this is my first mannual car. since it's very expensive to replace clutch,i really want to learn to keep it as long as possible. anyone can teach me the best way.
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newbie question: what's the best way to maximize clutch's timelife?
- Thread starter NSXkkk
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A. One of the best ways I know of to learn to use a clutch is to take off from a dead stop using only the clutch pedal and no throttle. Try this a few times before adding the throttle into the equation and you'll find your clutch will last for thousands of miles.
B. Never sit at a light with the clutch pedal depressed. Always shift the transmission into neutral at traffic lights.
HTH
B. Never sit at a light with the clutch pedal depressed. Always shift the transmission into neutral at traffic lights.
HTH
Chops has good advice that is called the "clutch point, or engagement point" when the car starts moving forward a bit without throttle, another thought is try buying a cheap heap of crud, (a safe one though) and practice with that before you spend your clutch time leaning with the nsx. I purchased a 84 mazda pickup that ran great with new brakes and clutch for around the home hauling stuff, it only cost 500.00 that would be a bucks a great way for you to learn. Best of luck and enjoy:biggrin:
Practicing from stop is good. Practice form a hill with the hand break of course. There is also a technique called toe and heel but I REALLY wouldn't worry about that.
I second the shifting to neutral. In addition don't ride the clutch, in other words rest your foot on the pedal when you aren't using it.
Lastly, try to match the speed before engaging the gear. If you need to let the clutch in and out slower then so be it. Engaging a gear with the wrong speed just uses the crap out of your clutch and syncro. This is harder when shifting down...
Good luck! I learned on a very precise and touchy clutch/tranny. Second gear was a beast to get into. I'm kinda glad I did though, made life easier after I got good at it (about 4 months).
Unless I want to unleash all of the power, during casual driving I quickly let the clutch out after my shifts are complete. Then I then apply the throttle without having to match the engagement point of clutch and throttle. Under spritied driving my feet are working like a one legged kickboxer. FYI, I have 70,xxx on my original clutch and it still bites very well.
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103927
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showt...d+downshifting
In the words of Mark Basch.
From all the NSX clutches I have replaced, I can tell you that the average is around 45 to 50k. I have seem some go at 10K (several actually) and a few last over 100. This has already been stated here. What I wanted to add, is the simple way I teach my customers to get max life, if you can just remember one thing - the clutch only wears while the pedal is moving. The faster you get the clutch pedal off the floor and to 'rest' position, the less life you have used up. If you slide the pedal nice and easy, with plenty of matching throttle movement also nice and easy, you are EATING your clutch. Many people think that if the car moves away from a stop so nice and easy that you could hold a full glass of wine, this is a good thing. This is the worst thing. If the car jerks slightly because you moved the car away from a start nice and quick, this is as close to zero wear as it gets. The majority of clutch wear occurs when moving the car from a stop, so practice this most.
how much is the labor to install a clutch&relasing.
my car has 52200 miles. i wish it would last another 20000 miles. since it cost 3000 to replace it.
Plan for necessary stops. Slow way down before you get to the traffic light and try to plan on arriving at the light (or just before) as it turns green or the traffic ahead of you starts moving. If you plan correctly, you'll never stop moving. Doing this saves gas too. It takes practice. I have 135,000 miles on my '98 Civic and still on the original clutch. Still on the original brakes too.
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Way to go, Ken.
Use it as little as possible. This may seem obvious, but only use the clutch to shift gears. Many people press the clutch down out of some sort of habit, for instance when braking. Just because you are braking does not mean you need to press in the clutch [for those that race this is extremely* obvious]. The clutch only wears when it's used.
If you were able to start your day by rolling down a steep hill in neutral, then put the car in the highest gear without using any gas during the shift, then use your momentum to come back in to your drive way [think semi-circle driveway that goes in front of your home that sits on a high hill], and drive around without changing gears, your clutch would probably last several million miles.
Making sure no oil/contaminants gets on the clutch is also an overlooked but important element to long clutch life.
If you were able to start your day by rolling down a steep hill in neutral, then put the car in the highest gear without using any gas during the shift, then use your momentum to come back in to your drive way [think semi-circle driveway that goes in front of your home that sits on a high hill], and drive around without changing gears, your clutch would probably last several million miles.
