How a Clutch System Works and How to Diagnose Issues With It

In this video I am going to show you how the clutch on your car works and operates but not only that I'll also show you how you can diagnose issues with your clutch, like a slipping clutch, soft clutch peddle, issues with the master and slave cylinders and noise issues when you depress the clutch peddle.
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Ratchets and Wrenches, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. Ratchets and Wrenches assumes no liability for any property or personal damage that may arise from doing a repair on your vehicle after watching any of my repair video's. Due to factors beyond the control of Ratchets and Wrenches, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Again Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Ratchets and Wrenches.

[@stephencook7337]

Higher than normal rpm readings per gear and loud noises on acceleration and delayed acceleration are big time signs of a bad clutch. Excellent video.

[@preshannaidoo7479]

This really needs more views. Very plainly and clearly explained. He delves right into the reasoning behind the diagnosis. Thank you.

[@zozo71zozo71]

very good explanation

[@dwaynemadsen964]

Thank you, I like to watch several videos of the same subject to get a variety of views, and more examples and stories for clarification. You are the first video to even mention the pilot bearing, and the first to use the term "throw out" bearing, which is what my dad always called it! Also, +1 for crush pedal!

[@wholeNwon]

I watched this even though I have an auto. trans. You deserve a LOT more subscribers!

[@josebenitez2207]

wholeNwn

[@RANDsreviews]

wholeNwon I agree!

[@dominicjeanb2063]

One of the best, most concise full explanation videos on clutch systems I’ve seen yet, great job

[@RANDsreviews]

This is a great descriptive video! I posted a clutch problem video on my ZO6 2 days ago. I got a call from Chevy today and they said it's the throwout bearing. But after watching your video it could be the pilot bearing as well. I sent the message to them. If you don't mind I'm going to post it in my description on the video. Thanks for the description of the clutch!

[@amateurtorque6709]

Thank you very much for this video, I never quite understood how the fingers worked on the pressure plate before watching your video.

[@georgeotty8833]

Best explanation of every part of the clutch system. Heck you even cover the good old throw-out bearing. Awesome. Plus you've got some humour in the thing. Awesome work!

[@likits1999]

Thanks man. I've been working on cars all my life and had my first clutch car in the 80s but sold it soon after. I never bought another clutch car again, even though it didn't give me problems. I got another clutch car now and it appears that the throw out bearing is going out so you finally taught me the science behind how a clutch works and how to troubleshoot it. Thanks again and keep up your great work of instructing us about cars.

[@qeijkak]

Awesome video, super thorough, awesome flow of explanation and great troubleshooting tips. Thank you for also including information about how the computer is tied into the systems as well. I learned a lot from this video. What was especially surprising to me is that when you kill the car in a manual, I always thought it was the engine just not having enough power to turn the wheels which made the engine die, but instead its' the computer sensing an overload and shutting down, so interesting. Anyway, good vid, thank you.

[@kevinbrislawn5918]

HeyRNW, I found the neatest Hispanic mechanic when I'm lost on my car. Jose has a small 3 bay shop and he's always working with his 2 other guys. He's so nice and informative. Plus he's really open and inviting! I go in his shop and hear his guys listening to the Mexican AM station and working and doing excellent work here in Lebanon Oregon. they did an excellent job on my 2001 water pump and etc timing belt change out. I wanted to try it, but i didn't have certain tools to really do a perfect job.

[@DirtyFiST69]

Hey, dude. Just wanna say that you honestly make some of the best educational videos out there.

[@AzureNative]

Very educational, thank you SO much. Just had a master cylinder & clutch assembly replaced, but the culprit, $1000 later, was the $31 throw out fork, lol! Gotta take it back in because when I release the clutch pedal, about halfway back up it sticks, then suddenly "pops" the rest of the way up. It's actually an audible "thump" sound too as it pops back up. I wish this video would have given me a clue as to why it's doing that. I just can't figure it out. Just spent 2 weeks without my car (2002 Subaru Forester), living in the country and a full time single mom, whew! I'm loathe to take her back in, but I don't want that thousand bucks to multiply! If every driver knew the basic mechanics of how their cars work, I don't think we'd be in the shop quite so much, lol! Thanks for including your bloopers, I was laughing with you! Comic relief is so very necessary when working on cars, gosh how my dad would swear and throw tools, when he'd make me "help" (really just watch) as he worked on cars out in our driveway. He really needed a son, lol! I'm grateful, I can install brakes, change a valve cover gasket, change tires, change oil and much more cause of dad making me "help" as a tween and teen age girl!

[@utbemo]

I've been waiting for this for so long! thank you SO much! Love your work man, keep it up 👍👍👍

[@The_JDM_Dynasty]

Great video thanks for uploading this! I blew the clutch on my GTR at a drag event a few months ago.. Will be replacing soon..

[@MK-xf8vd]

You are the best. I have looked at different videos where they explain as though they are deliberately intending to confuse! Clearly there is no continous shaft from the crankshaft and the input shaft. This is extremely hard to imagine when one considers that stuff must be continously connected from the engine to the wheels

[@tykszeto]

I always wondered what those springs on a clutch plate was for.. thank you!

