Hey everyone!

A while back I was revvin' up a storm and feathering my clutch on a driveway, and i smelt clutch pretty bad.

Everything had been cool until i think last week, when i smelt clutch for a split second after i had parked in my school parking lot--i dismissed it as nothing since i could not smell it again after sticking my face in the wheel well and other related areas (but im sure i looked cool!)

Last night, while parking my truck at my girlfriends house, i head a whining noise, like a strained belt or something. I was in reverse, and revving moderately high (she lives on a behemoth of a hill). I have no tach, so I can't say how high i was revving. When i got out, it was like someone was cooking clutch soup under my nose.

My clutch as it stands does not feel any softer, no noticeable slipping, no signs of death.

My question is:

is my clutch going to die soon? Is there a way of checking? My dad told me to bring it to MAACO for a check, he had a 4spd mantrans on a jeep back in the day and the clutch just gave on him, no warning.

Another question, what type of replacement should i get (someone mentioned centerforce before) and how much work is involved in changing it? Is it something me and my baby sister can do with needle nose pliers and my adjustable wrench? Or am i going to have to get the plasma cutter and start shredding?

Here's my [pertinent] vehicle specs:
Ford
67,1xx miles
5 spd manual (duh)
Oxford White
Bench Seat
four (4) tires and wheels, one (1) at each corner

Someone please help!!!! In the meantime, i'm going to practice my burnouts, and holding my position on hills.

rman

they sell clutch belt at kaleco.com, will that fix my problem? i'm ordering up some new blinker fluid, and fuel injector cleaner for carburated cars, i figure i can save on shipping on that clutch belt

 

Rman,

Pretty much ANY extreme or even semi-extreme clutch disordination will make you smell blinker...I mean clutch fluid. If you are just smelling the fluid due to those couple of instances, I wouldn't be too worried, but you never know for sure. To replace your clutch isn't Ford Master Tech difficult, but it's definately not very easy to do.

 

Thanks joe

I went ahead and ordered a new clutch belt, just to be on the safe side.

***On a side note, i'm welding in my o-pipe tonight. Should boost my low end by 50%, but i'll suffer up top!

 

O-pipe?? Never heard of that...did you just make it up?

 

homer, check out www.kaleco.com

there you can find a bunch of original performance products promising very impressive gains. also maintainence products that you can't find elsewhere

 

In 53k miles, I have had my clutch slip three times...one of them happened to be while tryin to show off to Joe over here and it put me in a ditch when I did not get enough power to the rear wheels to fish tail my truck in a U-ey.

If you are smellin it burning more than once a month you are prolly seeing the beggining signs that the end is near. But you should not be going through a clutch any less than 100-125k miles unless your doing something wrong. To get some more life out of it, match RPMs and shift without the clutch. You will lose speed doing this, as I think the shift points are at about 20,35,50,65 instead of revving high which gieves you shifts at 30,58, and 89 and no need to shift into overdrive till at speed.

As far as new clutches, go wit ha centerforce stage III. They are towing/racing clutches, will be signifigantly harder on the old knee, but will grip like nothin you have ever seen.

As far as work for changing it. Invite some frineds and get some beer. Will take a few hours, and cost a couple undred, and you will need to drop the tranny, will needa few specialized tools, but better than paying 1k at the local tranny shop to change it and have them mess it up so you have to have it redone in six months....trust me I know.

 

I agree: if you have to replace your clutch at 61,000 miles, that is real short life. If you do a LOT of hard launches, pulling heavy loads, or in other ways "abuse" it, well maybe it's due.
I have 151,000 miles on mine and it is still working OK.

 

Jimmy Dean, I wouldn't recommend shifting without the clutch. This can destroy your synchros and gears, and these Mazda trannies aren't known for taking abuse well. I'd burn the clutch and save the tranny than the other way around, especially if you're looking at a clutch anyway. Better to put in a clutch in 500 miles, than a clutch and tranny in 1000.

 

can our 4.2L even do a burnout? well if so how do you do one?

 

Jimmy Dean and Brian,

Thanks for the input. While i do abuse my clutch a little more than i should, not so much that it should be out soon. Especially of lately, I have been babying my truck in general. When i first got my MAC, and my muffler, sure, i ran it up and down a bit an chirped the gears, but as far as hard launches go or anything extremely strenuos, well, not so much.

What about the clutch just giving in, like one day while i'm driving? How likely is that?

Beast, just put your clutch in, give it gas like theres no tomorrow and drop the clutch. If that doesnt work, give it more gas. Still doesnt work, try it against a brick wall....j/k

 

My truck will light 'em up. Especially if it is raining and I'm making a turn. 1st and 2nd gear!

I've been wondering about my clutch as well, Rman. Mine is a 2000 also. I have 103,000 miles on mine now. It still works and all, but it does chatter and shudder quite a bit now on take-offs in first. I was thinking about an upgraded kit but I'm not sure I want a stiffer clutch like the one Jimmy Dean mentioned. Mainly because of stop and go traffic everyday on the interstate due to eternal road construction and/or wrecks. Somedays it seems I have to clutch 500 times leaving work in the evenings, so stiffer wouldn't be good.... No matter what she says..... What kit would be an upgrade over OEM but not really much stiffer?????

Rich

 

No worry about that. Normally a clutch will just slowly wear with time and you will notice increasing slop in the pedal and a different engagement feel when you let it out. It would normally take several months.

 

Incorrect. All manual trannies,including this POS mazda unit can be matched to tengine RPMs for perfect, flawless shifting without the use of the clutch and will cause no damage to the back of the crankshaft, the pressure plate or the transmission. All manuals have always been like that. Ask any older driver, i.e. your gramps about it. All teh vehicles back then that was the only way to shift. We have become fat and lazy and realized it is easier to shift with the clutch that to learn where each vehicles RPMs match with the transmission in each gear for clutchless shifting. this would have happened in my father's generation, and when that generation goes to teach their children they dont bother to even show them that a vehicle can be shifted out of gear and into the next without the use of a clutch. You cannot, however, do this going from a stop into first or reverse, as we all are, or should be, aware.


And, yes, I have had a clutch give out 'suddenly' I had about 5 miles warning. typically you have more than that thought, and even miles is enough to come to a safe stop and most times (because it only goes out while shifting) you are near a gas station/store/hotel somewhere to park and make a call. I would be more worried about it going out in the middle of a city than on a long trip as on the trip it is not in use. Unless of course you are towing, then get it checked before hand if you think something may be wrong.

 

I stand corrected.

I have heard that if you don't do it correctly you can trash the tranny, though. I dunno, I only had one car with a manual tranny, and that one only lasted until 16,000 miles!!!

I do want another manual though, MUCH more fun to drive!

 

can the 4.2 do a burnout?! lol yea she can. just rev it up and and let her go. I can even get my wheels to spin in 2nd gear! have fun