Making Your Car Service Fun

Manual transmission vehicles are fun and engaging to drive, especially when shifting through the gears. Besides, they are often cheaper to purchase compared to their automatic counterparts. However, most of them have a standard repair issue you can't avoid — clutch replacement. 

A clutch replacement may be necessary sooner or later depending on the car model you drive. But most importantly, there are vital unit components you must consider when fixing your clutch disk. This post discusses five of them to help save more money down the line. Read on to learn.

Thrust Bearing 

The clutch fork usually engages with the pressure plate via the thrust bearing or throw-out bearing upon depressing the clutch pedal. Its primary purpose is to allow your clutch to spin freely when alternating gears. 

This type of bearing endures more abuse over time and may experience wear due to improper clutch adjustment, rough use, or inadequate lubrication. It's therefore essential to have it replaced while fixing your clutch disk.

Pressure Plate

If you are after replacing your clutch disk alone, take time to reconsider the pressure plate as well. Indeed, you could opt for the less costly repair while hoping the pressure plate can hold up for the second go-round. 

However, the pressure plate's springy fingers may crack, bend, or lose tension sometimes. It's thus imperative to have your pressure plate replaced as well when fixing your clutch disk.

The Slave Cylinder 

This component is a tiny hydraulic arm that exerts pressure on the clutch fork. It functions by moving inwards and outwards when applying pressure to the clutch pedal. You might overlook it at first, but if you only trust your slave cylinder's function for each drive, it can eventually seize or leak. Therefore, when the transaxle is finally out while changing the clutch, consider having the slave cylinder replaced too. 

Clutch Fluid

The last thing you want when driving, and indeed what most drivers fear, is when the clutch pedal sticks to the bottom after pressing it down. Generally, this happens when the clutch hydraulic system develops moisture, which leads to corrosion of inner components. 

You can avoid expensive repairs by monitoring your clutch fluid and changing it at regular maintenance intervals. When replacing the clutch disk, ask your mechanic to drain, bleed and refill the clutch fluid between the slave and master cylinder.

Transmission Fluid

Finally, have you lately replaced the gearbox fluid? While manual transmissions are highly durable, they still require proper care and lubrication. 

When performing a clutch replacement, consider having your car's transmission fluid drained and refilled. Doing so helps prevent gear noises as well as other gearbox-related problems down the line.