I know I am going to want a clutch stop really bad when I get my Mini. From a quick search it doesn't look like the Minis have a stock clutch stop on the floor board. Has anyone looked under the carpet to see if there is a threaded hole to add a clutch stop?

 

What is a clutch stop, and what is it used for? (By the name, it implies an object used to impede the movement of the clutch pedal, but why would one want to have that? I've not heard of such a thing)

 

They are use to take the "slop" out of the clutch pedal travel and make shifting easier. When there is travel that doesn't do anything before the clutch engages it leads to vagueness, which leads to popping the clutch out because nothing is happening, which leads to lurching, which leads to clutch wear . . . . The clutch stop essentially makes the clutch engage closer to the time you start moving your foot which is a good thing.

I have added clutch stops to all of my BMW's over the years to make shifting sharper and more predictable.

 

Being that the MINI clutch pedal arm is made of plastic, I'd be a bit wary against driving it against a hard stop.

 

BMW's have them, too. You just need a stop with a large enough surface area to make it a non-issue. Elevator bolts from Home Depot work great.

 

I'd be very interested in this... I'm assuming the stop position is adjustable, but how can you be sure you're not slightly engaged and constantly "riding" the clutch causing extra heat and wear?

The Clutch on my 06 MINI doesn't really engage/disengage until the halfway point of it's travel. With the stop I could take out nearly half of the travel which would certainly decrease my shifting time. I can see how this would also smooth shifting as I often feel a bit of a lurch upon initial engagement.

I look forward to more insight on this matter.

 

You avoid wear by setting it at a point just before the car starts to roll as you let the clutch pedal out. Find the point where it starts to roll, press back in about 1/2" or so, and set the clutch stop at that point. It is adjustable by using a threaded stop (elevator bolt) with a washer and nut on it. Screw the bolt in to the desired position and tighten the nut down. If you want to re-adjust, then loosen the nut, screw/unscrew the bolt, and re-tighten the nut.

One potential problem is that later BMW's have a switch to ensure the clutch is in when starting the car. It prevents having a very long clutch stop. The mini might also have this.

 

I answered this in a duplicate post in the Interior/Exterior Mods forum.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=118557

Since the MINI must have the clutch needs to be depressed to start the car, a clutch stop may not work. This seems to be a problem with some BMWs.

From: http://www.bimmerworld.com/html/rogu...lutch-stop.htm
"NOTE: some later E36 and all E46 BMWs require the clutch to be partially or fully depressed in order to start the vehicle. Because of the nature of the clutch stop, it does not allow the clutch to be depressed fully to the floor, and may not activate the switch to allow the car to start."

 

True. I made that comment at the end of my last post. My old Z4 had the switch but I could still take a fair amount travel out. My brother's E46 330i was not able to benefit as much.

 

Yeah, just checked this on my MCS (07).

The clutch needs to be pretty close to the floor in order for the car to start.

 

I have a 2006 MC and the clutch needs to be almost touching the floor for the car to start=( Too bad....having a clutch stop would be nice

 

On my 06 MCS, there's a little black rubber bump-stop on the end of a bracket. The steel clutch pedel arm hits this in the full down position.

I think this might be a button??? I need to have someone try to start the car while I push the button with my hand to check for sure.

If that's the case, then attaching that button to the top of an adjustable extension would create a working clutch stop.

 

Bingo! That would be a great start. Keep us updated!!!!