Introduction to Clutches

Purpose: The purpose of a clutch is to provide a means to connect and disconnect the engine from
the rest of the driveline. The clutch must provide a mechanical coupling or connection between the
engine's flywheel and the transmission's input shaft to transfer the power and torque from the engine
to the transmission, which may be either stationary (getting started) or rotating at a different speed
(up-shifting or down-shifting). The clutch has performed its function when the engine and
transmission are rotating at the same speed. The clutch connects the two shafts so that they can
either be locked together and spin at the same speed, or be decoupled and spin at different speeds.
In a car, you need a clutch because the engine spins all the time and the car wheels don't. In order for
a car to stop without killing the engine, the wheels need to be disconnected from the engine
somehow. The clutch allows us to smoothly engage a spinning engine to a non-spinning transmission
by controlling the slippage between them.
The clutch must do this smoothly and efficiently without causing any jerking or sudden engagements
or disengagements. The clutch has other functions as well it must absorb powerful engine power
pulsations so they are not transmitted through the driveline. The clutch accomplishes these tasks
through careful design and the use of both static and sliding or kinetic friction.
What is friction? Friction exists between any two bodies in contact with one another.



Friction:
Is the resistance to movement exerted by two objects in contact with each other.
There are two basic types of friction, Static and Sliding or Kinetic friction.


Static Friction:
Is the resistance to motion between two stationary
objects.







Sliding Friction:
Is the resistance between a moving object and a stationary
object.











Coefficient of Friction: The amount of
friction between two surfaces is expressed as
the coefficient of friction (COF). Coefficient of
friction is equal to the pounds of pull divided
by the weight of the object. It is important to
note that the coefficient of friction changes for
different materials and the state of those
materials, smooth, rough etc.

Factors that affect friction are:
a) The pressure exerted on the surface.
b) The coefficient of friction between the
materials in contact.
c) The surface contact area of the objects.

Changing any of these three factors will
change the actual friction between the
materials in contact.



Automobile Clutch
The automobile clutch uses both static and sliding friction to do its job. Static friction is used to
transmit the torque from the engine to the wheel is normal driving conditions when we require power
to be transmitted with no slipping. Sliding friction is utilized when we start to engage the clutch, (the
beginning of coupling the engine and the transmission), to provide some slippage so that the
engagement is smooth and not jerky.
This is accomplished by careful selection of three things, the size of the clutch elements, the
coefficient of friction of the elements and the clamping force between the pressure plate, the flywheel
and the clutch disc. A change in any of these three things will cause a change in both the way a
clutch reacts when coupling to the transmission and in its capacity to transmit torque.


In the figure at above, you can see that the flywheel is connected to the engine, and the clutch cover
which contains the pressure plate the pressure control springs, (in this case a Diaphragm or Bellville
type spring), is bolted to the flywheel. The clutch friction disc is the only part connected to the
transmission so all rotational input and torque must be delivered to the transmission through the disc.
When your foot is off the pedal, the spring pushes the pressure plate against the clutch friction disc,
squeezing it between the pressure plate and the flywheel. The friction locks the engine flywheel to the
transmission input shaft, causing them to spin at the same speed. The amount of force the clutch can
hold depends on the friction between the clutch plate and the flywheel, and how much force the
spring puts on the pressure plate. When the clutch pedal is pushed, (in a diaphragm or Belleville
spring clutch), a cable, mechanical linkage or hydraulic piston pushes on the release fork, which
presses the throw-out or release bearing against the middle of the diaphragm spring. As the middle of
the diaphragm spring is pushed in, a pivot ring near the outside of the spring causes the outside edge
of the spring to move away from the pressure plate.
Pressure plate drive straps pull the pressure plate away from the clutch
disc. These drive straps also connect the pressure plate to the clutch
cover. The drive strap pictured at right is damaged, (bent), it should
look almost straight. This damage may cause a poor release condition
and clashing shifts.







