieve, oil is seeping out and contaminating the clutch?

[5paul5]

Guess thats the solution and thanks. Just cant understand why its not slipping anymore despite some vigorous driving.

[SimonV8ster]

I'm having a bit of this at the minute - sometimes it can happen other times not. I've just assumed its on its way out so needs replacing.

[MX-5 Lazza]

However hard you might try you can't drive anywhere near as hard on the road as you do on track. If you were only going to use it on the road I'd say ignore it for now but track use puts a lot more stress through everything so if you are doing more track days just get it changed.

[snotrag]

This is kind of what happened on mine. Started slipping on hard acceleration in 2nd or 3rd usually (Not on track mind).

Could 'drive round it' quite easily, but it wasnt great. So we dropped it, expecting the clutch to be worn - it wasnt, it had loads of meat left on it. There was a slight oil leak from the crank seal, which had obviously caused a bit of slippage, and then that slippage had caused the friction surfaces to glaze over - the surfaces looked very 'burnt' and glazed. Car was on about 100k miles and I've no reason to assume it wasnt the original, so wasnt really too upset. Clutch kit wasnt too dear really. Cleaned the flywheel up, fitted new clutch, problem solved.