CLUTCH LIFE

[Ben j]

how long on average should a standard clutch last? miles or time?

just a rough average will do

thanx

 

[Illusion]

As sad people would say

"how long is a piece of string"

Ive seen clutches go before 30,000 miles. My old mans motors done 115,000+ and its still on his first clutch, guess its the luck of the draw, and how heavy u drive.

 

[Ben j]

well i just found paperwork saying i had a new one in 2000

 

[BenR]

well, in a bluw valver itll last at least 70K normal driving, but on a high power green one, hell.......15K?

 

[Ben j]

 

[Chris_H]

longer than you lot seem to make them last.

145k swapped mine, for the fun of it as it turned out, not much wear at all.

Anyless than 120k would mean you need to learn how to drive.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Reckon the 172 clutches will have a limited average lifespan. There is such a wide bite point on these that you tend to slip them quite a lot. Weirdest clutch Ive ever used!

 

[sledge racer]

mine lasted 70k, just changed it yesterday, it went really really heavy, lovely to drive it again! complete pig to change by teh way!! whole lot of stuff needs to come off!

 

[Rasclart]

When my Valver had its new engine about a month back. I stuck a new clutch in. The old one had done 92,000 miles and was the only clutch it has had and wasnt worn too badly!!!

 

[BenR]

LOL.....they really should invent cartridge clutches.

 

[lofty]

its also possible to burn an entire clutch off in a matter of minutes, once hot enough it just dissapears, mate did it on a brand new car, i also got the pedal to move a fair bit with 20 minutes of "heavy" use on an old company car.

imagin the sole of a pair of trainers, they will last forever almost with normal walking if careful, but skim them alomng the ground on a motorbike etc when moving at speed they will get hot and be gone is seconds

 

[Paul16V]

Mine went at about 62k. think it was its first, but surely over 9 years the clutch isn;t gonna be as good as when new.

 

[rockport]

Quote: Originally posted by Chris_H on 01 June 2003


Anyless than 120k would mean you need to learn how to drive.





Anyless than 120k would mean you need to learn how to drive like a granny, you mean!! This is a performance car we are talking about, not a shopping trolly

ill be happy if i see out 80k - 85k as i do alot of motorway driving - that should save on alot of clutch wear. (having said that my clutch cable has snapped twice in the space of 12k miles, but thats another story)

 

[Chris_H]

hmm thats debatable.

I have owned lots of performance cars (a clio 16V or willy or what have you is not what I term as a performance car) and they have all lsted 100k at least. Except the cossie it went bang and blew the bellhousing. Thats was a faulty clutch though.

Rusty knows my driving technique he will confirm I do not hang around or drive like a granny.

Managed to get from just before Moffat to Hillington last night in 26 mins. Thats not exactly hanging about.

 

[Nick Read]

Whether your fleet of luxury performance cars did 100k + on the same clutch or not, thats not what happens in general Chris. A clutch can go in a few thousand miles or in 100,000. Depends on the clutch, the car its in, the way you drive, the sort of use that the car gets. There are too many variables to say in a performance car, whatever you think that is, a clutch will do over 100k.

Race and rally cars go through no end of clutches and thats nothing to do with the drivers needing to learn how to drive. Its simply something that you have to expect when youre driving a car hard all the time. My original 16v clutch lasted about 60k, then a Black Diamond one that went in only lasted 10k. My Williams clutch was still going strong on 30k. Maybe I cant drive. Or maybe clutches just go according to how hard you drive. And no I dont sit in traffic slipping the clutch every day.

 

[16V_Matt]

changed mine on about 92k and that was the first for my car but it does all depend on may things inc of driving style!