Very few things in life beat the joy of driving a vehicle with a manual transmission, especially on a free road. However, a flat clutch is an issue that has made many drivers look away from manual trannies, even if it means having to replace bushings on an auto tranny, change fluids, consider filters, get slightly lower MPG, and handle an array of other maintenance issues common with an auto tranny.
Article Outline
What Does a Clutch Do?
The function of a clutch in a vehicle with a manual transmission is to connect and disconnect the engine from the transmission. This singular act allows the driver to change gears smoothly without stalling the engine.
Simple as this is (or rather, appears to be), it’s very important for a clutch to do its job if you’re interested in driving your manual tranny vehicle at all.
The summary? No clutch, no driving – at least, driving a manual tranny safely and at ease.
What’s a Flat, Soft, or Spongy Clutch?
Ever depressed the brakes of your vehicle and for some strange reason, felt it soft or spongy? That’s exactly what a ‘flat’ clutch feels like.
Without any pressure (or with too little pressure), the system’s pressure doesn’t get to hold the pedal in a useful position, making it super hard to engage or disengage the gears when driving.
It’s one of the scariest driving experiences that can happen to you as a vehicle owner, especially if you have no experience of what to do when it occurs.
My Experience with a Flat Clutch
I have a friend who owns an old 1994 super trusty Corolla wagon. Heavily modified with suspension parts that don’t belong on a Corolla, this wagon has been with this friend’s family for as long as I’ve known him and the vehicle has worked like a true machine from day one.
With engine oil changes and all other basic maintenance always ignored, it’s a miracle how the vehicle has managed to remain on the road and haul goods and people well beyond its capacity (through the years).
However, as the Corolla has aged, one thing became a recurring decimal, punching a dent in its legendary reliability: its clutch.
Sorted, the clutch doesn’t last more than a few months before packing up again. I’ve handled the job more times than I remember and at a point, I almost gave up.
The sad part remains that I’ve changed the master and slave cylinders (numerous times) and even attempted rebuilding – all to no avail.
Frustrated, I asked my friends online. Two things came out from the array of responses I got: fake parts and fake hydraulic fluid.
How Fake Parts and Fluids Contribute to a Flat Clutch
There’s one thing with truth: once you hear it, you instinctively know that it’s the real deal.
When my friends online told me that the reason why I kept on working needlessly on that clutch (over and over) was that I was using fake parts and fluids, I couldn’t argue.
This friend of mine is a notorious cheapskate – that’s the reason why he has clung on to the 1994 Corolla as if his life depends on it, to start with.
The engine oil he uses is the cheapest that he finds, brake and clutch fluids (same thing). It’s a pattern – and parts aren’t exempted. I’ve mentioned it more times than I remember and only work on the vehicle for old times’ sake.
If it were for money, I would have looked away since.
Back to the story: an inferior master, slave (or both) cylinder is made with cheap materials and importantly, assembled cheaply.
With the challenge of pumping hundreds of times a day, it’s only a matter of time before the unit gives way.
Fake hydraulic fluid is a bit more complex – but is equally straightforward. Corrosive fluid or fluid that doesn’t keep its viscosity during use is likely to cause rust, fail to lubricate, or cause all two at the same time (in addition to many other challenges) that will ultimately lead to a flat clutch.
I picked the lessons and moved on; if you ever have a flat, soft, or spongy clutch, it’s important to remember this.
Wrap Up
A manual transmission is fun to drive. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the best things that can happen to you as a driver in modern times.
Unfortunately, because of the persistent issue of flat clutches, many vehicle owners today simply prefer an automatic – with all its complexity.
The solution? Original parts and original fluid. Get this right and you’re sorted!