Slipping clutch

[38plymouth]

My clutch is slipping, in 2nd or 3rd it will slip if I go full throttle. I have a leaky rear seal and suspect oil is on the disc. I just put on the emergency brake and revved up the engine and let out the clutch in 2nd gear and I  an hold the engine at 2000 rpms and it starts smoking and stinking. I have plenty of free play in the pedal. I put the clutch in around 13-14 years ago, everything was new and I bet it doesn't have 1000 miles since. Any options at this point? Maybe some brake cleaner sprayed up in there? I don't want to do that job again.  An old car guy told me to do what I did in the driveway and burn the oil off. It didn't seem to work and I was worried about it  arching on fire.

[38plymouth]

Actually the rear seal has always leaked and it didn't hurt the old  clutch. Is there another adjustment or something I could be missing?

[plymouthcranbrook]

You might take off the inspection plate and look to see if you have oil on the disc.  The entire flywheel is between the rear main and the clutch so I would think that it is unlikely.  How much free play do you have on the pedal.  It sounds like you are just grossly maladjusted.  Of course doing what you did by trying to burn the oil off will make that much worse.  Do an inspection and double check your adjustment. The manual covers the procedure though if you changed it yourself you probably know how to do it. 

[38plymouth]

I don't remember what the free play is but I adjusted it last year and put it to the specs in my manual I think it was half or 1 in.

[38plymouth]

I looked up the spec in my manual and adjusted the free play to 1 inch. About a year ago I noticed the slipping and there was no freeplay in the clutch. At that point the car had been in storage only only driven a few miles a year for several years. Are there any other adjustments? My manual doesn't show any. I find it hard to believe the disc could be worn since I barely drove the car.

 

A little edit, I was out looking at things and I'm not sure the freeplay is correct, the pedal has light pressure for about an inch and then it feels like normal pressure. Should the free play be really loose as in zero pressure at all?

Edited December 21, 2022 by 38plymouth

[chris 48 P15]

found this in transmission section plymuth p15 service manual

one inch is free play

should not be zero pressure as the whole system works on springs

i think that free play means difference in pressure when you press the pedal to contact with pressure plate 

 

[Sniper]

The problem with using free play at the pedal is that you don't really care what the pedal is doing you care what the pressure plate is doing. I always set my clutch adjustments at the clutch. I look for about 060 in clearance between the pressure plate and the clutch disc with the pedal at the floor. It requires a Helper and it requires you to get under the car

[38plymouth]

5 hours ago, Sniper said:

The problem with using free play at the pedal is that you don't really care what the pedal is doing you care what the pressure plate is doing. I always set my clutch adjustments at the clutch. I look for about 060 in clearance between the pressure plate and the clutch disc with the pedal at the floor. It requires a Helper and it requires you to get under the car

I was reading your method when I found it in a search, I will give it a shot.

[kencombs]

7 hours ago, Sniper said:

The problem with using free play at the pedal is that you don't really care what the pedal is doing you care what the pressure plate is doing. I always set my clutch adjustments at the clutch. I look for about 060 in clearance between the pressure plate and the clutch disc with the pedal at the floor. It requires a Helper and it requires you to get under the car

I do the same for a new install.  Once the clearance is established, check the free play.  As it wears, and the play deduces only the free play needs to be reset. 

[Sniper]

I guess the problem I have with

the free play measurement is that as your clutch linkage wears it affects the free play whereas doing the plate departure method you get a more accurate setup.