Clutch Kit Installation in Reno
Clutch replacement is often the most cost-effective way to solve issues with a manual transmission. Excessive damage to the mechanical components of your clutch kit will often require a replacement kit instead of repairs. Although in some cases specific pieces like a clutch slave cylinder or a clutch plate can be swapped out, it is often safer and cheaper to fully replace the clutch kit all at once. If your manual truck or car is struggling to change gears, slipping out of gears, or the clutch is getting stuck, you should bring your car in for a full inspection.
Clutch Slave Cylinder Repair/Replacement
One of the key components of a clutch is the clutch slave cylinder. This component disengages the clutch by using hydraulics to extend a rod that pushes on the throw-out bearing arm which in turn pushes on the clutch plate. Signs that you need a new clutch slave cylinder include leaking from the clutch onto the engine bay, contaminated brake fluid, and abnormal clutch pedal feel. If you notice any of these signs, you may need some repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The clutch consists of the flywheel, pressure plate, disc, and throwout bearing and release system. The flywheel spins along with the motion of the engine. The pressure plate, which is bolted to the flywheel, holds the clutch assembly together. The disc is located between the flywheel and pressure plate, and allows the pressure plate and the flywheel to both make and break contact. And finally, the throw-out bearing and the release system work in conjunction to allow the clutch to engage and to disengage.
In a manual automobile transmission, the input shaft sends engine power to the car wheels by means of the gears. The input shaft, which runs through the middle of the disk, flywheel and pressure plate, has a bearing that takes most of the load of the shaft. There is another, smaller bearing in the middle of the flywheel that serves to center the shaft so that it can rotate along with the engaging and disengaging of the clutch assembly. The clutch disc is connected to this assembly.
When the driver presses the clutch pedal, the disc, pressure plate and flywheel are disengaged so that the driver can shift gears. When the pedal is up, the components are engaged and the vehicle is in motion.
Changing the clutch in your car or truck is not dependent upon any specific time period or mileage level. Rather the clutch only need be changed when a malfunction is noticed. Vehicles that are mostly driven in and around city streets that are subject to frequent starts and stops, as compared to those driven around the roads of the greater Reno/Sparks area, are more prone to needing a clutch repair.
- The team at Levrett and Allen’s Automotive tells our customers that one of the first indications of disc in a clutch wearing thin is a scratching sound heard when shifting gears. When this occurs it indicates that the disc did not complete its intended function of transferring power from the vehicle’s engine to the transmission.
- An obvious signal that a clutch is in need of replacement is when attempting to overtake another vehicle or going up a steep incline, the engine’s revolutions go up without any increase in speed.
- Another time to consider having your clutch replaced is when a lack of smoothness is noticed, or it is challenging shifting gears regardless of traveling at the correct speed.
- Physically speaking, another sign the clutch in your car or truck is beginning to wear out and need replacement is with a shortened distance of the clutch pedal for proper disengagement.
- Levrett and Allen’s Automotive can perform an inspection to determine the amount of wear and tear on the clutch. It should be noted though that even an inspection itself can contribute to shortening the life of a vehicle’s clutch and as such clutch inspections should not be done on a frequent basis. When one of the technicians at Levrett or Allen’s Automotive performs the inspection, the engine will be running and vehicle’s hand break will be engaged. Then, as acceleration is applied the clutch pedal will be raised while remaining in 3rd gear. The more time required to make the vehicle stall will indicate how much the clutch is worn out.
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