Clutch question on 75,000 miles

[Playtime747]

This has been bugging the **** out of me.. Bought the mach with 70,000 miles and looks well taken care of. Any way to know if the clutch has been changed out without pulling the trany? From what I have read the stock clutch last between 60,000 and 70,000. Mine seems strong and shifts good and want to know what other mileage people got off there stock clutch. Thought about changing it out but, don't want to have the trany pulled and find out it has been changed. Have a 800 mile trip coming up and don't want to get stranded do to the clutch... Thanks

[iudelt89]

Originally Posted by Playtime747

This has been bugging the **** out of me.. Bought the mach with 70,000 miles and looks well taken care of. Any way to know if the clutch has been changed out without pulling the trany? From what I have read the stock clutch last between 60,000 and 70,000. Mine seems strong and shifts good and want to know what other mileage people got off there stock clutch. Thought about changing it out but, don't want to have the trany pulled and find out it has been changed. Have a 800 mile trip coming up and don't want to get stranded do to the clutch... Thanks

All depends on how it has been driven. If it still grabs toward the bottom of the travel, is linear in take up, and doesn't slip I'd say you are good to go and it is most likely stock or a stock replacement. As for whether or not it's been changed out try and see if you can ask the previous owner or pull a service history on it. I've had clutches on previous cars last 120,000 miles or more. Its all about how the car has been driven. I have 52,xxx miles on my mach and the clutch feels as good as new.

[CO Mack]

Clutches don't tend to catasrophically fail unless you're abusing it. They normally start slipping under hard acceleration first.

[Playtime747]

Originally Posted by iudelt89

All depends on how it has been driven. If it still grabs toward the bottom of the travel, is linear in take up, and doesn't slip I'd say you are good to go and it is most likely stock or a stock replacement. As for whether or not it's been changed out try and see if you can ask the previous owner or pull a service history on it. I've had clutches on previous cars last 120,000 miles or more. Its all about how the car has been driven. I have 52,xxx miles on my mach and the clutch feels as good as new.

Thanks Man.. She still grabs at the bottom of travel. Bought at a dealer ship and have checked with my local ford dealer and no records found on the car. Have the MM clutch quadrant I still need to put in and already changed the shifter. Hate how spongy the stock clutch feels..

[Playtime747]

Originally Posted by CO Mack

Clutches don't tend to catasrophically fail unless you're abusing it. They normally start slipping under hard acceleration first.

My first car was a 83 Mustang GT with a 4 speed and beat the crap out of that car and it never let me down. Time I sold it it had over 200,000 on it with original motor and trans. think I replaced the clutch once in it. 8 years ago bought a 95 Camaro z28 with the lt1 with auto trans and had the trans built 7 times in 2 years and sold it. So decided to go back with a stang again and sure hope this one last like my 83 did...

[iudelt89]

Like anything else, if you take care of the car it will take car of you

[j rick kirby]

I changed mine at 85,000 because the TOB was squealing. When I took it apart the clutch was still good.

[WNTAMACH1]

Mine went out at 70k miles. It has bolt ons.

[XSELLR8]

I agree^^ Usually the t/o bearing will go before the clutch. One thing you can do that might let you know if the clutch has been replaced is open the dust cover on the tranny and see if the clutch itself happens to be one of the aftermarket colors (red=RAM, orange=Centerfoce, Blue=Spec). Of course it could have been replaced with another factory clutch which I believe is gray. You can also look at the wiring harness that goes to the reverse and speedo sensors on the tranny to see if it has been removed/broken clips and check the tranny bolts for signs of removal..
Here is a picture of the dust cover. Just remove one little bolt and take the cover off. It's the box on the side of the tranny. You might be able to just look through the little hole on the bottom too. In this case, the pictured tranny looks like it has a spec clutch (not my picture).

[Playtime747]

Awesome.... Thanks for all the replies. Will get her up in the air and take a look when I change out the clutch quadrant.