The Importance of Breaking in a New Clutch
You’ve finally invested in a high-performance upgrade for your car, and you’re itching to feel the difference on the open road. While the excitement is understandable, practicing patience by breaking in your new clutch will ensure its high performance for years to come. We’ll discuss the importance of breaking in a new clutch, how to do it successfully, and the potential consequences of ignoring this crucial step.
The Break-In Process: Protecting Your Investment
A new clutch requires a break-in period of around 500 miles so the components can settle and create a smooth mating surface. The process involves driving gently, avoiding hard launches, and shifting smoothly. These driving habits allow for the engagement and disengagement of the clutch with the flywheel.
During this break-in period, avoid aggressive driving, hard accelerations, and high RPM shifts. Note that city driving conditions involving frequent clutch use are ideal for breaking in your new clutch.
Risks of an Improper Break-In
Ignoring the break-in process may result in an improperly-seated clutch. This can lead to a range of issues—shuddering, slippage, premature wear, and potential failure. An improperly broken-in clutch can also cause uneven wear on the friction surface, diminish clutch performance, and shorten its lifespan. Overlooking this step puts you at risk for inefficient use of your performance upgrade, reducing the value of your investment.
Tips for a Successful Break-In
At this point, you know the importance of breaking in a new clutch. Now, you can learn to take it easy on the road and keep these tips in mind:
- Drive gently. Avoid hard launches, rapid acceleration, and downshifting to slow the car.
- Shift smoothly. Engage each gear gently, ensuring complete disengagement before shifting to the next gear.
- Keep RPMs low. Shift below the halfway mark on the tachometer during the break-in period.
- Avoid aggressive driving. Refrain from racing, towing, or off-roading during the break-in process.
Breaking in a new clutch is essential to car maintenance, particularly when investing in high-performance upgrades like a new clutch. By respecting the break-in period, you’ll protect your investment, have optimal clutch performance, and maximize its lifespan.
If your car could benefit from a high-performance dual disc clutch, there’s no better place to find one than Clutch Masters Industries. We’re the premier supplier of high-performance clutches! Now that you know how to break in a new clutch, you can take full advantage of your performance enhancements while enjoying a satisfying driving experience.
