Well, popping the clutch repeatedly in a souped up Barracuda to burn rubber blew it out. And there was no doubt. That’s a lot of energy, or torque, suddenly applied to machinery that isn’t already turning at that rate. So mildly popping the clutch to clutch-start a car can’t be helping it. Granted, it’s not going to blow out the clutch (at least not as quickly), but there has GOT to be wear and tear that reduces its life.
I usually put it in first and keep the clutch pushed in and the brake on, unless it’s a longer light. Then I shift to neutral and let my clutch out and keep my brake applied, mostly to rest my clutch foot.
I only use the handbrake when my car is parked. I’ve tried to use it on hills but coordinating the timing has proven to be just as hard as learning how to drive a stick in the first place. Since I’ve been driving sticks now for 20+ years and can start on hills without using the handbrake or rolling back, I leave it.
Inspired by this thread, I have actually been monitoring my clutch/neutral/brake behaviour in various kinds of stoppage situations, because at this stage in my driving career the behaviour is so ingrained that it is virtually unconscious. And it seems that I do indeed put the handbrake on and then the gearbox into neutral as soon as I come to a red light. Anything less than that just feels sloppy to me. If I’m in a stop-start queue then I do just use the clutch and foot brake, but for any proper kind of stop, it’s neutral + handbrake.
As for hill starts, I personally hate it when I’m queuing uphill and the person in front of me relies on their brakes + clutch to hold them. What if something distracts them while they’re in the “rolling back” phase of their clutch-riding oscillation? No doubt they feel that they are in total control, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I’d rather they just engaged the damn handbrake. Yes, handbrake hill starts take a bit of practice, because you have to coordinate three limbs rather than two. But it takes maybe half an hour to get the hang of it, if that. Find a slope where it is safe to roll backwards, and practise it a few times until you get it.
In general clutches die for one of three reasons
- Wear. All or most of the friction material is worn away. Usually found in either high mile cars or people who ride the clutch (leave their foot on the clutch while driving)
- Slipping. Caused by a weak pressure plate. Usually caused by excessive heat weakening the springs. Often caused by riding the clutch while driving.
- Exploded clutch plate (springs blown out, clutch lining stripped off of disc. Caused by over reving the clutch or an instantaneous over application of torque.
#3 is probably what happened to your Cuda clutch. In a burnout you have 3,500 lbs of mass that you are trying to launch. That equal a ton of wear on the clutch. Bump starting a car you have maybe 150 lbs. of mass you are trying to get spinning. The two conditions are not comparable.
I can’t see how bump starting a car can blow a healthy clutch.
Never said it would blow a healthy clutch. The conversations have been about saving wear on the clutch. Bump starting a car on a regular basis is not a way to save wear on it.
For that matter, ANY usage equates to wear, so holding the clutch in while stopped does, indeed, cause wear, but on such a minimal basis that I wouldn’t worry about it. Same for bump starting a car. I’m not really worried about the clutch; it’ll usually handle it just fine. But rest assured, it still equals wear over a long run.
I kinda enjoy rolling backwards a little, but only when someone stops so close to my bumper that I can’t even see his out of my side view mirror. Startles the crap out of them when they see that rollback. But not to worry; I won’t actually hit them. I like my vehicle a whole lot more than I like theirs, and that includes even avoiding a scratch on my bumper.
The other thing I like about it is that I’ve made a habit of allowing a slight rollback at stop signs on a hill. That way, a cop can’t say that I failed to come to a complete stop and write me a ticket. Finally had to use it in my defense. I had to subpoena the dashcam video to show my truck actually rolled back a few inches, therefore stopping completely from a forward movement. Cost more than the fine would have been, but dammit, don’t charge me with some offense as part of a revenue enhancement program. I’ll pay it to anybody BUT you.
First off trying to get the rotating mass of the engine rotating is an order of magnitude or two easier than getting a whole car to move from a dead stop. So any wear that woujld occur would be less than what would occur in moving the car from a dead stop on flat ground.
Furthermore to be seriously anal about it, holding the pedal in causes NO wear on the clutch, it might however cause some wear on the throwout bearing.
For more information on this go read post #57
<SIGH>
Clutch, bearing, the whole thread has been about saving wear and tear. More, less, it’s still been about saving wear and tear. Yes, to be seriously “anal” (where do they get that expression; it’s “PEDANTIC”!), I’m just as guilty of it by responding to you. My apologies to everyone else.