Making sure no oil/contaminants gets on the clutch is also an overlooked but important element to long clutch life.
rev matching on a downshift helps a lot too. when your slowing down,
1)you clutch in,
2)then put the car in neutral,
3)then blip the throttle,
4) and clutch in again,
5)then you shift to a lower gear.
If done correctly, you will have a perfectly smooth downshift and no shock or strain on the tranny and clutch since you just rev matched the speed difference from the gears that was spinning in two different speed.
1)you clutch in,
2)then put the car in neutral,
3)then blip the throttle,
4) and clutch in again,
5)then you shift to a lower gear.
If done correctly, you will have a perfectly smooth downshift and no shock or strain on the tranny and clutch since you just rev matched the speed difference from the gears that was spinning in two different speed.
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I believe what you are describing is double clutching, and some steps are missing.
For a car with synchros, you can just rev-match and speed up the entire process:
1. Depress the clutch
2. Shift to the lower gear while blipping the throttle (some people say to blip while you are in neutral)
3. Disengage the clutch by releasing the pedal
Can someone explain why some say to blip the throttle when you are over neutral for that brief amount of time if the clutch is depressed? It seems like it shouldn't matter if the clutch is depressed anyways (i.e. you can do it after the gear lever is in the lower gear).
I would like make a point about rev matching and downshifting. If your synchros are in good shape you should never have to rev match to downshift. Most the issues with shifting are either clutch master cylinder/slave related or the entire clutch set needs replacement. If your synchros are bad you can send them to SOS for replacement for around $1999.
Rev matching may help reduce wear on some parts, but it is not isolating your problem.
BTW brakes are to so slow down and gears to speed up, unless your tracking.
Rev matching may help reduce wear on some parts, but it is not isolating your problem.
BTW brakes are to so slow down and gears to speed up, unless your tracking.
that is because when your blipping the throttle when your clutch is disengaged, it does not alter the speed of the input shaft. if you blip the throttle in neutral with the clutch engaged, your altering the speed of the whole gear set since a tranny is a constant gear mesh. This does help match the speed from one gear to the next.
I use to rev match the way you described but it never made sense to me on how that would help match the speed of the gears until I learned to this the way I just described.
But if your doing a heel toe downshift and your on the brakes, than you have to do it like that. But the purpose of a heel toe is not to save tranny life, but to prevent that jerk when your braking and downshifting so it won't upset the balance of the car when its about to go into a corner.
A thousand bucks should be in the ballpark.
I was bored one afternoon, and I'm a writer wannabe, so I sat down and started writing an article on driving a manual. It's somewhat comprehensive, about six pages long in MS Word.
PM me and I'll send you a copy.
PM me and I'll send you a copy.
Don't do Burnouts or 2nd gear Scratches...:biggrin:
I usually let the clutch out slowly until I hit the sweet spot where the clutch engages, then I let it out quicker with very little throttle and the car lurches forward just a tad. Once the clutch pedal is out, I give it more throttle.
You also don't want wear the engine mounts by dumping the clutch too fast and bucking the car back and forth.
I also put the car in neutral at a stop light and let the clutch pedal out. I think if you keep the clutch pedal depressed alot it wears out your T/O bearing. Mine makes a little noise sometimes.
I usually let the clutch out slowly until I hit the sweet spot where the clutch engages, then I let it out quicker with very little throttle and the car lurches forward just a tad. Once the clutch pedal is out, I give it more throttle.
You also don't want wear the engine mounts by dumping the clutch too fast and bucking the car back and forth.
I also put the car in neutral at a stop light and let the clutch pedal out. I think if you keep the clutch pedal depressed alot it wears out your T/O bearing. Mine makes a little noise sometimes.
Don't keep your foot on the clutch when driving. No pressure whatsoever. Keep your left foot away or on the dead pedal.
Don't attempt to drift or clutch kick unless your setup allows for it.
Long
Don't attempt to drift or clutch kick unless your setup allows for it.
Long
A faint noise is normal, a little more is a sign of t/o wearing out, especially if the noise goes away when you press the clutch.
Unbolt clutch from car. Place neatly in a padded lined box. Store box in closet.
finally an answer that sums it up:biggrin:
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