6,000 miles between clutches?

OK, the question is: should a '79 308 need a clutch after approx. 6,000 miles? My car is at a very well respected F-car shop who tells me the noise I hear is coming from the clutch and they are replacing it. Fine, I trust them and I am sure it does need to be done again. In looking back through the service records, I see the previous owner had the clutch done 6,000 miles ago. Having vetted the previous owner, I don't think any heavy wear was placed on the car (dumping the clutch, riding it, etc), so is this normal wear time for a 308 clutch?

Any thoughts are most appreciated........

 

I don't think so, but I'm still a relative n00b, so I could be wrong... Doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard before, though.

 

could be the throw out bearing in the clutch. possibly wasn't replaced with the clutch. the clutch also may not have been broken in properly, which would lead to pre-mature wear

 

This also may be the same problem I am having. The clutch and throw out bearing have been replaced and the noise is still there. It appears that a bearing in the transfer case is making noise. I will have to replace all the bearings on the three gears to hopefully get the noise out.

 

Not good. At what miles was the clutch 1st changed. It depends a lot on how you drive but if you go easy on it I would expect it to last for maybe 75K miles. I've got 50K on mine and it is the original clutch. I would bet that they either didn't replace the throw out bearing or the piolet bearing. I assume you just had a lot of noise and not slippage. So for 6K miles something was not installed right.

 

Broken in properly?

Please explain.

 

Nut behind the wheel wasn't torqued properly?

 

Assuming it was properly replaced, 6K is way too soon. I know of Ferrari clutches that have gone that fast, but it always came down to the driver. You can ruin a clutch not only by aggressive driving, but also by just not knowing how to drive a manual, slipping excessively, riding it, etc. Also, putting it in neutral when waiting at a traffic light can dramatically reduce throwout bearing wear on older design clutches.

Dave

 

As far as I can tell, the clutch in my 328 is the original one. It has 92,000 miles on it, and I've personally put 40,000 on it in the last 4 years.

On the other hand, I know a guy with a 50,000 mile 328 that's on the fourth clutch. Really, it comes down to how it's driven.

 

OK, thanks for the input. In looking at the RO from 1999 (approx 6,000 miles ago), looks like the clutch was slipping going uphill. RO states they removed the clutch housing, assembly and flywheel. Parts listed include: rear main seal, shaft ring nut, O-ring seals, clutch disk and seal, pressure plate and throw-out bearing.

Any more thoughts? Maybe the same issue as Glassman?

 

It is very rare for the bearings in that area to cause a noise. What does happen is that the circlip behind the inner bearing on the lower transfer gear is either not reinstalled after a clutch job or it is incorrectly installed allowing the bearing to "walk" in on the shaft. When that happens the lower gear on that long shaft is no longer supported and the gears howl.

Once it has started it often will not go away even after the bearing and circlip are properly installed, at least until the gears have been replaced.

It is a condition I have seen several times after a clutch job has been performed by someone not familiar with the importance of the circlip.

 

Clutches almost never make noise. Throw out bearings make noise. Transfer gears make noise. But clutches? Almost never. Ask them to be specific.

Vague descriptions of a diagnosis usually indicate a witch hunt. Once it is apart they can no longer make it make the noise to further refine their theory. They need to have a defined mission before taking it apart. If that is not done a lot of parts will get thrown at it in the hopes something will fix it.

 

For what it is worth, I bought my car Sept 97 with 57,000 showing. The service records were stack to when the car left FAF in 84. There is no record of a clutch replacement in any of the paperwork. I cannot believe that it wasn't at least once but I just cannot find any mention of it in the history. It has 98,000 now and I have tracked it at least ( I mean AT LEAST) 3 times a year and I don't baby it out there either.

I keep my foot off it when I don't need it, I never, ever use it as a brake, I never rev it and dump the clutch, I only engage it just before I stop (as in I don't depress the clutch and coast the last 1/4 mile to the stoplight) and I let it out when I get to the stoplight and keep it in neutral while I idle.

So far it is still like new, It doesn't slip or make any noise and I know that it has never been replace while I have owned it.

In other words, when you use them properly, they will last 50,000+ miles no problems. Mine has more.

Now I may just be lucky...

 

Really?? I thought just the opposite: you shouldn't keep it in gear with the clutch down for extended stops. Can you go into more detail on why shifting into neutral is worse on the bearing? My car has 56k miles on it (8k by me) and I'm still on my original clutch. I'd like to keep it a while longer!

Ken

 

My clutch went at 70k miles but that was mainly due to it being used as a track day car before I bought it. I have been advised that as long as it is kept properly adjusted they should last.

 

'83 308 with 67K on the original clutch. 28K by me. One broken clutch cable, two replaced shifter bushings no strange noises, a little grief shifting from 1st to 2nd when the trans is cold (Swepco didn't help) but that's it. No tracking (yet), no dumping or riding the clutch.

 

thats what he said.... keep it in neutral INSTEAD of keeping it in gear with foot on clutch.... i misread it too the first time....

 

....and it was not worn evenly all the way around. There was a section, maybe 20% of the disc, that was worn. Tech said it implies the clutch plate may have been wobbling a bit on the shaft, causing it to wear in one spot instead of evenly all the way around...or perhaps the hub on the old clutch plate was warped. Noise seems to be gone....we'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for eveyone's input...much appreciated!

 

Good to know. So, did you replace the disc (I assume)?

FWIW, my 328 had its first clutch replaced at 13K miles. The car has 23K miles on it now and the clutch seems to be in good shape.

 

Plate was replaced. The noise is gone....and let's hope it stays away.