First week clutch problems.

Then I would call you fortunate, because that goes against everything I know

 

How so? If the truck will pull itself in 3rd with no throttle applied how can that cause any issues with the clutch? I’ve always lived under the philosophy that I start out in the lowest gear possible that will move the truck at idle. Every situation is different (truck, weight, incline, decline etc etc ), but I’ve never had any issues doing it in a 10 speed this way forever.

I could be wrong, and always looking to learn, I guess I’m just not seeing how this could be an issue for the clutch.

 

Depends on how long it takes the truck to get moving. Theoretically you could start out in top gear and get moving if you let the clutch out slow enough. Theoretically. *shrug* I haven't driven a 10spd since school so I won't argue with you, but I know that MY truck won't do it. Or, more specifically, I won't do it to my truck. If that clutch is slipping for more than 2 seconds, I'm in too high of a gear. But a 10spds gears are a bit closer together than a 9/18, so maybe.

 

Great! Glad you got it figured out.

 

Can burn a clutch out in less than a minute if you keep riding the clutch, not sure it that's the problem as you haven't stated exactly why your boss says its out of adjustment. If its out of adjustment that may not be your fault, how long does it take once you depress the clutch for you be able to put it into gear? A road ranger should take about 7-8 seconds before it'll stop the gears from moving if your stationary if its taking more than 8 seconds it needs adjusting. Just remember its not a synro gear box with those as soon as you push in the clutch you can put it into gear with a RoadRanger you must wait till the gears stop which is usually 8 seconds, this of course applies only when the truck is stopped, when its mobile the gears should go in as you double clutch remember with a roadranger you never push the clutch right down (while mobile) this stops the gears totally which you only need if stopped, when mobile only slightly depress the clutch. Also make sure when your driving your not resting your foot on the clutch pedal.

 

My problem as well, and why I avoid needing to use Low as much as possible. With the 129k I'm pulling loaded I have a hard time getting my RPM's back down to grab 1st before the truck just stops dead. If I'm lucky and quick I can get a little nudge rolling with Low and then make the jump to 1st before I've got the revs too high. Otherwise, I have to really take Low up higher in RPM's than I like (15-16). And while slipping the clutch is bad, so is grinding that gear change from Low to 1.

 

You are riding your clutch, burn through it.

There are a series of plates this big. All of them have material on it. THAT transfers your engine power output to the drive. SLIPPING it literally sandpapers it off. REALLY FAST.

Eventually the plates have no material left. your clutch pedal goes to either the floor or top depending on what model truck with nothing for you to get into any gear. flap flap flap. No clutch no go. Out of adjustment is the early warning. And not much of one.

I had a old 87 freight liner once that went out, and I actually was in low gear waiting at the light in Gap PA when it really went out. The clutch shop was a left turn and some floating in low range got me into it. Talk about some luck. That freightliner gave me warning with that clutch pedal getting closer and closer and closer to the floor as the material between the plates wore down with me riding it. Finally there it is sitting on the floor. Nothing. No clutch. But by sheer luck I managed to get through that one problem.

Clutch adjustment is relatively simple provided your plates have good material. Stick a 3 foot tool in there and bring the plates close together again. And boom your clutch is back. For now. Until you wear it some more. Follow me?

If you have to tear the whole stack of clutches out of a truck, toss it as scrap and throw in new clutches? Whoo doggie that's expensive. Generally in a OTR truck you can and should see quite a bit of miles shifting properly with no riding that clutch or slipping before you have a problem that big.

Follow me? Stop slipping that thing. If you are gonna move, do it in low. And grow a pair. With that said, don't ride the #### thing. She'll burn through it quickly.

You CAN and must when stopped at a light, put that clutch in just enough (But before engaging too far to the floor in most OTR trucks...) let the transmission spin down enough to take a gear prior to the light turning green. I sometimes use the low range to gently sort of rub a gear I want to spin it slower faster. But not so hard as to scratch it.

Also on the other side of the story, do not ever what you evever you do, dump that clutch on a semi. There is a machined gear about almost two feet long and several inches across with incredibly precise splines machined into it's length. Ultimately ALL of your power hits that massive spline gear. If you dump the clutch. guess what happens. CHOMP. You are now looking for a tow truck and a firing as soon as the shop removes enough of that truck and finds the bite you took out of that spline.

I hate to be difficult. Ive worn down clutches, got them adjusted trainers in my time constantly taught me about that clutch free play and what's left of it as part of pretrip etc. And not to ride the #### thing or slip it you earned a punch or slap in those days. (They probably call it abuse today but in those days if you were too stupid to listen with ears, you probably need another form of pain to really learn... like i did...)

I had a bobtail long ago. A unrestricted truck in every way, essentially brand new. The power and speed of it was intoxicating. 130+ was no problem provided you knew where the fuel pump will quit feeding at about 116 or so and used momentum to get to 130 an stay there.

I raced cars, late 80's mustang 302's and the like off traffic lights for say a quarter. It's ludicrous that a 8 ton bobtail should win. But this one I did win a few. Doing something like that goes through all of the material as brown cloud pouring out behind you as you take off in 5th high and then straight to 0th and floored it regardless of what the RPM was saying, she'll get it once the leans came off and the top end kicked in.

That yelling continued to this day from that one company when they discovered just how far all those plates were out of adjustment and why. That was a very very long time ago and pretty much the last time I was stupid enough to go through clutches.

Anyway that's my story.

If you have for whatever reason a private fear of clutches in a manual semi truck due to whatever close in space with stuff to hit and break around you and slipping... I suggest you get into a company with a automatic. You will only need to touch the adjust once in a while with it just so, especially if you are gentle with it and it actually asks for it at that time with a fault code.

But this is my story. There is more to it but frankly we are trying to teach you stop riding that #### clutch. No wonder you had that trouble. Now... if they handed you a 30 year old tractor that everyone has had a turn at it and it happend to be your card draw of the deck for the clutch to go out then with YOU in it.. so solly. tell that story to someone.

But I am not your opponet. I have always had a feeling the level of training, teaching in small things like learning where a clutch is in a semi during a pretrip and it's early warnings telling you please adjust me now... it only takes a moment with your foot on there before you begin your work day. It will tell you. Anyone can adjust a truck in a few minutes with a big enough bolt tool deep in the jungle if I had to... just crank up there in the big slot made for it inside the bottom of that transmission into a giant bolt in the middle of everything until you get that clutch back. IF you get it back. Generally you will get a little bit back, then you have to nurse it, limp it and babysit that thing to a shop on what's left of those clutch plates.

I think that's enough from me here. Others do a better job of writing than I do.

 

No disrespect but you have to much time in your hands. Nice place to kill all your time. I can never finish reading your stories..... ahem... I mean your post......

 

None taken.

I think there is about 5 million posts, I started reading many of them lately.