Think of breaking in your clutch much like you bed in a set of brakes – you want to achieve a couple of complete heating and cooling cycles to help set the fresh metal surfaces without overheating them, which can cause uneven seating, distortion, chatter, or warping of the pressure ring or floater plate on dual disc ...
All clutches require a run in / bed in period. Failing to see a run in / bed in period, may see the clutch flair / slip / overheat / resulting in damage to your the clutch and dramatically reducing its life.
Bedding in a new clutch;
There is no set proceedure for bedding in however we recommend at least 200-500 miles of mild stop start driving (more if you doing motorway miles.)
Never abuse a newly fitted clutch. Allow 500-mile break-in and always adjust free travel on your new clutch at 750 miles and again at 1500 miles. Approx. time for the break in mileage is two full tanks of fuel.
For organic street discs, we recommend breaking in the clutch for 300-500 miles with mild engagement, such as stop-and-go city driving prior to racing or spirited driving. ACT race discs usually only require a few hard slips to lap in the surfaces prior to normal driving or racing.
If you don't push the clutch in, the cars engine keeps pumping power to the wheels and drive train, which keeps the wheels spinning, which defeats the purpose of hitting the brakes.
The trick is to let the clutch out to the engagement point quickly and then more slowly from there. The only way you can know where this engagement point is, is by getting a feel for the car.
When you first purchase a car, moving the clutch and changing between gears should be effortless and smooth. If, after a while, you notice that changing gears becomes more difficult and you feel a grind when you shift gears or put your vehicle into reverse, this could be a sign that your clutch needs replacing.
Turn the engine on in neutral and allow it to run until it heats up. Push your clutch pedal and blip the throttle a few times. The expeditious shift in engine speed and the heat coming from it can potentially cause the friction disc to break loose.
The average lifespan of a clutch is anywhere between 20,000 to 150,000 miles. Luckily, your clutch will likely give you ample notice that something is going wrong. Don't get left at the side of the road with a vehicle that won't shift into gear. Read on to learn the signs and symptoms of a failing clutch.
In conclusion, if you put a new clutch in your car, the clutch pedal needs an adjustment. Even a stock clutch will likely have to be adjusted. With an OEM clutch replacement, the new disc will have more thickness.
Releasing the clutch too early will make your vehicle jerk while putting excessive pressure on the engine and transmission. This overheats the clutch, which can do serious damage over time.
Clutch judder: Clutch judder is most noticeable when setting off from a standstill. It manifests itself as a strong vibration when you release the clutch to get the car moving from rest. If you notice clutch judder, it is an indication that the clutch assembly including the flywheel might need replacement.
Pre-oil or soak the clutch plates (if wet type) in clean oil for about 5-10 minutes. Soak in the same oil going into the bike.
The first advantage comes in transmission efficiency.
Without the lubricant in place, the overall transmission efficiency in a dry clutch is much greater. It minimises any power loss because the clutch plate and drive shaft have direct contact.
Unlike dry clutches, wet clutches are covered in engine oil, which allows the clutch plates to cool. Because of this, wet clutches can sustain more abuse than dry clutches. Another reason wet clutches are a more popular choice is because they're quieter at idle, which makes them better for stop-and-go traffic.
While braking, you should always depress the clutch.
This is one of the most common scenarios wherein people do apply the brakes but forget to disengage the clutch in-turn stalling the car. Well, stalling the car especially with transmission load will take a serious toll on your vehicle's gearbox assembly.
It is important to use the clutch when you brake as this will prevent your car from stalling. Hitting the brakes without clutching to stop the vehicle could lead to your car switching off as a result of your engine revs collapsing.
Misalignment also prevents the release bearing from centralizing itself on the cover assembly diaphragm, resulting in clutch shudder, vibration, severe diaphragm finger wear, premature release bearing failure, and severe gearbox input shaft sleeve wear.
If your clutch is soft or spongy, there may be a problem with the hydraulic release system, like air bubbles. If this is the case, your clutch may need bleeding – which simply means venting any air from the system to make sure it works properly in the future.
Clutch and flywheel replacement cost
So to change the clutch, you have to separate the two, which is a fairly big job. As such, it may mean the engine has to be lifted, or dropped lower depending on the car, to make enough space to crack the gearbox and engine apart. This takes lots of time.
However, if the clutch is released slowly the clutch disc will "slip" against the flywheel; this friction permits the engine a smoother transition to its new rotation speed. Such routine slippage causes wear on the clutch analogous to the wear-and-tear on a brake pad when stopping.
Though the combination of half engaged clutch and accelerator will let the engine rpm to rise quickly, it does not mean that all the energy is transferred to the transmission. There is a very fine balance between the clutch and the accelerator which one has to achieve through practice in order to do perfect launches.
A weak gearbox mount can make car jerks while releasing clutch and jerks while shifting gears. When the gearbox mount breaks totally, the transmission may shift amid increasing speed, leading to a thumping or knocking sound.