My UKMY98 is up to 82.5k miles now on the original cluth. It isnt playing up, and I am not trying to will it to bust, but I was just wondering how much longer I could expect it to last? Tend to do mostly town driving and some hardish lauches out on the backroads.
Ta M

 

Done bl00dy well on that; usual driving between 45-60k; or 8 Standing starts at Santa Pod.....

 

Don't complain Molds, that's good going. If you've got a good gearchange technique and don't spend all your days launching from a standstill, there's no reason why it shouldn't last a good old while.

You're well above "average" lifespan now, so difficult to say how much more you can expect. Either way, when it does eventually start to slip, you can be happy it's had a darn good innings!

 

That is brilliant,On a normal road car..IE-astra,escort eta,The clutch drive plate has around 70 thousandths of an inch before it reaches the rivets...And under "Normal"driving..Without excessive slipping on banks,Resting the foot on the clutch eta,Its wear is 1000 of an inch per 1000 miles..Therefore giving a 70,000 ish milage before replacement is needed....However...With the scoob being..1,Four wheel drive,2,Often catapullted from the lights eta...This figure is dramatically reduced...And certanly 40,000 or less milage is quite well known to replace the clutch in a scoob...But its all down to how the owners look after it....And by the looks you have looked after yours.....
I have known VW clutches to last 140,000 miles without replacement...But these clutches are exceptional..(German again)
Well done....Kev.

 

My MY98 Export impreza have 110.000 km (70k miles) without any sign of fail too...

 

Hehe, nice one Molds

Mine is on 84K miles now, including TOTB, Scooby ShootOut, Scoobs Vs Cossies & quite a few trackdays in addition to normal abuse

When the MAF killed the engine @ 77K miles, I thought it'd be a good idea to get the clutch changed but Pete reckoned that it had worn less than 1/3 So I left it in & saved the money

Let's see whose 1st to 100K ?

 

We recently rebuilt an engine in a Forester for Matt Rus at 143,000 miles; he asked for a clutch to be fitted.

BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO THAT ! [ as they say] the clutch was like new, he hadn't had it replaced before and unless he was testing us to see if we'd rip him off and fit one he didn't need, which I doubt, seemed genuinely pleased that it was OK.

Is that a benchmark now ? 143,000 miles

David API

 

Lol! Comes to something when the clutch outlives the engine!

Was it juddering though???!

 

My clutch has outlived its (first) engine

 

Apart from slipping are there any other signs that the clutch is on the way out?

PeteS
MY99 @ 67100mls

 

Quite often the pedal pressure changes, some go light, some go stiff. If it takes up low down by the floor it's generally a good sign, if it takes up when you can't bend your ankle back that far it's probably on it's way out. Slip and Judder are also good pointers. [ for a clutch to be on its way out]

And NO, GM, Matt's clutch was behaving perfectly - probably worth selling it back to IM it's maybe the only one in the Uk doing so .......!

David API

 

Blimey! 82K! I was about to post the same question, as mine has started to slip now, except I've only reached 64K, and I've been double-declutching since about 45K.

Reassured to find I'm on the good side of average - an unusual thing for my car!

Question is, what to replace it with? Std My98 jobby, or Borg'n'Beck, or Organic? (Std UK car)

 

Borg & Beck, unless wasting money is something you enjoy.

 

My original clutch got to 128k, which to my disgust wasn't covered by the manufacturers warranty

D

 

I changed mine at 124,000miles.. believe it to be the original.. receipt for everything but with the car when I bought it at 76,000miles.. and was worn to the rivets..

MY96 UK Turbo and replaced with a Borg and Beck now done 21,000miles on that.. lol

JGM

 

Only 124k !!!!!! Was it defective or can't you do hill starts ?

D

 

Mine's on the original and I've done 103K miles.....

Judders like hell for the first mile or so, but its done that for the last 40000 miles !

Mark (98 UK)

 

No useless at high starts.. lol..

Can never get it spot on 5000rpm.. always shoots up to 6000rpm before I can get my foot off the clutch.. however quick I try and get my left foot off the clutch.

JGM

 

JGM Don't you find that the rivets grip SO much better than that fibrey sort of stuff?? Almost like having a ceramic type clutch.......

LOL David API

 

lol

It was worn to the rivets.. not worn away the rivets.. flywheel was still okay and I didn;t skim it.. no judder on new clutch except when I tow something heavy..lol

Mucky mess


Flywheel, some marks but totally flat and no lip


Clutch plate, rust on middle was after removed as it got rained on


and the clutch plate


JGM

 

Although it may be stating the obvious, clutch life is also influenced by the driving pattern of the car/driver. A car that spends a good proportion of its life on m'ways and dual carriageways will, generally, have a longer clutch life.

Unfortunately, I spend much of my working life driving up and down m'ways etc - one of the few consolations being not having to replace clutches too often

My present car (JDM Forester S/tb) has covered 134,000 miles on the original clutch (but now won't be long before it needs replacing).

Previously I had a UK Leggy Turbo which when chopped in for the S/tb had covered 196,000 miles on its original clutch!

 

Just revisited this. Wow, a few replies! Would seem I am doing very well with this clutch. I will keep my fingers crossed that it continues to hold its own against those occasional launches in anger

 

I'm on 82000 miles on my original clutch. Touch wood it will last a long time. Seems fine at the moment.

 

76k miles on mine

bought the car on 56k miles
not sure if its been replaced before, but its unlikley

ive did about 80 drag runs in the car now
still working fine

 

Just had mine replaced at 92k (my99 uk turbo), which I thought was good going but for a variety of reasons (not least of which I kind of had 100k in my sights!!) I wish I hadn't. But that's another story

 

I think I may have jinxed myself

Since I started this thread I have done about 450 miles. I've always had the cold start judders but it has now started to do this a bit when hot. Is it all about to go wrong..?

 

Narrr it will let you know when it has had enough.. usually in fifth when you floor it and the speedo doesn't move but the revs increase towards to the redline.. lol

JGM

 

Thanks JGM, needed cheering!

Bank account has been hit for all sorts recently plus I am due a service and MOT so didnt want the clutch cost right now!

Strange why its started doing it though...

 

How I understand it is that the flywheel is spinning and you lift the clutch pedal to engage the clutch and it is engaging on high spots on the flywheel (deposits from the clutch, burn marks etc)
and this causes the judder the clutch then engages as normal.

Sometimes a high rpm launch can burn off the deposits and the judder goes until it builds up again and sometimes not. it is similar situation as with warped brake disks/deposits on them.

Personnally I just used to pull away with a little more revs and thus lift the clutch a bit quicker and then the judder is less noticable.

Since fitting the borg and beck clutch now 22,000miles ago I have only had cold clutch judder the day after doing some towing.. no problems even after a few runs a Evlington drag strip and car is now running around 300bhp.

JGM

 

Serves me write for speaking up ! 5 K miles later (108000) and mines started to slip ....

Bugger !

Looks like I won't be getting my FMIC just yet after all

Mark