slipping clutch, HOW DO YOU KNOW?

[fidstang]

I was wondering how the car would feel\sound if the clutch was going bad. Does it jerk? Does it suddenly surge when accelerating slowly? Would it (I call it drone) vibrated off and on while at idle? I have also been getting clunking sounds from stopping and in 4th gear when slightly accelerating from a coast. I have no idea what a slipping clutch would feel like but all my senses are saying it's the clutch or transmission. The trans cross member is a little rusted on the mounts.

 

[Fett]

Put the car in too high of a gear (4th at 30mph) and stomp on the gas. If the clutch is slipping, your RPMs will climb as if you were not in gear....if the car bogs...well, like you were in the wrong gear, than your clutch is still grabbing.

That is pretty much the ghetto-shade tree mechanic diagnosis.

 

[Roland69]

yea it will sound like your speeding up when your not

 

[04sleeper]

You will notice when you are driving under a load and punch it and the car revs up but doesn't go anywhere.

 

[Roland69]

It will sound kinda like a honda ----sounds like there going fast and then you see it go by at like 10 mph

 

[04sleeper]

It will sound kinda like a honda ----sounds like there going fast and then you see it go by at like 10 mph

 

[Roland69]

or a big fat guy on a mini bike lol

 

[fidstang]

I kid at my work has a Honda with the fart pipe. I could beat him in reverse. I have tryed the 4th gear at 40mph and I get a clunk noise. When in third and accelerating mildly the rpms do jump up a little but not like reving with the clutch engaged. I was just wondering if I am getting signs of it starting to slip, if there is such a thing@!

 

[04sleeper]

The clunking could be a number of things. Doesn't mean that it's you clutch though.

 

[fidstang]

It's just weird that I get a clunk when I come to a complete stop. Only does it when I am going slow then have to stop. bizzare!

 

[Fett]

I know Explorers have the same exact problem. The drive shaft makes the noise as it moves on the slip yoke. It those cases you drop teh deive shaft and lube up the splines where it slides over the slip yoke.

Just figured I would throw that in there.

 

[fidstang]

Yeah, I was wondering about the slip yoke. I just got done installing a the RNH lower reinforcement kit and noticed that the trans by the slip yoke had dripped a little fluid due to the rear being dropped with only the upper arms holding the rear and driveshaft. I have had a leak sence the kit has been installed. The Fluid level is fine, I just wonder if the Xmember could be the cause or loose bolts on the flywheel?

 

[88 Fox GT]

When a clutch first starts slipping, I notice a power loss under acceleration and it kinda jerks a little while accelerating. Plus, it would slip in 2nd or 3rd pretty easily. Basically the engine would just rev out when I floored it.

 

[5spd GT]

Here is what I have noticed when I have had slipping clutches:

Feeling slower, usually followed by that distinct clutch disc smell...also in higher revs, you will see it rev up quicker and not linear to the rest of the powerband.

Powerband seems "unsmooth", (the off and on grabbing/slipping)

Train your nose and you'll smell it...

 

[Roland69]

I'm pretty sure if the clutch was slipping you would know right away