When do I replace my clutch?

Maintenance/Repairs
21

It’s not just Hondas.

When your foot is off the pedal the cable is relaxed and a spring presses the surfaces together, engaging the clutch.
When you step on the pedal cable tension pulls the pressure plate away from the clutch disk, increasing the clearances between flywheel, disk and plate.

When the friction material wears away the disk thickness decreases so
there’s more clearance at any given position of the pressure plate and linkage.
The pressure plate needs to move closer to the flywheel when the clutch is engaged.

If the cable or hydraulic linkage isn’t adjusted in some way the free play gets taken up and the pressure plate can no longer reach in far enough to firmly press on the thinner disk.

Clutch_illustration.jpg800×600

22

Okay, so I gave it the whitey/caddyman test - passed but just barely (my foot was almost completely off the clutch before it stalled and I wasn’t sure it was going to happen). and gave it the chunky_azian test - passed. So I guess my clutch is still good for now? Thanks everyone!

23

I think the clutch is good, but there is an issue with the clutch release system (hydraulic components attached to the pedal). You may have a master cylinder that is worn or leaking. The pedal sounds like it is a bit soft.

24

That’s good news. The bad news is you still have an unresolved issue to diagnose before it gets worse. It might be something like a leaking master cylinder.