Why clutch is hard

The cost of replacing any clutch part will depend on the type of vehicle you drive. In many cases, the pressure plate or the cross-shaft or pivot ball needs to be replaced to fix the stiff clutch pedal. To replace these, you do often have to remove the whole gearbox to reach them. Some slave hydraulic clutch cylinders are located inside the gearbox housing also. As soon as you start having difficulty with the clutch pedal, you should have the vehicle looked at by a qualified mechanic.

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Certified Automotive Diagnostic Technician. Stiff Clutch Pedal Causes 1. Bad Cross Shaft. Bad Pivot Ball. Clutch Needs Adjustment. Pedal is Blocked. Worn Clutch Cable. Worn Linkage. Defective Master or Slave Clutch Cylinder. Blocked or Pinched Hydraulic Hose. Worn or Defective Clutch Pressure Plate. Hydraulically assisted clutches utilize hydraulic assistance from the engine, and thereby reduce the effort required to operate the clutch pedal.

A cable clutch is pulled in and out by a cable from the clutch pedal to the lever which operates it. A hydraulic clutch has a cylinder near the clutch pedal like the brakes have one near the brake pedal , which pushes fluid in to another cylinder, which in turn pushes the lever to move the clutch in and out. The cylinder near the clutch pedal is called the Master Cylinder and the one near the clutch lever is called the Slave Cylinder. The Master and Slave Cylinders, together with the hydraulic piping are the additional components in a hydraulic clutch, over and above the components already present in the cable clutch.

Of course, the cable itself is not used in the hydraulic clutch. So what are the components present in a regular or cable operated clutch? The clutch assembly consists of the following components. If you find it difficult to comprehend as you read the component descriptions, we recommend you jump to the subsequent section How does the clutch assembly work? How something works is best explained by a video rather than text. The following video is highly recommended if you want to understand how the clutch works in reasonable detail:.

So how can you determine if your clutch assembly needs replacement? If you notice one or more of the following symptoms, chances are that one or more of the clutch components are worn out. If any of the symptoms we talked about in the previous section When does the clutch assembly need a replacement? The flywheel must be inspected for wear, and replaced if it is worn out. But still, why replace all components at once? However, there are certain conditions in which you might be able to avoid replacing the entire assembly.

You must rule out these working with your service center before you give a go ahead for clutch assembly replacement:. It is often found that in addition to the root causes listed in this section, an inspection of the clutch assembly reveals that the core clutch components are also worn out, and need replacement.

Only a logical troubleshooting approach can lead to accurate root causes. Predicting how long a clutch will last is like solving a complex equation with lots of variables. Any of those variables can make a big difference in how the equation is solved. Clutches can last as much as 1,00, kms or wear out at as little as 30, kms.

The kilometers that you can extract from your clutch purely depends on driving conditions and driving habits. Some vehicles have stiffer clutch pedals than others, depending on the amount of torque the transmission is designed to handle and if the vehicle comes with any type of clutch assist.

However, if you feel that the clutch pedal is way too hard to press, then there could definitely be something wrong within the system.

Below are some of the most common causes of a clutch pedal being hard to press down. If your clutch is too stiff, one of the simplest things you can check is the clutch pedal adjustment. If the clutch is way out of spec, the clutch may be partially or even fully disengaged while the clutch pedal rests at the top of its travel.

Before diving too deep into troubleshooting, verify that your clutch pedal has been adjusted properly. The cross shaft is a lever in the transmission that is responsible for transferring the pressure of your foot to the clutch release bearing, which disengages the clutch. It is linked to the clutch fork and cable components.

If your cross shaft were to wear or bend, then it may cause problems when it comes to pressing down on the clutch pedal. It could also impair the performance of your entire transmission, too. The clutch pivot ball is designed to make the operation of the clutch feel as smooth as possible. It is what gives the clutch pedal that smooth feel when you press down on it with your foot.

But if the clutch pivot ball were to get worn out or damaged, the smoothness of the feel will start to fade. Instead, you will be left with a stiffer clutch pedal that will require more force to press down. If you have small items on the floor of your vehicle, it is possible that one of these small items might be caught underneath the clutch pedal.

If you ever need to press down hard on the clutch pedal, make sure there is nothing underneath it. Otherwise, it could damage the pedal or prevent you from disengaging the clutch. Even worse, the object can get stuck under your brake pedal with much dire consequences. The clutch cable is what connects the clutch pedal to the clutch linkage in many vehicles.

When you press down on the clutch pedal, it causes the cable to pull on the linkage so that the clutch becomes disengaged. Once the clutch is disengaged, you can shift the gears of the transmission safely. But if the clutch cable is stretched too much or broken, then you will have to press down harder on the clutch pedal to disengage the clutch. The clutch linkage consists of the many hydraulic or mechanical components which allow the clutch to function properly.

Aside from the clutch pedal, the linkages consist of various arms and rods. When you press down on the clutch pedal, the linkage multiples this force so that it can impact the pressure plate. This creates the necessary force to disengage the clutch on demand. The clutch pedal assembly is the structure that mounts the clutch pedal to the firewall. Some vehicles have rather flimsy clutch pedal assemblies that may bend over time, or when used aggressively.

Aftermarket clutches are often designed to hold more torque than the clutch that the car was originally sold with. Check forums for your vehicle and reviews for the clutch you bought to see if this is a common experience. If the clutch cable of the transmission is stretched too much or broken, then it will press down harder and disengage the clutch.

Failed clutch linkage The clutch linkage of your car comprise several hydraulic or mechanical components that allow them to function properly. If it fails to some extent, then the linkage is unable to make multiples of force that impact the pressure plate and disengage the clutch.

Blocked clutch pedal If any small item placed on the floor of the car, then it might be caught underneath the clutch pedal and unable to press down the pedal. If you want to press down the hard clutch pedal, then make sure that nothing underneath it, otherwise it will damage the pedal. Total views On Slideshare 0. From embeds 0. Number of embeds 0. Downloads 0. Shares 0. Comments 0. Likes 0.

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