How do you tell when a clutch is going bad?

[GRGT1994]

What does it feel and sound like? On WOT street launches I get a bunch of engine noise (flowmasters ) for a split second followed by a bit of tire squeel (those Kumhos really bite).

Does this sound like a slipping clutch? If it is, how long before it becomes unbearable? One more question, when I do swap the clutch out, is that a job I could do in my garage (how hard, how much to have someone else do it)?

BTW, my car is a bone stock (except for the Flows), and the previous owner seemed to take pretty good care of it and not abuse it much.

 

[wytstang]

You can hear the engine rev a little and not really be moving. In between shifts listen to see if it revs just for a sec and then take off. Take it to 50mph in 5th then drop the hammer into 3rd and see if is revs then takes off.

 

[Venom351R]

When your getting on it hard and your tach slips ( shoots up in the RPM's ) but your tires are not spinning then your clutch is slipping. Ive delt w/ a slipping cluch all last summer it really sucked. I'll finially get it fixed this comming spring.

 

[Joes95GT]

Does it smell like burnt hair? A burning clutch is one of the worst smells.

Joe

 

[MisterCMK]

yuck! the clutch burning lingers with you too. The rest of the day, I always think I smell burning clutch if I had smelt it earlier

 

[Black95GTS]

go about 25, put it into 4th, and step on the gas.. if the rpms start shooting up then you're clutch is not grabbing properly.

 

[5.0 from 95]

If it is the clutch and you need to change it out, depending on your mechanic skills, it is pretty straight forward. The worst part on mine was the exhaust bolts, header bolts, and everything I looked at were rusted. All the underside has to be taken out. Good time to change the pilot and rear main seal too.


Paul

 

[super302]

go about 25, put it into 4th, and step on the gas.. if the rpms start shooting up then you're clutch is not grabbing properly.

yep

 

[yellowstang1994]

Striped5.0 - How do you like that SPEC stage 2 clutch? I have one sitting here in my room w/ a bunch of Maximum Motorsorts stuff to go with it, it's just been too cold for me to put it in yet, lol.

 

[GRGT1994]

Thanks guys. I'm gonna milk it for a while. It stands the 4th gear test at 25 like suggested, and does not seem to slip much except when I get too happy dumping from 2500 or more from a standing start. Even then, its mostly wheel spin (leaving two nice rubber trails !!).

How hard is it to swap in a spec, centerforce or fms clutch when I am ready?