Worn out clutch? - UPDATE: We changed our clutch! - Full story inside

[Perfect Balance]

My friend (Speed Junkie #2 on these forums I think) got a Miata yesterday, and there is a problem with the clutch. I'm pretty sure its just worn out, but it would be stupid to not know for sure and waste money for a new clutch.

Basically, in any gear, if you give it full throttle, the engine revs almost freely, so you have to apply the throttle slowly. Not as fast as it does in neutral, but still revs. I think the clutch is really worn out so it just breaks loose, but is there anything else that could be wrong. Like maybe its just not giving it enough pressure or something like that. It's a 1990 Miata, so I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a hydraulic clutch, in case something was wrong with that.


Also, how hard would it be to change the clutch ourselves? I'm 15 and he's 16, and our car repair knowledge is fairly limited, but my dad sort of explained the process, and we are good with our hands. I know we will have to take off the driveshaft and stuff so we can get the transmission off, maybe even have to unbolt the engine and drop it down a little to get it out easier. He is most likely getting an upgrade, so it's not just the clutch plate, it's the entire thing. My dad says we won't be able to align it ourselves, but I figured we could keep starting over until we get it right.

Any suggestions, or estimates on how much it would cost a shop to do it?

 

[Kylehnat]

Basically, in any gear, if you give it full throttle, the engine revs almost freely, so you have to appply the throttle slowly.

Sounds like clutch slippage = it's worn out.

Also, how hard would it be to change the clutch ourselves?

Very. Take it to a shop instead.

Any suggestions, or estimates on how much it would cost a shop to do it?

I don't know exactly, but it's not cheap. Shouldn't be horrible though, since it's a very common car.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Very. Take it to a shop instead.

My dad has changed many clutches before, and he said its not very hard, you just have to be very careful. I wish we had a lift though....

 

[Kylehnat]

My dad has changed many clutches before, and he said its not very hard, you just have to be very careful. I wish we had a lift though....

Well, personally, I would never try my first clutch replacement on a car that needs to be driven in the next few months .

 

[Sage]

Definitely sounds like the clutch is going out. That “free-revving” was how I discovered our Subaru’s clutch was dying.

 

[iceburns288]

You'll have to separate the bell housing from the engine. How easy would the whole process be? Not very. My dad did it in my driveway on his Studebaker Champ, but being 16 myself, I don't believe I would try to tackle such a task.

 

[Wolfe]

The problem might not be a worn clutch -- oil could have leaked onto your clutch plate.

 

[backspace]

If you find out for sure it is a worn clutch, and you decide to replace it yourself, it would be a good idea to find a factory (or a haynes) manual for a Miata. I've done some pretty complex work on my car, and it would have been near impossible unless I had the factory repair manual. Sometimes they're pricey, but if you plan on working on the car yourself they're a must have.

 

[Kylehnat]

If you find out for sure it is a worn clutch, and you decide to replace it yourself, it would be a good idea to find a factory (or a haynes) manual for a Miata.

Absolutely 👍. Even if you're completely sure you can put it all back together correctly, you probably won't.

 

[Perfect Balance]

The problem might not be a worn clutch -- oil could have leaked onto your clutch plate.

Wow, I never though of that. There is an oil leak somewhere, and I remember it was all over the back of the engine and transmission....

Is there any way to get it off without taking off the transmission?

EDIT: He is in the process of getting a manual for the car too.

 

[retsmah]

Definitley sounds like a slipping clutch, probably from being worn out, could have oil on it but either way you are probably going to have to replace it, if it is oil then in addition you've got an oil leak to fix.

First step is getting a good manual, I've always gone for factory service manuals. More expensive, but well worth it if you are getting into stuff like this, especially if you are inexperienced. My Toyota manual is excellent, it'll tell you exactly step by step what you need to do.

If you've got the tools, and have the time to work on the car, and feel like you are kinda mechanically inclined, then I don't see why you couldn't do it yourself. I did an engine swap on my MR2 with almost no experience working on cars, all I had done before that was changing brake pads and rotors.

