General information and structure (Opel Vectra A)

The clutch performs two tasks in a car: when gears are engaged, it breaks the connection between the engine and the gearbox and ensures a smooth start when starting off.

The main parts of the clutch are the pressure plate, driven plate and release bearing.

The pressure plate is connected to the flywheel, which is fixed to the flange of the engine crankshaft. Between the pressure plate and the flywheel is a driven disk, which is pressed by the pressure plate to the flywheel. The driven disk is mounted on the primary shaft of the gearbox.

When the clutch pedal is pressed, the clutch release bearing is pressed against the spring of the pressure plate via the cable and lever. As a result, the pressure on the pressure plate decreases, and the driven clutch plate is no longer pressed against the flywheel. The clutch between the engine and the gearbox is broken. When the clutch pedal is released, the pressure plate presses the driven clutch plate against the flywheel again. The clutch is restored.

Each time the clutch operates, friction wears out the friction linings of the driven disk. However, its service life is more than 100,000 km. The wear of the disk largely depends on the load (for example, the presence of a trailer) and driving style. The clutch does not require maintenance, sometimes it is only necessary to adjust the free play of the pedal (as the driven disc linings wear out, the pedal rises up).



(The source is on the online website: «OPELBOOK»)