Slipping clutch...

[Mantra]

Hi to everyone. It's the first time I write here, and I'm Italian, so please excuse me the bad english...
As I saw in here a LOT of competent people, I would like to ask to anyone about my black '92 NSX.
I bought it used with 80.000 KM (not miles...), but at 100.000 the clutch started slipping and SMELLING at particular conditions: after left in very humid weather, when putting in first and using the clutch after going in retro while not completely stopped, when changing gear at speed quickly (at 8000 RPM), and so on. Note that if I don't use the clutch pedal, even under very hard acceleration it doesn't slip. What do you think about it ? Should I change the clutch disks ? Or what else can be ?
Thank you in advance to anyone answering my question, Cristiano.

 

[sjs]

I've known other cars to suffer those very symptoms when oil (engine or transmission) leaked into the "bell housing" (clutch area). Perhaps someone else can say whether it has been known to happen on the NSX, but if you are positive that the clutch slips I'm having trouble imagining any cause that would not require it to come apart at a minimum. No fun, but not catastrophic.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

 

[cobalt]

You can do this to see if your clutch is dying:

(1) take your car on the highway in 4th gear...say 65mph
(2) keep your foot on the gas and press down the clutch, bringing the revs up to around 6000rpm
(3) dump the clutch
(4) if the car jerks and the clutch catches right away, then your clutch is fine, if it takes a while for the revs to work their way down, then the clutch is slipping...it sounds more complicated than it is...you should be able to tell rather quickly if the clutch slips or not

NOTE: Do this in a STRAIGHT LINE with NO cars around, and IN THE DRY.

 

[nsxtasy]

Hi Cristiano,

When you shift gears, do you normally try to match the engine revs to the road speed of the car before you let out the clutch? You should be doing this on ANY car (not only the NSX).

The reason I ask is that you mention trying to put the car into first gear when the car is moving in reverse. You should NOT be doing this on the NSX or on ANY car.

However, it is possible that there is nothing wrong with the clutch. You might want to have another NSX owner drive your car and tell you whether it slips for him.

Please understand that I do not wish to criticize your driving or to offend you in any way. I just want to mention that it sounds like these things might be possible, based on your description of what the car is doing. Perhaps I am wrong.

 

[Mantra]

First, thanks to all the guys who answered.
Second: I know it's not good to engage first gear while doing retro and use clutch to stop & invert, but a lot of cars (like my father's MR2 Turbo) will do it without demonstrating much stress. This has been done in order to check if it would have slipped (and it did...). If I do a quick start using the clutch pedal, it sometimes slips, and a terrible smell of fried fish comes from the car for the rest of the day! I know how to drive (no problem, I am not offended in any way, eh! , and I think a 270 hp car has to have a good to optimum clutch. The previous owner was 72 years old, so maybe he used the clutch a bit too much...and I am discovering it after 20k km. Is it possible? Do you think that changing the clutch disks is enough ? 'Cause as I am going to get it dismantled, I'd like to open it just once to solve the problem. THANKS THANKS THANKS to everyone... Cristiano

 

[nsxtasy]

Do you think that changing the clutch disks is enough ?

I think it's very possible that you need a new clutch, if yours has never been changed before. NSX clutches vary in lifespan. Some last 50K km (30K miles) while others last 150K km (90K miles). Yours may be due.