"Slip Slidin' Away"...

[Brett Dikeman]

The clutch is gone.  Advise your son that any time:

-he smells something unusual
-he sees smoke
-he feels the car is not driving/performing normally

the car should be pulled over as quickly as is safe and practical, and not
started again until professional(your) advice is sought.  Further,
anything unusual should be mentioned immediately upon returning home :-)

The simple explanation is that the car didn't have enough torque to break
the clutch's grip in 5th gear...but has plenty in 1st.  At least he didn't
recognize the smell; that probably means he isn't going crazy with popping
the clutch etc...though admittedly, in a 4k, it's probably fairly hard to
smoke the clutch.  A chipped 200q20v, on the other hand, is far too
easy...

AAA is, as you said, worth it with older cars.  It should be purchased the
second a new car gets off its 24hr roadside assistance plan.

Brett

On Sat, 30 Jun 2001, George Butler wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> Having never really burned out a clutch myself I have a question for all of you.  Please tell me my clutch disk/pressure plate is gonzo if:
>
> "Hey Dad, how come when I'm driving the 4000 (84ksq) I 1st, and 5th
> gear engage ok,  but the car seems to be losing power in 2nd, 3rd, and
> 4th?"
>
> ...last night (a few weeks later)
>
> "Dad, the car could only do about 30MPH in fifth, so I decided to pull
>over because the RPMs were getting up there, and car was smoking (BTW,
>the engine is working just fine), and I smelled something I didn't
>recognize, and then even 1st gear wouldn't engage... can you come and get
>me? ($90 towing charge...I knew I should have had AAA)
>
> He had been driving my car and I was driving his 88 5ksq until I could replace the left front axle on it (this weekend actually!).
>
> Aw hell,  that throw-out bearing was a little getting a little too noisy anyway...
>
> Any advice? TIA
>
> Regards,
>
> George B.
> Massachusetts
>
>
>