Sudden Clutch failure
#1
Sudden Clutch failure
Clutch suddenly went to the floor. The clutch had been totally fine, no signs of any issues and no noise.
The clutch material was completely torn from one side of the clutch disc. The other side was fine. The side that was ripped off was on the flywheel side, the dealer says no damage to the flywheel, fortunately.
There was PLENTY of meat still left on the clutch, so I'm not sure what can cause the material to separate from the disc like this.
2008 Mini Cooper S with 48K miles, second owner. Clutch was the original one, stamped Valeo. They are blaming the first owner for being hard on the clutch, but I'm still not sure how this can happen.
The clutch material was completely torn from one side of the clutch disc. The other side was fine. The side that was ripped off was on the flywheel side, the dealer says no damage to the flywheel, fortunately.
There was PLENTY of meat still left on the clutch, so I'm not sure what can cause the material to separate from the disc like this.
2008 Mini Cooper S with 48K miles, second owner. Clutch was the original one, stamped Valeo. They are blaming the first owner for being hard on the clutch, but I'm still not sure how this can happen.
#2
#4
I've never personally killed a clutch, but I have changed over 10 clutches helping various friends out. In nearly all cases, the clutch was down to the rivets. There was one where the pilot bearing failed...clutch was fine, just made a horrible whining noise. The other odd bird was some clutch springs that gave up. I've NEVER seen the material separate like this.
My dad claims his old 50s Chevy would grind a clutch to dust and he'd drop the transmission to find the bell house full of clutch dust...likely asbestos dust.
The dealer will NEVER say that anything failed/broke, just that something apparently "wore out". They were being quite careful with their words.
My dad claims his old 50s Chevy would grind a clutch to dust and he'd drop the transmission to find the bell house full of clutch dust...likely asbestos dust.
The dealer will NEVER say that anything failed/broke, just that something apparently "wore out". They were being quite careful with their words.
#5
Do you drive the MINI hard? I blew out 2 clutches. 1st clutch was a Sachs which only lasted about 3 yrs with race track driving. 2nd clutch was a Spec which lasted 2 months. Spec is a POS! Burned it on a hill in about 30 seconds. Now I have the OS Giken racing clutch. It is noisy and rattles and has about 1" to 1.5" depress. I can do a standing burnout up to 3rd gear with the Giken! Lots of fun!!!!!
#6
Clutch suddenly went to the floor. The clutch had been totally fine, no signs of any issues and no noise.
The clutch material was completely torn from one side of the clutch disc. The other side was fine. The side that was ripped off was on the flywheel side, the dealer says no damage to the flywheel, fortunately.
There was PLENTY of meat still left on the clutch, so I'm not sure what can cause the material to separate from the disc like this.
2008 Mini Cooper S with 48K miles, second owner. Clutch was the original one, stamped Valeo. They are blaming the first owner for being hard on the clutch, but I'm still not sure how this can happen.
The clutch material was completely torn from one side of the clutch disc. The other side was fine. The side that was ripped off was on the flywheel side, the dealer says no damage to the flywheel, fortunately.
There was PLENTY of meat still left on the clutch, so I'm not sure what can cause the material to separate from the disc like this.
2008 Mini Cooper S with 48K miles, second owner. Clutch was the original one, stamped Valeo. They are blaming the first owner for being hard on the clutch, but I'm still not sure how this can happen.
#7
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#8
One of the ways this can happen is overspeed. Take for instance you're in 3rd gear @ 5,000 rpm, and you go for 4th gear, but inadvertently pull it down into 2nd gear, and you still have the clutch disengaged. The clutch disc will be spinning around 7,200 rpm, driven by the rear wheels through the gearbox. The centrifugal force at that rpm could take it apart. I've seen it happen! Not saying you did that, but maybe someone before you did that and started the separation of the disc material. It finally came apart during normal operation in one engagement of the clutch as you stated. That is what your picture seems to indicate.
#9
1guru that sounds solid,,,but if the dude wants a hard clutch N spend the 3k or more for a real cutch stop whining. I blew out 2 cluthtches hah and over 6K USD ....IF YER A SERIOUS MINIAC **** OR GET OFF THE POT OK........IF U WANNA BE WITH THE BIG BOYS QUIT CRYING and do it for real ok HAHAHA......JUST SAYING
#10
1guru that sounds solid,,,but if the dude wants a hard clutch N spend the 3k or more for a real cutch stop whining. I blew out 2 cluthtches hah and over 6K USD ....IF YER A SERIOUS MINIAC **** OR GET OFF THE POT OK........IF U WANNA BE WITH THE BIG BOYS QUIT CRYING and do it for real ok HAHAHA......JUST SAYING
#11
Interesting. In most of the cars I have experience with, a "money shift" like that will "zing" the motor, damaging it rather than the clutch. (I like that some cars seem to have designed their rocker arms as "mechanical fuses", so they break rather than the valves bending or worse yet being driven into or through the pistons.)
Any way you look at it, though, this is not a happy thing.
Any way you look at it, though, this is not a happy thing.
#12
Interesting. In most of the cars I have experience with, a "money shift" like that will "zing" the motor, damaging it rather than the clutch. (I like that some cars seem to have designed their rocker arms as "mechanical fuses", so they break rather than the valves bending or worse yet being driven into or through the pistons.)
Any way you look at it, though, this is not a happy thing.
Any way you look at it, though, this is not a happy thing.
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