Very few drivers are competent-just listen as you walk along a road.-on the throttle before they release the clutch.

Not to mention those who 'hold' cars on the clutch, e.g. facing uphill at red traffic lights, instead of using the handbrake and a proper hill-start.

They don`t always fail because of slippage, weak components they are made up from can let them down as some old Vauxhall presure plates used to give in,and so did the release bearing very poor materials years ago

Mind you so much is made of plastic now

Some clutches are just not up to the job, the clutch for the last of the 1.8 Vectras is only 3mm bigger than that in a 1.0 Corsa, in a car weighing far more and producing over twice the power. A lot of clutch failures are due to the release bearing breaking up, the wee tiny bearings in PSA cars get the awards for most useless bearing, nearly ever 406 90bhp HDI I come across has had the bearing sieze and eat its way through the diaphragm fingers. Some Fiats also have a huge stupid plastic release bearing, they come out in a mass of melted goo.

By far the toughest clutches I see are the older Toyota ones, proper metal release bearings, clips on the pressure plate to pull the face back instead of relying on the drive straps and the diaphragms never apear to wear. Good workmanship!

Causes of clutch failure , just a few more other than misuse , although a few cross paths

Diaphram spring breaks, 2 Diaphram finger snap due to release bearing wearing through spring fingers ! normally caused my mal adjustment or constantly sitting with foot on pedal or long periods at Traffic lights and junctions ! 3 Torsional strap failure due to bump starts ! 4 Failure due to oil contamination 6 Centre plate spring failure due to iether bad driving or engine missfire, sometimes caused my recon units having been fitted with old torsional springs ! 7 failure of clutches due to poor build quality, normally remanufactuered or recon units that have been poorly built ! 8 Water ingress due to driving through floods

Actually erm that reminds me my origional wee Renault 5 had the thrust bearing replaced at 40,000, clutch was perfect mind.

PS

All good stuff as above, I must unfortunately run across some proper driving dorks in the course of my work as excessive revving, riding the clutch etc etc seem to be regarded as "normal" & unavoidable.

Plus reading some of the stories in the HJ motoring section in the Saturday Telegraph

*********************************

PS a steering rack only be's £170 + £100 to fit so until she needs a timing belt?......Hmmmmm finger crossed there

We are therefore apparently back in business.

I am by the way finally realizing the true cost of running an older high milage car, but hey it amuses me

Anyway I have her entered for the Local Council run Classic Car run in June.

10 years & older , so both her and the Steyr Puch are going..........Hey! its free to enter

PPPS

They are going to run as brung ie stinking dirty, complete with dents & dings

tee hee

Edited by dieseldogg on 05/05/2011 at 11:41

OP obviously gloating at his own highly honed skill and mechanical sympathy. Such irony that the power steering fails shortly afterwards ;)

There is no myth - clutches fail simply because of "wear and tear"

The pre DMF 1.9tdi in the galaxy has a reasonably well designed and dimensioned clutch and a lowish first gear. The engine is also a slogger - pulling well from idle revs - so a rapid full engagement of the clutch is possible avoiding slip.

Other engines, particularly petrol need much more slipping to get a car/caravan moving.

Yes mechanical sympathy can make a tremendous difference, as can driving on motorways vs inner city use - but the OPs statement that there was "No signs of wear or slippage" is BS. Strip the clutch and measure the lining.

If the OP did 234,000 miles of inner city driving then that might be impressive....

On the other hand power steering shouldnt fail - possibly due to "Driver Neglect, misuse or damage"??

;)

btw Brakes and clutches are classed as "wear and tear" items and are usually excluded from a vehicle warranty.

Edited by brum on 05/05/2011 at 11:47