In a coil spring style clutch the throw-out bearing pushes
on a set of levers that are mounted so that they pivot on
the clutch cover and lever the springs to a collapsed
position which then frees the pressure plate. This releases
the clutch disc from the
spinning engine
flywheel.







Components.
The clutch components are as follows
Pilot bearing.
The pilot bearing supports the end of the
transmission input shaft that is closest to the
engine; the other end of course is supported
by the transmission input bearing.
The bearing is usually located in the
crankshaft on light duty vehicles and can be
a bronze bushing type friction bearing or a
ball or roller type anti-friction bearing.
In heavy duty applications the pilot bearing
is usually a anti-friction ball bearing and is
mounted in the flywheel.

The flywheel
The flywheel is bolted to the crankshaft and
provides one of the friction surfaces of the clutch assembly and also provides a place to mount the
clutch cover. The flywheel is normally made of nodular cast iron which provides excellent friction
characteristics. Flywheels also perform other duties, they act as a rotating mass which allows the
engine to run smoothly as with less effort once the flywheel is up to speed and they help to absorb
damaging torsional vibrations which can damage the entire driveline. In some systems, notably some
diesel applications a dual mass flywheel is used to further absorb these damaging vibrations.



Dual Mass Flywheel


This type of flywheel has a flywheel
within a flywheel and sometimes
has frictional dampening between
the two to reduce torsional
vibrations.












Pressure plate
The pressure plate is actually the plate that squeezes the
clutch disc between it and the flywheel; however in light duty
vehicles the entire clutch cover assembly is referred to as the
pressure plate so we will discuss the pressure plate with the
cover assembly.
There are three basic types;
The Diaphragm spring type, which uses a diaphragm or
Bellville spring to apply the clamping force to the clutch disc.
This type is by far the most popular because the clamp load is
not lost as the clutch disc wears as in coil spring types.



The coil spring type, this type uses a series of coil springs
around the clutch cover to apply the clamp load. As the clutch
disc wears these springs must elongate to make up the
increased distance from the clutch cover to the disc so as the
disc wears the clamp load is lessened which not a desirable
trait the springs must be made heavier than necessary to
compensate resulting in an increase in effort required to
release the clutch when it is new. The clamp load is also
affected by centrifugal force as the clutch rpm increase the coil
spring are distorted outward causing a lessening of clamp load.






The Semi-Centrifugal coil spring type.
This type has weighted release lever that take advantage
of the centrifugal force generated by the spinning clutch
cover. The weights on the outside of the lever cause
clamp load to be increased as the clutch rpm increases.
This allows lighter weight spring to be used resulting in
less pedal effort to release the clutch.





Clutch disc or friction disc

The clutch disc is the
only driven member of
the clutch assembly
the pressure plate and
flywheel are the
driving members.
There are two basic
types of discs
dampened and rigid.
The dampened disc is
used to smooth out
and absorb torsional
vibrations and is by far
the most popular type.
The rigid disc does
not absorb torsionals
and is used in
situations where a
dampened disc would
not survive, i.e.
Racing applications
and heavy duty off
road.




The dampened disc is
actually a sandwich of three
separate flanges or pieces;
The central hub which is
actually splined to the
transmission input shaft and
contains the torsional
springs.
The cover plate is on the
front of the disc and limits
the rotation of the retainer
flange around the hub.
The retainer plate is on the
back and transfers the
motion to the hub through
the torsional springs it is
also connected to the
friction facings.


This arrangement allows the
friction facings and the retainer flange to rotate around the central hub within the limits of stop pins
and transfers the power to the hub through the torsional springs. This allows the springs to absorb
torsional vibrations. In some heavier applications where torsionals would be higher friction material is
used between the flanges to greater enhance the absorption.

The friction facings themselves are actually attached to cushion segments which
in turn are riveted to the retainer flange. These cushion segments are actually
wave type springs that flatten out when the clutch is engaged. These springs
cause a smoother engagement by allowing clamp force to build up more
gradually and they also help to ensure disengagement of the disc on clutch
release.

