Clutch Working from the bottom or the top?

[Dark61]

Hello All,


The Brother in Law was holding forth about how you test whether a clutch is good or not. He said foot on the clutch , get into high gear - rev up to around 2000 rpm and then let the clutch out slow - you want it to stall pretty quick. I said "as soon as you let the clutch out?" and he said "depends on whether the clutch works from the top or the bottom"?!


What's he mean by the top or the bottom bit?


any ideas gratefully appreciated,


cheers,


D

[BMKal]

In some manual vehicles, the clutch engages almost immediately you let the pedal off the floor (the "bottom") while in others, you have to let the clutch pedal almost all the way out before the clutch will engage (the "top").

Not sure if the manufacturers intend it this way, or whether it is just poor clutch adjustment. I've always adjusted mine so that the clutch engages somewhere near the middle of the pedal stroke if they have needed it.

If the clutch normally engages "at the top" of the stroke and you do the test that you are talking about - you will have released the pedal almost all the way out before you stall the engine (unless the clutch is buggered, in which case, the pedal will be released, the engine will still be running, and you won't be moving anywhere.

[Hall]

That test is good for diaphragm clutches. Had a old Datsun ute with a three finger clutch. Was either engaged or not engaged, no riding of the clutch. The principal was the fingers snapped over center. Very strong clutch, but take of could be just a tad sudden. Useless when you had a load on and wanted to ease away.
Cheers Hall

[Zute]

I has watching a show on TV and the guy was saying for a self adjusting clutch, if it engaged near the top it was on the way out.

[V8Ian]

The only adjustment on an hydraulic clutch is for free travel.