A pull-type clutch has no free travel left at the pedal. What is the likely result if the truck keeps running this way?
- The clutch slips and the release bearing wears quickly
- The clutch brake engages on every gear change
- The clutch will not release at the bottom of pedal travel
- The transmission input shaft stops turning at idle
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A. The clutch slips and the release bearing wears quickly
Free travel shows there is clearance in the release mechanism. With none left, the release bearing is loaded all the time and the pressure plate cannot clamp fully, so the clutch slips and overheats. Failure to release is the result of too much free travel, not too little.
Reference: ASE T3 Drive Train task list, clutch (adjustment)
A loaded truck is pulling a grade in top gear. Engine speed climbs when the driver adds throttle, but road speed does not increase. What is the most likely cause?
- A dragging clutch brake
- A worn pilot bearing
- A seized universal joint
- A slipping clutch
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D. A slipping clutch
Engine speed rising without a matching rise in road speed means the clutch is not transmitting all the torque. Slip shows first in high gear under heavy load. A worn pilot bearing makes noise with the pedal down; it does not cause slip.
Reference: ASE T3 Drive Train task list, clutch (diagnosis)
Technician A says the clutch brake should be applied on every upshift at road speed. Technician B says a pull-type clutch on a non-synchronized transmission does not use a clutch brake. Who is correct?
- Technician A only
- Technician B only
- Both Technician A and Technician B
- Neither Technician A nor Technician B
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D. Neither Technician A nor Technician B
The clutch brake is meant only for engaging a starting gear with the vehicle stopped; using it on the move destroys it quickly. Pull-type clutches on non-synchronized transmissions are exactly where a clutch brake is fitted. Neither statement is right.
Reference: ASE T3 Drive Train task list, clutch (clutch brake)