Hey people. I finally was able to drive a manual 2016 JCW. I loved everything about the car but I felt like a manual novice. Almost killed it a few times. The clutch grab is very high in the travel and the spring doesn't feel linear. It's more effort at the top of travel (pressed in) rather than at the fully released point.

I had a R56 S and R58 JCW both manual that didn't feel like this. Since the car was used do you guys think that was a bad one or is the clutch just quirky?

 

My clutch with 3300 miles feels just the opposite. Engages very early and very light effort. Sounds like the one you drove might be pretty worn.

 

Is the clutch biting (drivetrain engaging) when the pedal is almost to the floor, or almost fully up?

 

Almost to the floor it engages very early in travel.

 

I'd say stay away from it then. That's not been my experience with any Mini I've driven

 

Which is it...engages high or low in the travel? Unless I misread something you stated it both ways.

 

Ok what I mean is the distance from the floor is very small when the pedal engages the clutch. Most clutches bite further toward the driver. This clutch was almost all the way in when it engages.

Make sense? Sorry for not explaining properly.

 

Mine was like that when I first bought it and it adjusted out to a normal travel fairly quickly.

 

Yes, I agree. It took some getting used to for me also. Only once, but one time I ground a gear (Oh the humanity!), because I tried to shift too early as the pedal wasn't depressed all the way!


It HAS gotten better, plus I'm more used to it.


But, back to the question about grabbing low or high. It's always been my experience that new clutches will grab low, and as the clutch seats in and eventually gets "worn", you will need to let the clutch out higher before it grabs!


I hope I'm remembering that correctly.

 

The clutch on F56 engages very low, it is a trait of the car ... indeed the more worn it is, the higher the biting point. It shouldn't require too much effort to engage and work with, it is a fairly smooth operation, even on JCW. But then i've been driving manuals all my life ...it may make a difference.

If the slipping point is highr or too high, I'd say worn / troubled clutch, or not stock ...

 

Yeah i've been driving manuals since I was 17 (i'm old) and I haven't almost killed a car like I did with the JCW. I really wanted one but ended up going a different way.