Automotive Clutches – Car & Vehicle Clutch Buying a replacement

At some point auto or van need to have a clutch replacement this is often everyday wear of driving a manual gearbox type vehicle, Clutch life depends on many conditions which include how you drive your vehicle load, sort of roads contamination etc.

The current van clutches seem to be much more work intensive to replace not like older vehicles where a clutch can be replaced in an hour, one what comes to mind is the early Vauxhall Cavalier the gearbox did not have to be removed to replace the clutch.

Modern vehicles today we are not so lucky clutch replacement could be as many as three or nine hours to change according to which make and model of vehicle you own. Some other conditions have made the cost of clutch more costly on the customer, conditions for instance car manufacturers have adopted hydraulic clutch pedal meaning you cannot find any clutch cable anymore it’s all done by hydraulic master and slave cylinders and fluid this may not be for all vehicles but the majority of them.

Hydraulic clutch pedals have been about for a long time it’s not new technology this hadn’t matter if the vehicle had a cable or hydraulic clutch pedal the clutch parts on either was comprised of three parts to complete a clutch kit.

1. Clutch Pressure plate

2. Clutch centre Plate [Friction Plate]

3. Clutch release Bearing

What has changed now about the hydraulic clutch pedal type is car manufacturers have moved clutch slave cylinder this unit was normally bolted on the outside of the gearbox which pushed a metal lever [Also known as clutch fork arm] which engaged the clutch bearing when the clutch pedal was depressed.

So what did the manufacturers do well they had a bright idea to integrate the clutch release bearing and clutch slave into one unit which happens to be now mounted inside the gearbox just in front of the clutch this unit is now called Concentric Slave Cylinders.

So what on earth does this mean to the customer you know what just as you thought more expense don’t blame the mechanic or garage blame the automobile manufacturers any mechanic will tell you there bright idea is actually a stupid idea because now the clutch is accessible to fluid contamination from your concentric slave cylinders failing and leaking hydraulic fluid throughout your clutch.

Clutch kits can be obtained as a complete kit including the concentric slave cylinder as part of the kit however , not each are available some Concentric Slave Cylinders end up being purchased separately.