Driver Influences Manual-Clutch Wear
Question: I have just had to replace the clutch on my 1982 Datsun Stanza 5-speed for the third time. The car, which has been satisfactory in most other ways, has 64,000 miles on it. One mechanic told me that the previous installation was too tight. Another said it should have been adjusted regularly, and the third said this is a problem to be expected with front-wheel-drive cars. What can be done?--D.G.
Answer: You have averaged slightly more than 21,000 miles per clutch, which is certainly well below average for any manual clutch. The Stanza generally has no history of premature clutch failure.
No other high-cost automobile system depends so much on a driver’s habits as a manual clutch. It is possible to burn out a clutch in only a few miles. It is also possible to go 100,000 miles on the original clutch; it all depends on how carefully you treat the clutch and the type of driving conditions you face.
Virtually all clutch wear should occur in first gear, when you start from a standstill. Clutch engagements from second through fifth gears should involve almost no slippage, which means engine speed should be coordinated with transmission speed.
In first gear, it’s important to keep the amount of clutch slippage to a minimum when you are starting from a standstill.
This means that you should try to get the clutch engaged as quickly as possible and with minimum engine speed (or revolutions per minute).
Small things, like trying to avoid coming to a standstill, can reduce clutch wear tremendously. If you can slow down just before a red light, so that the car preserves some momentum as the light changes, you can eliminate a lot of clutch wear.
Aside from driving habits, you may also be experiencing greater clutch wear if you live in a hilly area. Towing a trailer can also cut the life of a clutch. A lot of stop and go in the city obviously wears out a clutch faster than freeway driving.
There is no evidence to indicate that clutches on front-wheel-drive cars wear out fast.
And it’s doubtful that all three clutches, including the original, were installed incorrectly. But the mechanic who said a clutch should be adjusted periodically was right.
I suggest you look at the way you are driving, including treating your clutch more considerately. Or, you ought to buy a car with an automatic transmission. The only consolation is that a clutch costs about $300, which is less than a lot of other things that could go wrong.
Q: Can you tell which domestic four-door sedans are capable of launching and retrieving a boat and trailer that weigh about 2,000 pounds? The car needs to tow the boat only about 400 yards to a boat ramp. I need a car that can develop sufficient torque and traction to get me in and out of the water. My six-cylinder Fairmont has done well, but it is getting long in the tooth.--M.L.
A: A 2,000-pound load is not huge, but you will still need at least a mid-size car to handle it. Generally, a big towing load is considered 3,000 pounds or more, requiring a full-size car or a truck.
If you want to stay with a Ford, a Taurus or Sable should do the job, but I would not try it with the compact Tempo. You could also go up to the full-size Crown Victoria. I’d follow similar-size categories in the General Motors or Chrysler lines.
