overheated clutch

[97hondacivicdx]

Hi i was teaching someone how to drive stick shift on my car and he was holding the clutch down a lot and for a while there i lost all gears except first. I have a hydraulic clutch and I was wandering if the clutch just overheated b/c about 20 minutes later i was able to grab gears any thoughts on what could have happened.

Topic

[college man]

it sounds like the student was riding the clutch. Yes I would say the clutch got over heated. all that heat transferred to the to the clutch friction
material. its heat capability was exceeded. its like your brakes if you over heat them you lose your breaking.

[Matt]

I would check the level and condition of your clutch fluid, which is brake fluid. Over time and with age, it will absorb moisture and the boiling point will drop. You may have had enough heat transferred through the clutch fork to the slave cylinder that your fluid was literally boiling, and was unable to disengage the clutch. If it is very dirty and/or low, you might want to consider flushing it.

[Trcustoms719]

Did the clutch work fine after it cooled?
If it’s fine right now then I would just leave it alone and don’t let him drive your car again. lol

[johnzcarz]

Can’t resist posting this…….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqeNRH87KyY

[SpawnedX]

I second not letting this person drive your car again if you are worried about it. While the logical explanation was the clutch exceeded it’s temperature rating, it also means that you probably lost some material off it as well, especially if it is a stock organic clutch. More of this sort of abuse will equal clutch job.

[dreamer2355]

Quoted From johnzcarz:

Can’t resist posting this…….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqeNRH87KyY

That video is way too funny!!

[college man]

Great clutch burn out. lol

[Matt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8c0tDzyKlA

Tee hee, I love this one… The car is a laugh by itself.

[Trcustoms719]

wow! I did not know a neon had that kinda power to blow the clutch up like that!S:-o

[outdoorsman310]

lol! those videos are funny that neon is really ugly

[EricTheCarGuy]

All humor aside I agree that since the clutch works normally now that it probably was just overheated but I would avoid any future teaching lessons unless you want to do a clutch replacement.

[Author]

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