Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) tell tale signs of upcoming clutch failure

[JStephens]

As I have said in an earlier post I made my clutch smoke the other night. Well I have been looking at the southbends and finances are a little tight right now (should not have blown my money on other stuff for my truck!) Well I can not tell for sure if I have serious damage to my clutch with just regualr driving. Would smoking it the other night mean that it's days are numbered. I ask because I was pushing it very hard and went a gear higher than I should have while trying to pull out a very stuck truck and it was undergoing more stress than usual. I worry because I have to drive cross country (Texas to Canada) in two months and don't wan't it to crater in mid trip. Does anyone know of tell tale signs to look for or some sort of test I can do to test the integrity of my clutch to make sure I am in the clear or does this situation mean its done for. By the way my only mod for now is an EZ set on the lowest level.

 

[Cumminsman]

jmho, but my stock clutch was smoked bad at 20k miles, then again at 42k, then again at 54k, and once more at 60k. it lasted until 67k. but when it failed we were towing a 97 dodge ram 3500 on a gooseneck and still made it 300 + miles. just had to keep it above 2500 rpm's so it wouldn't slip. you can still drive it with a slipping clutch but patience is the key. like i said jmho. later, nick

 

[Deezul1]

If it isnt slipping under normal driving conditions and you arnt towing heavy you will prolly be ok. If yours does what mine did then it slipped when the boost hit a higher than stock # so keep it under that.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

My clue came during a burnout when I was in 3rd Gear. My tach showed 3500rpm and my speedo 20mph. Doesn't quite compute



Vaughn

 

[jelag]

The clutch friction has resins in it that hold the material together... . If the heat of the clutch exceeds about 400-450 degrees F. than the resins in the facing has been damaged and will fall apart and fail in a few hundred miles... One the heat damages the resin it will crumble.....



If you didn't get it that hot... and just glazed it up... . than there's a good chance it will go a few thousand more miles... maybe many thousands of miles... might grab a little... especially in reverse... .



I have an 04 3500 and pull a trailer thats always about 20-24K lbs... . Trailer weight only... . I always use the right gear... and now have about 30K pulling the trailer and about 35K on the truck... . I expect to wear out the clutch.....



Jamming gears and skipping gears or starting in the wrong gear... . or snapping the throttle when the clutch is being engaged will apply lots of HP and Torque to the disc. and can easily damage the springs and carrier of the disc... This will cause disc failure and is a different failure than heat... this will cause it to fall apart on the street and strand you...



Nothing is worse than giving it a extra grand of rpm and let the clutch out...



The pressure plate will wear with time... .



Release bearing failure will increase the more times you overheat the clutch... that latent heat will get back to the bearing and will melt the grease out of the bearing and it will fail... if you smoke the clutch... . over heat the resin and have some of it flake off... . its gets into the bearing and the bearing will fail in a few hundred miles... .



Well... it looks like I've most of the above correct after looking it over a few times..... if you have more questions just post them... I'll try and answer. .



Jim