I'd recommend being very careful about labeling everything. When I would unhook a wire, fuel line, cable, whatever, I'd put colored electrical tape on both sides with a label written on it in sharpie. Bolts got put in ziplock bags with labels indicating where they go. The end result is that I put the car back together without any trouble at all, fired up on the first try.

I can't say just how much work goes into changing a clutch on a miata, on my car you would have to partially drop the engine to get to it, you might not have to do that on a miata. That's where the manual comes in

 

[Jay]

Most likely the clutch is just worn, oil is a possibility but I doubt it, either way the gearbox will need to come off.

Replacing the clutch at home for a FR car like a Miata generally isn't 'hard' but is a pain. If you are going to attempt it yourself at home I suggest you have someone that is experienced around to advise if need be, plus study a workshop manual before hand.

The hardest part is usually putting the transmission back on when you need the splines of gearbox input shaft to line up with the clutch plate then push through so the end of the shaft slots into the spigot bearing that is inside the rear of the engines crankshaft.

To allow the splines to line up you need to have the clutch plate centered pretty well in the pressure plate for it to all slide in nicely (plus lots of wiggling of the box and rotating of the gearbox output shaft with the tailshaft connected while gearbox in gear maybe needed). Some cars are easier than others depending on the clutch design and clearances. Another thing to consider is replacing the throw out/thrust bearing while your at it while the gearbox is off (the throw out bearing is what causes much of the squeaking and noises when they get worn), the bearings are usually cheap but often need pressing on and off the bearing carrier.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Thanks for the input everyone. So now we are pretty sure that it's the clutch that is worn out, not oil on the pad. If we were to change it ourselves though, it might be a little hard getting to the transmission. We don't have a lift at my house, but I would be able to put the car up on these metal tripod things, although all the work would still have to be done laying down.

Another thing I would like to know is how hard is it to get the clutch in right. My dad said we wouldnt be able to get it all aligned right because we have no experience, but is it really that hard?

Also, my dad will be there to help us out, he knows what he's doing, but I don't want it to end up as a "I stand around and hand over tools, and he does all the work." sort of thing, like it usually turns out to be.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

He clutch is definelty completely worn out. If it was oil you would see smoke pouring off that clutch so fast it would choke you.
As they mentioned above get yourself a manual of your car. They are always nice to have anyway. Sounds like your dad could really help you a lot too and save you probably around $300-$500 in labor if you do it yourselves. It will be very rewarding and educational regardless. You really cant go wrong if you label anything you remove. Also take lots of before pics so if your stuck you can look at the pics and say "oh yeah this goes here" I have been working on cars for over 14 years and I still take pics on occasion just to make sure. Have fun and dont be afraid to do it yourselves. 👍
They sell clutch alignment tools everywhere for about $2.00. Very easy to line up. Thats the easy part. Just get under your car and ask him which bolts and parts to remove. Dont let your dad do it for you if you dont want him to. Tell him you really want to learn how to do it and for him to just tell you what to remove and have him give you the right tool or socket for it.

 

[retsmah]

I didn't have any problem with the clutch alignment. I didn't even go buy one of the clutch alignment tools, I just took a bit of pvc pipe that was laying around and wrapped tape around it until it fit tight through the clutch. It was easier for me with the engine being out of the car though.

 

[LeadSlead#2]

Thanks for the input everyone. So now we are pretty sure that it's the clutch that is worn out, not oil on the pad. If we were to change it ourselves though, it might be a little hard getting to the transmission. We don't have a lift at my house, but I would be able to put the car up on these metal tripod things, although all the work would still have to be done laying down.

Try drive-on ramps.

As for replacing it, at first I was thinking FWD, for some dumb reason, which is an pain in the rear.
But, given it's a RWD, I'd definetly go for it, it's so much easier:tup:

 

[LeadSlead#2]

Try drive-on ramps.

As for replacing it, at first I was thinking FWD, for some dumb reason, which is an pain in the rear.
But, given it's a RWD, I'd definetly go for it, it's so much easier:tup:

P.S. Get an aftermarket, upgraded clutch, as it will improve everything from durability, to power at the wheels, along with the obvious help in shifting.
Likely cheaper too.


:::: yes, I quoted myself, and double-posted. yes, I know more about cars than computers.

