Burnt out clutch?

[barkclark]

Long story short, I was at a festival over the weekend. Amongst muddy fields, steep hills and towing a trailer tent, I got stuck and I've never seen so much smoke coming from a car before. So it's extremely likely that I've killed the clutch, not to mention my car is stinking with the smell! Haha

What's the easiest way to check that the clutch is slipping? Where's the best place for a new clutch? I'm thinking an uprated clutch for more powerz!

 

[tom2]

Easiest ways are either feel for any slipping by teasing the biting point of the clutch while stationary with handbrake on fully and small amount of throttle, car should shudder and want to stall,, or if the handbrake is poor it will drag the car along slightly if clutch is good.

Or, top gear while driving at whatever speed is around 5mph to little to be comfortable in top gear and accelerate hard staying in top gear and feel/watch for revs climbing without increase in speed.

 

[barkclark]

Easiest ways are either feel for any slipping by teasing the biting point of the clutch while stationary with handbrake on fully and small amount of throttle, car should shudder and want to stall,, or if the handbrake is poor it will drag the car along slightly if clutch is good.

Or, top gear while driving at whatever speed is around 5mph to little to be comfortable in top gear and accelerate hard staying in top gear and feel/watch for revs climbing without increase in speed.

I tried the second idea yesterday. It seemed okay but I'm not convinced. Seems to need a little more raising of the clutch pedal when pulling off from a standstill too!

 

[tom2]

You may have just glazed the surface of the friction material on the clutch, depending how bad it is, if it is just that it can get better over time.

 

[barkclark]

You may have just glazed the surface of the friction material on the clutch, depending how bad it is, if it is just that it can get better over time.

Hopefully that's the case! Can't really afford a new clutch just now haha!

 

[TheDriver]

Best place for a clutch I found was EuroCarParts. £348 incl. vat for LUK clutch kit and flywheel (AVF quattro). Hopefully it doesn't come to that though

 

[barkclark]

Best place for a clutch I found was EuroCarParts. £348 incl. vat for LUK clutch kit and flywheel (AVF quattro). Hopefully it doesn't come to that though

That's not bad. Yeah hopefully it doesn't come to that. My clutch is actually feeling a little better today!

 

[wylie198003]

Europarts have a solid flywheel conversion kit: PartNumber=CK9983F

 

[TheDriver]

Solid flywheel conversions - Good if you're going for major power upgrades and/or don't want to have to change the flywheel every time you change the clutch. Bad if you don't like additional vibration/cabin noise from your motor.

Tbh, unless you hammer your car, do ridiculous miles each year, have a remap or other power upgrades or plan to keep your car for more than 10 years then once you've changed your clutch/flywheel you shouldn't need to do it again during your ownership.

 

[barkclark]

Has anyone had experience of a solid flywheel conversion. More power is an option in the future so a conversion isn't out the question unless people don't rate them?

 

[TheDriver]

Google search - DMF vs. SMF

 

[barkclark]

DMF seems better to me!

 

[TheDriver]

Personally, Unless I was going for maximum power gains or track/competition use I would stick with a DMF. After all, the manufacturers used them for a reason.