The rigid disc at right is used in more severe service applications and does not
have these vibration absorbing features.

There are also two broad categories of clutch
disc facing material they are Organic facings
and Ceramic facings.
Organic facings are usually full face linings like the disc seen at left.
Facings can be bonded or riveted to the disc although riveting is
the most popular attachment method. Full face lining will typically
have grooves cut from the centre to the outside edge to assist in
cooling and material removal. Organic facings are made from a
variety of materials including cotton fibre, rubber compounds,
bronze or aluminium wire and these are usually embedded in a
matrix of asbestos or other base fibre. Care must be taken when
servicing clutches to avoid breathing in hazardous material
although asbestos is not used prolifically in North America you may
still come across it and the long term health consequences of the
newer fibres being used is not known so always use a respirator when working on clutches.
Ceramic facings are used in more and more applications today
because of their longevity. The can be dampened or rigid and full
faced or segmented like then one you see at the right. They have a
much higher coefficient of friction and therefore full face linings are
not needed for most applications the segmented style also adds
more cooling capacity. Like organic facing they are made from a
variety of materials depending on the required friction coefficient
and the service required.




Full face ceramic at left.





The throw-out or release bearing
The throw-out or release bearing is the component that allows us to
depress the release levers or fingers on a spinning clutch pressure
plate so that we can disengage the clutch.
Release bearings are mounted on a sleeve that covers the
transmission input shaft and are actuated by the release fork.

In some applications a release bearing with a hydraulic piston
component added is used in this style hydraulic pressure causes the
release bearing to push the release levers without the use of a fork.

Take note that most release bearing are designed to rotate only when releasing the clutch this can be
important when diagnosing clutch noise.

Release fork
The release fork is attached to the clutch linkage on one end and the release bearing on the other it
transfers linkage motion to the clutch release levers or fingers to disengage the clutch.

Clutch controls
Clutches typically have one of three control systems Mechanical, Cable or Hydraulic.
Most will need adjustment from time to time. In a push type clutch as the clutch disc wears the
pressure plate moves towards the flywheel to compensate this causes the release levers or fingers to
move towards the release bearing reducing the normal 1/8 of an inch clearance, (.3cm). This
clearance must be re-established as necessary or the release bearing will be pushing on the levers
and reducing the clamp load causing the clutch to eventually slip. This is accomplished by adjusted
rods or linkages depending on the system.
It is important to note that some hydraulic and cable systems have automatic adjusting systems and
release bearings that constantly turn so as always check the service manual before attempting an
adjustment.




Mechanical linkage

This control system is usually adjusted by shortening or
lengthening the equalizer rod although there may be an
alternative adjustment.









Cable linkage

This type will have an adjustment at the firewall or at the clutch
fork or it may be self adjusting using a system like the one below.



Hydraulic control



Hydraulic control systems are used in
many applications and are usually
adjusted by lengthening or shortening
an adjuster rod at the slave cylinder.
Some hydraulic systems are self
adjusting and some have a slave
cylinder that is part of the release
bearing these type are always self
adjusting so remember to check the
OEM service manual.





What Can Go Wrong?
The most common problem with clutches is that the friction material on the disc wears out. The
friction material on a clutch disc is very similar to the friction material on the pads of a disc brake, or
the shoes of a drum brake, after a while, it wears away. When most or all of the friction material is
gone, the clutch will start to slip, and eventually it won't transmit any power from the engine to the
wheels.
The clutch only wears while the clutch disc and the flywheel are spinning at different speeds. When
they are locked together, the friction material is held tightly against the flywheel, and they spin in
sync. It is only when the clutch disc is slipping against the flywheel that wearing occurs. So if you are
the type of driver who slips the clutch a lot, you will wear out your clutch a lot faster.