 

[Perfect Balance]

Thanks everyone, I'll make sure to tell everyone how it goes.

THe clutch he's getting is from ACT, just a higher pressure clutch that comes with a lighter flywheel too.

 

[Keef]

I'll add myself to the "worn out clutch" club. You could easily get a clutch for under $400-$500, but having a dealer or a shop install could be $1,000. That's about how much it is for my Sol, but that one's a little more tim consuming. If you have a mechanic frind or know some people from a shop or dealership you should ask if they would help you out. I met a guy at the Mazda/Honda dealership that said he'd do mine in his free time for $150. It's worth a try to ask a buddy.
Might as well change your clutch fuid too. That's easy. Brake fuid is the same stuff

 

[speed_demon]

if when the engine revs you begin to lose speed them the clutch is slipping and worn out, but if you are still picking up speed when the engine revs it isnt the clutch(i think)

 

[a112]

It's not so hard to replace the clutch as it's hard to remove and put the gearbox back.

 

[Perfect Balance]

if when the engine revs you begin to lose speed them the clutch is slipping and worn out, but if you are still picking up speed when the engine revs it isnt the clutch(i think)

Well, there still is a least some friction, just not enough to hold back the engine.

@a112: That's what I'm most worried about, I'm pretty sure the thing is quite heavy. I have all the help I would need, but who knows what could go wrong.

 

[fideles1986]

I got a MR2 (not turbo) early this year for 3k and the clucth was horrible, slipping on every gear. I took it to go get an oil change the first day and to check if that was truly the prob. I got a tune up and an oil change, set me back $180!!! becuz it's mid engine and the guys at the shop rarely work with them, and he said if it was a turbo it would of been around $300. asked how much it would be to get a new clucth, he looked it up and told me it would be $700 replacing my clutch with a stock clutch. I logged on ebay, bought me an stage 2 exedy clutch for $150 and payed $200 to get it installed. a friend over at the car lot where i worked. when i got it back, oh man i thought i was defenetly going to get pulled over, but 3 weeks later i decide to come back to brasil, so i sold the car for $3,500 on ebay, and cried the entire plane trip down here.

sorry, i don't think this will help u any, but i thought i would share my clutch prob. story with u guys.

 

[retsmah]

It's not so hard to replace the clutch as it's hard to remove and put the gearbox back.

Heh, yeah, that tends to be the way it works with this stuff. Changing a timing belt is easy, actually getting to the timing belt is another thing...

 

[Slick Rick]

On some cars you can adjust the length of the clutch cable by tightening/loosening a nut somewhere in the engine bay. If you undo the nut quite a bit, you might be able to get some more miles out of your clutch before it gets totally worn

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

On some cars you can adjust the length of the clutch cable by tightening/loosening a nut somewhere in the engine bay. If you undo the nut quite a bit, you might be able to get some more miles out of your clutch before it gets totally worn

I am guessing he probably has a hydrolic clutch. Those are not adjustable like manual linkage clutches. He simply needs a new clutch. His is completely fried.

 

[Vision GT]

If your RPM climbs faster than your MPH. Then your clutch is really worn out. If you don't replace it sooner or later, the car won't be able to move.

My friend's Subaru Impreza's clutch is wearing out. It's finally slipping. Also what I found out weird. When he launches at 4-4.5Krpm, the car stalls...?

But yah, if you're clueless about changing the clutch and such. The shop will take every penny out of your pocket, unless you know how to change the clutch.

 

[a112]

When the clutch is worn out,it seems like you are having CVT

 

[Jay]

I am guessing he probably has a hydrolic clutch. Those are not adjustable like manual linkage clutches. He simply needs a new clutch. His is completely fried.

Most Hydraulic clutches do have a adjuster nut on the pushrod coming out of the slave cylinder.

 

[LeadSlead#2]

Well, there still is a least some friction, just not enough to hold back the engine.

@a112: That's what I'm most worried about, I'm pretty sure the thing is quite heavy. I have all the help I would need, but who knows what could go wrong.

ummmm, you use a jack to hold the trans. (I wouldnt recommend taking it off, unless you're sure you can place it back on safely and gently - the jack, that is)