As part of the ‘Product Insights’ section of the blog we
will be writing regular “semi-technical” articles on various car parts. Today’s
post is about clutches. Generally the clutch you find in a car is made up of
three core components, a clutch disc, pressure plate and release bearing. At
its most basic level, the clutch is used to transfer the rotation of the engine
into rotation of the wheels.
When the car is turned on, the engine spins continuously and
if the clutch pedal inside the car is depressed the clutch disc is pinned
against the engine (specifically the engine’s flywheel). When the clutch pedal
is pressed a fork inside the gearbox moves the release bearing against the
pressure plate which releases the clutch disc allowing you to change gear. When engaged the clutch spin will transfer
through the gearbox, onto the driveshafts and eventually turn the wheels.
The friction material on the clutch disc wears down over
time and the clutch will start to slip. The “slipping” is caused by the disc’s
material wearing down and the inability to grip the flywheel. When the car is
driving the engine speed (RPM) will increase rapidly but the car will accelerate
very slowly. Unfortunately there is no
simple solution for this and the clutch will have to be changed. Generally it
is recommended to purchase a full clutch kit and replace all three of the core
components.
The below video from HowStuffWorks explains it all pretty
well: