warning signs of a bad clutch?

I have never had to replace a clutch and don't know the early warning signs. My newly acquired Mondial T with 22k miles may need a new clutch. While driving at normal highway speeds the engine is running smoothly but the car seems to "buck" slightly sometimes. I tried changing the shock settings thinking that it was the road surface, but that was not the case. Anyone have experience with this?
Bob

 

When a clutch goes bad usually it will slip. Meaning when you give it gas the rpm's go up but the car does not speed up.

Hope this helps

 

Just went through this with my daughter's Mazda3. Drive the car at 50 mph in 4th gear. Step on the gas to accelerate strongly, as if you were trying to pass someone. If the revs go up without matching acceleration, the clutch is slipping. The clutch will continue to degrade until it slips a lot at lower speeds. It will eventually leave you, or your daughter, on the side of the road. As me how I know.

 

You should also notice the engagement point off the floor getting higher.

 

I thought Mondials had a hydraulic clutch that would compensate for wear and thus not change the pedal point. No?

 

Slip and pedal height, as has been mentioned.

Bad enough, you'll just stay home or roll backwards down the hill... cuz
of course your brakes are less maintained than your clutch.



Jedi

 

I've driven only manual transmission cars since 1982....I've replaced many clutches. Their behavior when failling goes between excessive slipping all the way to not completly releasing......and anything between.

Geffen

 

These are all good observations, but the important point is your clutch is probably not the cause of the bucking..I'd look at CV joints, engine mounts and investigate anything that might cause a steady speed engine miss, tune up or fuel delivery for example.

 

I agree with apex, bucking at highway speed does not sound at all like a clutch problem. My SWAG would be some type of ignition problem.

 

After more road testing I think you are right. The clutch seems fine. The engine runs smoothly so I don't think it is fuel or ignition related. Will have my mechanic check engine mounts and CV joints on my next visit.

Thank you all for your input.
Bob

 

Look for tears/leaks in the air intake ducting after the MAF. If there is a tear that opens up when the engine torques over a little it can let excess, unmetered air in causing the engine to go overly lean and cut out momentarily.

 

22,000 miles?
Someone who owned that car before you *really* didn't know how to drive a stick.

 

Upon inspection by a really good Ferrari tech the problem is not the clutch. More work needs to be done, but it looks like the 5-8 bank has been running rich and fouled the cat on that side. I will let you know the final result when the car is finished.
Bob

 

Watch for clutch slippage.

 

A tiny wire connecting the air temp to the air mass meter was broken but still in its insulation so its failure was intermittent. Consequently miss-firing was intermittent. This problem as surfaced numerous times for previous owners but was never diagnosed and may have been so occasional that it was not a big issue then. Engine runs fine now. Quicksilver muffler sounds great. Will get new motor mounts installed next month. Great detective work by my mechanic Terry Meeler of Exotic Coach in Raleigh NC.
Bob

 

Just goes to show you...Its time for a clutch when....

and I thought it was due for a clutch because I found out my credit card was paid off!!!

:-{

 

+1
Sounds like a electrical problem

 

Worn 24 year old engine mounts are part of the problem and probably caused the broken wire to disconnect more often. Mounts will be replaced next month.

 

My Mondial t "bucks" at times when I slightly let up off of the throttle. It's not a clutch issue.

 

Mine does the same thing and I am sure it is old engine mounts. It is a 2 or 3 hour job to replace them. I will get mine done next month.
Bob

 

That's exactly what happened when the clutch on my 328 went bad.

 

Are you sure about the time frame? OEM mounts might be a quick swap but they will cost you $12,000.00.

Cheaper options are 355 motor mounts or generic JC Whitney, although they will have to be modified to fit. At least that's what I've gathered from searches on this site.

Please post when you change the mounts. Ours are getting sloppy too and I'd love to know how you fix 'em.

Thanks,
Dave