Clutch Drag

[peterg]

Thanks Martin,
The clutch engages when the pedal is nearly fully up. as said, it is a new clutch fitted by a highly regarded Bristol specialist who said that is how modern clutches should operate.

Personally I prefer a clutch that engages a little earlier. It gives me more feel.

Because my tick over is nearer to 750 rpm a loss of 300 rpm puts me close to stalling when the engine is warm.

Regards, Peter

[penman]

Hi
That is certainly not my experience with my everyday car.
I prefer a clutch to start biting quite low as that way the heel can be kept on the floor for fine adjustment of position.
Also a clutch starting to bite near the top is in imminent danger of not having any free play in the mechanism when fully up thus leading to accelerated clutch wear.
The cynic in me asks "Why would a garage set the clutch bite high?".

Originally Posted by peterg

Thanks Martin,
The clutch engages when the pedal is nearly fully up. as said, it is a new clutch fitted by a highly regarded Bristol specialist who said that is how modern clutches should operate.

Personally I prefer a clutch that engages a little earlier. It gives me more feel.

Because my tick over is nearer to 750 rpm a loss of 300 rpm puts me close to stalling when the engine is warm.

Regards, Peter

[Ronald G. Stephenson]

I too, am one of those 'half-way-up' people, and always insist on my preference. I believe that the release bearing needs some free play, and if the pedal engagement is way up, it is usually a sign that it is time for a new clutch disc. Not a lot of material on these things, and a poor driver can destroy one in a short time. The least amount of slippage is best, and I had one everyday driver that had a clutch lasting 180,000 miles, and that is not an exageration.