[@angus823]

Wow that was actually the best video I've watched on this topic. Thank you very much

[@randalminor6357]

Excellent explanation. Easy to understand in plain terms. Thanks!

[@dineshmourya904]

I really appreciate If you keep the video short. Straight to the point.

[@donnyyeo]

Shared to Facebook. Best video on clutch noises.

[@nikrous5996]

Excellent, partcularly at the time 2,09 sec to 2,13 sec, with the role of the input shaft of transmission, something that is not so clear in many other videos. For me that is a very signifigant point.Thank you.

[@HekmatNouri]

This guy deserves much more subs, quality video man. Keep it up!!

[@innocentoctave]

This is a very clear description of the operation of the clutch system.

[@edyjohnson559]

fabtastic in a word..need to watch it again so i can fully absorb the interaction between flywheel & clutch etc..and are dual mass just the same or bigger clutch etc👍

[@mapo3573]

super informative!!! very educational!!! good job, keep up the good work :)

[@semi_insomniac]

Thankyou for your video, I just bought a car I knew needed a clutch replacing, but I didn't know there was a noise from the clutch being pressed til I bought it, and I am planning to fix it myself with a friend's help to save labour costs, but I am not sure what was causing the noise, thanks to your video I'm pretty sure it could be the pilot bearing, I like your detailed explanations evn though at first I was like, huh he's explaining manual transmission problems with an auto box? Lol but you did explain a lot. You got a new subscriber and a like =).

[@b.altorany791]

The best video explaining how a clutch works

[@edwardmah245]

Excellent, simple explanation! Thank you!

[@Jursaw]

Best video explaining the clutch operation

[@rudypieplenbosch6752]

Finally i found well explained version, others tried but failed

[@spyonthesoftparade]

Why you would put a thumbs down on this I would not know. Incredible explanation.

[@stevensargent4059]

great video. explains everything really well. great job!

[@shaunabell2795]

Best mechanical video I have seen here. Well done.

[@thisthat5907]

Great Videos and explanations. Very clear. Thanks !

[@kwunmeichan8013]

4:24 Throwout bearing; 5:37 Disengagement; 6:18 Pilot bearing; 6:55 press plate springs

[@Mustafa-xm4uf]

Brilliantly demonstrated and explained!

[@tylerpedigo2938]

Hands down best clutch explainer on youtube

[@stevemarks9360]

No he's got half of it wrong! How do I know, I have worked for the two largest clutch manufacturers in the world, and in two engine factories, one Ford and one Nissan!

[@Redreels579]

Thank you for the detailed explanation.

[@SeriouslyAwesome]

Why would a clutch pedal ever get hard as a rock? That happened to me once and I subsequently got robbed by a Jeep dealer alternative shop. Best video I've seen explaining clutches yet

[@patrickfahey7804]

This video was so helpful! I never knew how the clutch assembly worked, and I always wondered. You explained it all so well, and I really like the careful demonstrations. Also, I'm afraid I'm also going to start calling it the crotch pedal now hahahaha.

[@brandonchargualaf6461]

"It's not slipping on this car" lol i love that part

[@wldmhd]

Thanks man. I loved your videos and your voice 😅 Besides you are funny. Keep going ✌

[@ceejaymillon2900]

he dose have a sexy accent 😀

[@SanderBaks]

Wow, thank you so much for this video. That clarifies a lot :)

[@hilmermelgar5372]

best video out there for clutch diagnosis

[@shul5684]

"god damn it i'm gonna call it the crotch pedal" XDDDDD

[@JerrySalcido21]

Really dope video brotha. It feels like Im learning from an Auto Technician proffesor

[@Nadled]

Best explanation I've ever watched....

[@acolston6115]

Wow. That was excellent Thank you . This Mechanic Rock's

[@tjbrison]

Great video, much appreciated.

[@TheDisgruntledMechanic]

good video and explanation! makes me wonder how long it will be until the manual transmission with a clutch will be a thing of the past in vehicles, at least passenger cars.

[@chrisgoulding651]

Expert and concise!

[@electricaljunky]

Great video bud!

[@934hifive]

I appreciate your in depth explanation! How do you diagnose clutch judder / shudder? I used to have a dual-mass flywheel and now I have a single-mass flywheel and clutch kit, CDV removed and brake fluid flushed. I get an intermittent judder.... and I have no idea why.

[@foreverwood1963]

Good job man !

[@jesbaez5229]

Awesome explanation. Cheers.

[@juelzgdo2660]

VIDEOS NEVER DISAPPOINT

[@jttylor6516]

Excellent! Thank you!

[@gamesus]

Great video, thank you!

[@davidg5704]

Great video Thanks for clear explanation 👍

[@muthegameonline]

Man you are amazing, thanks for the awesome explanation

[@Anthony-du3he]

I give you 2 thumbs up for making me laugh my ass off out loud for the vid intro😂😂👍👍

[@kishorsapkota9610]

Thank you for this video. I better understand about clutch and fly wheel from this video.

[@awanmalik3043]

Great tutorial 👌 video it helped me to understand car engine theory thanks.wish u more success and good luck 👍.

