General information and device

The clutch performs two tasks in the car: when the gears are engaged, it breaks the connection between the engine and the gearbox and ensures smooth starting from a stop when starting to move.

The main parts of the clutch are the pressure plate, the driven plate and the clutch release bearing.

The pressure plate is connected to a flywheel mounted on the engine crankshaft flange. Between the pressure plate and the flywheel is a driven disk, which is pressed against the flywheel by the pressure plate. The driven disk is mounted on the input shaft of the gearbox.

When the clutch pedal is depressed, the clutch release bearing is pressed against the pressure plate spring through the cable and the lever. As a result, the pressure on the pressure plate is reduced and the clutch disc is no longer pressed against the flywheel. The clutch between the engine and gearbox is broken. When the clutch pedal is released, the pressure plate presses the clutch disc against the flywheel again. The grip is restored.

Each time the clutch is in operation, friction wears out the friction linings of the driven disk as a result of friction. However, its service life corresponds to more than 100,000 km. Disc wear largely depends on the load (e.g. a trailer) and driving style. The clutch does not require maintenance, sometimes it is only necessary to adjust the free play of the pedal (as the lining of the driven disk wears, the pedal rises).