In order for your car to come to a stop without the entire engine having to shut off, the connection between the wheels and the motor has to be broken. Your clutch is made up of two main parts:
- A clutch plate
- The flywheel
There are springs in place that keep pressure on a plate that pushes up against the clutch plate. These springs also push the clutch plate up against the flywheel. When this happens, the engine’s shaft is connected to the wheel shafts, making both turn at the same time, according to AAMCO. In order for the opposite to happen, you have to engage the clutch.
This presses down a release fork which pulls the pressure plate off of the clutch plate, essentially breaking the connection between the rotating engine and the moving wheels. The wheels may continue to spin, but Autobutler reveals that this is from their own momentum not the power produced by the engine.
When you drive a car with an automatic transmission, the clutch works a little differently. A torque converter, which is part of a large series of systems, is what connects the engine to the transmission, making the wheels spin. In fact, there are several different types of clutches, which include:
- Friction clutches
- Multiple plate clutches
- Cone clutches
- Centrifugal clutches
- Wet versus dry systems
Frictional forces are what clutches rely on to operate. Frictional clutches connect one moving member to another one that is moving at a different speed, or not at all, to get it moving at the same speed so that there is no slippage. Various materials are used to create this friction. They include:
- Compound organic resin
- Copper wire
- Ceramic
- Composite paper
You’ll mostly see ceramic materials used in racing or heavy-duty hauling situations, though this material can increase wear and tear on the flywheel and pressure plate. With wet clutches, you find the use of composite paper. Because these types of clutches tend to use an oil bath or flow-through cooling method, they have less wear than ceramic material.
Multiple plate clutches have more than one driving member, making them ideal for racing cars such as Formula 1, Indy 500, and club racing as well. In drag racing vehicles, a lot of abuse goes to the clutch, which is why they often have this type of clutch. It can also be found in motorcycles and diesel engines with mechanical transmissions. Additionally, you might find one in a car with an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system and in some transfer cases too.