[@xyyx7559]

love your vids.

[@WILSON.1]

Wow, Ratchets and Wrenches has 605k subscribers now? Make America Great Again, man! Nice work!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

great video

[@bseely772]

Best explanation ever!

[@jonasmcmillan]

Great video

[@turboflacko946]

educational again thank you! im interested to see the issue

[@dire67]

He said, "but I digest". lol

[@foreverwood1963]

You caught that too hilarious. I enjoyed this video very informative

[@CoDisafishy]

Lol, just got to that part and knew it would be one of the top comments.

[@JT-ng2tk]

This man also speaks Arabic. How many languages do you speak?

[@tukamote6185]

@@JT-ng2tk I'm mute but my miss pronunciation is not as funny lol

[@brandonjay5146]

hey man don't laugh at my people we are doing the best we can to adjust to your sloppy second hand language

[@Palwrite]

Thankyou So much. Excellent Explanation 👍 Really I understood very well 👩‍🔧

[@rajeev_kumar]

Awesome brother..

[@CSOCSO]

I had a keychain rattle noise when the clutch pedal was NOT pushed in. Once you push the pedal in all noise stopped. Also, the car was kinda shaking when I pulled away from a stop. It turned out the flywheel was warped and burnt on 1 side. Resurfaced it and all issues are gone.

[@KamionKing]

So when shutting of a vehicle, is it a good idea to clutch down and then shut it off or? Also the same for starting it, clutch down or not?

[@kevinadmire6007]

Awesome job...

[@geojor]

enjoyable, thank you ...

[@younghove01]

Finally someone who can explain the inner workings of the clutch to a dummy.

[@juliosdiy3206]

Awesome dude.

[@upupandaway5646]

Great info as usual .I'm thinking of replacing my vw dual mass flywheel to a single mass flywheel. Anythoughts .take care and thank you for the great videos

[@garyhelms1889]

Good video!

[@Daponics89]

Crotch pedal......LMAO. best blooper ever. Great video my friend.

[@lowridingtrucks88]

Good video 👍

[@ericbovenkerk7608]

For the 1st time I learned to understand how a clutch works. A real clear explanation. But how come I have to press my clutch pedal so hard that shifting gears is becoming a real pain. Its getting worse even now I had a slave cilinder replacement. What cold be wrong? Hope you have an answer. Thanks from Amsterdam, eric

[@likits1999]

Could you please make a video explaining the difference between the single and dual mass clutches. I'm considering upgrading my stock clutch to a single mass clutch while I'm having the throw out bearing replaced. Thanks in advance!

[@JvsEvil]

thanks for this video , i have a polo playa 2001 model my car gears goes high at high speed when above 3000 rpm when pressing gas peddle down to floor , is it slipping clutch ? also i checked at bottom of fly wheel look like theres oil ?

[@SzekelyPerspective]

What if I hear a clicking/beating sounds that goes away when pressing and comes back when I remove my foot from the clutch?

[@ericgarcia7423]

Can you test the clutch by stalling on thrid gear to lessen the jump? Also, does stalling do any type of wear and tear or stress anywhere on the driveline?

[@mrhefner01]

Thank you for offering free education for mechanics. Shops pray on peoples lack of mechanical knowledge and education will force a shift in this model hopefully.

[@RegnaSaturna]

I love how all of this is still mostly 19th century straight forward mechanics.

[@al-ayoungentstailorfasalia651]

Very nice

[@alexp8106]

Thank you

[@lovehonourlove3964]

Nice!

[@TheMr0450]

He's good!!

[@edwinthetechnician6578]

Story to tell I'm 24 yrs old I bought my first manual car almost 2 yrs ago the clutch went out when I had 3 months with the car apparently the previous owner rode the clutch pedal all the time at first it started making this really bad noise when I would depress the clutch pedal throw out release bearing and then it wouldn't go into gear if the car was on and then the clutch pedal lost all of its pressure lol it went down all the way to the floor with no pressure had to replace it it's been by far the biggest expense I've had to do on my car I'm a DIYer but wasn't too knowledgeable on clutches but I do know for sure I will be replacing the clutch myself when it's time

[@exile9237]

I have a question. I have a 05 mustang gt put in a new clutch kit with new slave/throwout bearing. From the beginning the clutch engagement wasnt linear. Ive bled the system many times and sometimes pumping the ckutch helps the engagement feel. So then i put a new ckutch master cylinder since the one i had was used but the pedal feel is still the same. Theres days that the clutch pedal feels great but usually after a few minutes of driving it starts to feel like the clutch pedal is not linear any ideas??

[@justincollier4403]

Good video

[@bledarius]

There's video editing and is a real thing you know!

[@mrquintanilla31]

Like the video!

[@mapo3573]

ok. i have a 95 integra gsr (manual). was sitting for a couple years. turned it on in june 2016 but would not drive, the clutch was to the ground. never happened before. alot was going on at the time and i didnt want to mess with it. i haven't touched it since. i did some research and priced a clutch master. what do u recommend for clutch issue and getting car going again after sitting. it doesnt pass smog either but have managed to with the help of old friends. please keep in mind im on a budget. thank you. :)