The major cause of premature clutch failure can be summarized with two words: "EXCESSIVE
HEAT". Extreme operating temperatures (excessive heat) can cause the clutch to fail because the
heat generated between the flywheel, driven discs and pressure plate are high enough to cause the
metal to flow and the friction material to be destroyed.

Excessive heat is practically nonexistent when a clutch is fully engaged. But, during the moment of
engagement (when the clutch is picking up the load), it generates considerable heat. An improperly
adjusted or slipping clutch will generate sufficient heat to rapidly self-destruct.

The most important factors that affect clutch performance are:

1. STARTING THE VEHICLE IN THE PROPER GEAR vehicles should always be started off in the
correct gear, this is not normally as much of a concern in light duty vehicles but using a higher gear
can causes excessive wear.

2. GEAR SHIFTING TECHNIQUES matching the speed of the engine to the speed of the clutch disc
is an extremely important skill any time there is significant differences in speed the clutch must
compensate increasing wear.

3. EXCESSIVE VEHICLE OVERLOAD OR OVERLOADING THE CLUTCH:
Clutches are designed and recommended for specific vehicle applications and loads. These
limitations should not be exceeded. Excessive or extreme overloading is not only injurious to the
clutch but to the entire vehicle power train as well. If the total gear reduction in the power train is not
sufficient to handle excessive overloads, the clutch will suffer, since it is forced to pick up the load at a
higher speed differential.

4. RIDING THE CLUTCH PEDAL This practice is very destructive to the clutch since a partial clutch
engagement permits slippage and excessive heat. Riding the clutch pedal will also put a constant
thrust load on the release bearing, which can thin out the lubricant and also cause excessive wear on
the pads. Release bearing failures can be attributed to this type of operation.

5. HOLDING THE VEHICLE ON AN INCLINE WITH A SLIPPING CLUTCH: This procedure uses the
clutch to do the job normally expected of the wheel brakes. A slipping clutch accumulates heat faster
than it can be dissipated, resulting in early failures.





6. COASTING WITH THE CLUTCH RELEASED
AND TRANSMISSION IN GEAR: This procedure can
cause high driven disc R.P.M. through multiplication
of ratios from the final drive and transmission. It can
result in "throwing" the facing off the clutch discs.
Driven disc speeds of over 10,000 R.P.M. can be
reached. While an ample safety factor is provided for
normal operation, the burst strength of the facing is
limited.








7. ENGAGING CLUTCH WHILE COASTING: This
procedure can result in tremendous shock loads and
possible damage to the clutch, as well as the entire drive
train. The disc at left shows the result of shock loading.












8. CLUTCH ADJ USTMENTS Must be performed on a regular basis to ensure that free play at the
release bearing is re-established as the clutch disc wears.

Other clutch problems
Clutch chatter is a phenomenon that occurs with great frequency and although there are many
causes for it, such as, loose pressure plate springs, loose clutch housing to engine bolts, loose clutch
cover bolts, broken engine mounts and flywheel run-out. The most common cause of chatter is an oil
soaked clutch disk or disks. This can be caused by a transmission front seal leak or an engine rear
main seal leak and sometimes by a leaking oil pan gasket.
Pedal pulsation can sometimes be mistaken for chatter, it is caused by a flywheel that is not flat,
warped or broken pressure plate spring or damaged release levers. It can also be caused by a
warped clutch disk or one with damaged springs.

To avoid these and other problem the following checks should be carried out when servicing a clutch

Alignment of Flywheel/Clutch Housing: Proper
checking and measurements of the flywheel and
clutch housing should be taken to ensure the
correct operation of engine, clutch and
transmission.



After cleaning all surfaces the proper checks are:

a) Flywheel run-out .001 per inch of flywheel Radius



















b) Pilot bearing bore run-out .005 maximum

































c) Run-out on the outer surface of the
flywheel housing face .008 maximum













d) Maximum total indicated run-out of the
flywheel housing pilot .008