File
Motorists should release the clutch and shift into neutral when stopping for longer than a minute in traffic.
Paul Messam, Gleaner Writer
It is attached to the engine's flywheel. It must have free pedal - meaning the pedal should move down towards the floor with little effort for a distance of between three-quarters of an inch and one.
The assembly comprises a pressure plate and disk. This disk is placed between the flywheel and pressure plate. Attached to both sides of the disk are asbestosfacings.
We are talking about the clutch and its associates. It has a great deal to do with the vehicle' s running power.
Linking the engine
"Before a driver can use the gears of the motor car, there must be a means of linking the engine to the transmission," explains auto-mechanic David 'Mike' Jones, "With automatic transmission, this is as a result of the torque converter. On some cold mornings one might hear a loud howl when the transmission is in gear and the clutch pedal is depressed. The most likely cause of this is a dry pilot bearing, which supports the transmission shaft in the centre of the flywheel,"adds Jones.
He explains that when the clutch pedal is up, or in the engaged position, the spring-loaded pressure plate forces the disk hard against the face of the flywheel, which, when the engine is running, causes the flywheel, disk and pressure plate to rotate together. So, with the clutch pedal pressed down to the floor, or in the disengaged position, the pressure plate is pulled away from the disk. This allows the flywheel and pressure plate to turn without rotating the disk. Interestingly, the vehicle's pressure plate is operated by a clutch-release bearing, which is controlled by a series of linkage attached to the clutch pedal.
After placing the transmission in gear, the driver gradually raises the clutch pedal and at the same time depresses the gas pedal. According to Jones, the flywheel then transfers its rotary energy to the disk, which in turn is connected to the transmission by a steel shaft and the motor vehicle is on 'get- set' for motion to hit the road.
It must be noted that timing the change so that engine speed roughly matches gear speed is the secret to making silky-smooth shifts. If the engine is running too slowly when the clutch is let out, the motor vehicle will buck as a steer, while an engine that is running too rapidly will cause the car to jerk ahead. Also, the facings wear out a lot faster if the clutch is out of adjustment and slips because proper contact is not made with the flywheel, and pressure plate.
Protecting your clutch
1. An engine that revs up ineffectively as the clutch is engaged, or an unpleasant burning odour are useful clues to a slipping clutch.
2. The face of the flywheel might be scoured by continued use of a clutch in need of repair.
3. The asbestos inside the assembly wear as it squeezed between the pressure plate and the whirling flywheel. The facing wears out a lot faster if the clutch is out of adjustment and slips because proper contact is not made with the flywheel and pressure plate.
4. A great deal of wear can be caused by keeping the clutch disengaged for long periods.
5. Waiting in traffic for more than a minute with the clutch depressed could be the start of worries. If you expect to be stopped for longer duration, simply slip the transmission into neutral and release the clutch.
6. One should refrain from holding his vehicle on a hill by slipping the clutch.
7. If the driver must stop on a hill for a short period, he should keep the clutch depressed and the foot brake on.
A driver must not only concern himself or herself with how to shift, but when to shift. Remember that each gear has a specific mission and its use is appropriate only in certain situations. Auto experts suggest that if the engine begins to rev higher than normal and acceleration begins to drop off, the driver would have passed the most efficient shifting point. On the other hand, if the engine hammers and snorts or won't pick up speed smoothly you will know that you have shifted too early.
