Time for a new clutch?

What should I be looking for to decide whether my '96 Miata with 140K miles
needs a new clutch? Is the mileage a good indication? Should I wait until
I can detect slippage -- but how do I do that if it happens very gradually?

I don't feel anything different -- but then again, would I?

And if I need a new clutch, what else should I replace while I'm in there?

In article >,
"South Ocean Drive" > wrote:

> What should I be looking for to decide whether my '96 Miata with 140K miles
> needs a new clutch? Is the mileage a good indication? Should I wait until
> I can detect slippage -- but how do I do that if it happens very gradually?

The first slippage will be at full throttle in fifth gear. You'll see
the tach climb, but not the speedometer. Might as well wait, since the
car should still be drivable for awhile if you baby it a bit.

"South Ocean Drive" > wrote in
message ...
> What should I be looking for to decide whether my '96 Miata with 140K
> miles needs a new clutch? Is the mileage a good indication? Should I
> wait until I can detect slippage -- but how do I do that if it happens
> very gradually?
>
> I don't feel anything different -- but then again, would I?
>
> And if I need a new clutch, what else should I replace while I'm in there?
>

the throw out bearing and slave cylender.

~Mike Hollywood wrote:
> "South Ocean Drive" > wrote in
> message ...
>> What should I be looking for to decide whether my '96 Miata with 140K
>> miles needs a new clutch? Is the mileage a good indication? Should I
>> wait until I can detect slippage -- but how do I do that if it happens
>> very gradually?
>>
>> I don't feel anything different -- but then again, would I?
>>
>> And if I need a new clutch, what else should I replace while I'm in there?
>>
>
> the throw out bearing and slave cylender.
>
>
And the spigot (pilot) bearing. These are notorious for early failure -
mine started to seize when the clutch still had another 60,000 miles
left on the friction plate, meaning a whole clutch job to get to it.

I also had the two gearbox oil seals and the main crank seal replaced.
If you can get them, Sachs clutch kits are good - they're slightly more
expensive than OEM, but it guarantees you won't get one of those juddery
NB friction plates that caused so many problems (the NA 1.8 and NB
clutches are the same).

On 2007-05-02, South Ocean Drive > wrote:

> What should I be looking for to decide whether my '96 Miata with 140K miles
> needs a new clutch?

When it starts to slip when you try to accellerate in high gear.

> Is the mileage a good indication?

No.

> Should I wait until I can detect slippage

Yes. It'll be drivable for quite a while after you start to
notice slippage.

> -- but how do I do that if it happens very gradually?

It will happen gradually. It will happen initially in high
gear only when you try to accellerate hard. It will gradually
get worse and then start doing it in the next lower gear.

> I don't feel anything different

Then you don't need a new clutch.

> -- but then again, would I?

Yes.

> And if I need a new clutch, what else should I replace while
> I'm in there?

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