Inspecting a Car - Worn Clutch?

So, my grandparents are buying my dad a used Miata for his birthday. Since I'm the person who know the most about them, I'm doing the hunting and finding the right one. My dad really wants an NB, with pretty much all the creature comforts (to appease his wife) and the lowest possible mileage and best condition. My grandparents only want to spend $4k.

Took a look at one today that seemed really good, with only one issue that is nagging me, the clutch. It engaged positively and didn't seem to slip. But it engaged pretty high up on the pedal throw (far from the floor). It got a new clutch at 60k (I think from a previous owner), and is currently at 127k.

I don't know if this is a case of something not being adjusted quite right. I know the cable can be adjusted, but I don't know if that is just supposed to be used to make the "dead zone" the correct length. I think it might mean that the clutch is worn down so it doesn't take as much throw to disengage it.

Anyone care to weigh in on what they think is more likely the cause? Thanks.

Adjustment.

I have the same issue on my Celica, i just haven't gotten around to adjusting it.

Might need to be bled?

93celicaGT2 wrote: Adjustment. I have the same issue on my Celica, i just haven't gotten around to adjusting it. Might need to be bled?

Wouldn't it engage closer to the floor if it needs to be bled? I'm fairly certain it does need to be bled though. The brakes certainly do.

Salanis wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote: Adjustment. I have the same issue on my Celica, i just haven't gotten around to adjusting it. Might need to be bled?

Wouldn't it engage closer to the floor if it needs to be bled? I'm fairly certain it does need to be bled though. The brakes certainly do.

Hrmm.... you're probably right. My brain hurts today.

Get under the car, or if you've got long enough arms, reach in from the passenger side wheel well. Give the slave cylinder boot a nice squeeze. See if anything comes out. If so, it's usually a quick swap, and might help with the engagement point. Also, there is some adjustment available.

I can't speak for hydraulic clutches.

Most of the cars I've bought have terrible clutch adjustment. I usually adjust even before I drive it home, and it feels "brand new" so to speak.

No cable in the miata clutch - it's all hydraulic. Check the slave for leaks as mentioned above, though that usually results in low engagement until it results in not being able to disengage. If it were me I'd give it the old school slip test, and if it's fine then see about adjusting the engagement point. I know it can be done, it's just been too long since I've had a Miata to remember how.

Keith! Where are you?!

Do your grandparents want to adopt another child?

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but it sounds like most people are suggesting that where the clutch is engaging is more likely a symptom of something with the clutch master cylinder or the piston linkage than with the depth of the clutch plate.

Is that correct?

pigeon wrote: No cable in the miata clutch - it's all hydraulic.

Well, there is a shaft that runs from the pedal to the clutch master, and there are adjustment bolts on that shaft.

In most cars, you can put it in third and drop the clutch. If the car moves at all, the clutch is bad.

Sorry I'm not of more help.

Okay, the more that I'm reading and researching, the more I'm thinking that precisely where the clutch engages is not much of an indicator of clutch wear. It sounds like, if the clutch doesn't slip, there isn't really a good way to determine how much life it has left.

Tommy's test, or a variation thereof, is how you check for clutch wear. My variation is to drive down a street at about 30mph, depress the clutch, pick up about an extra 1k revs, and let it out very quickly (not quite a sidestep). If the revs drop right back down, no worries, if it slips, new clutch is in the future.

My dad is disagreeing with me about the clutch wear and pedal engagement issue.

The primary concern with clutch wear isn't how much meat is left on the clutch, it's more a factor of the surface condition, and how well that grabs, correct?

Google searching, I read on a board that hydraulic clutches are inherently self adjusting, and that the engagement point does not change as the friction material thins, the lower distances just cause the fluid in the reservoir to rise. Can anyone confirm this?

Salanis wrote: Google searching, I read on a board that hydraulic clutches are inherently self adjusting, and that the engagement point does not change as the friction material thins, the lower distances just cause the fluid in the reservoir to rise. Can anyone confirm this?

No, but now i'm getting 1 million different answers to my situation as well...

Toyota dealer said that there was no adjustment on the pedal, but i know for a fact there's two adjustment points.... weird.

Salanis is right. Hydraulic clutches are self adjusting. Pedal height, pushrod clearance,ie:pedal free play plus air in the system, defective slave or master cyl, are possibilities.

Well, after more research and looking through the Toyota BGBs, there's ways to manually adjust both engagement point and pedal height.

Basically you adjust the rod that goes from the pedal to the master cylinder. Don't know if that helps with a Miata, but that's what i got out of it.

Hydraulic is self-adjusting.

I also use Billy3esq's clutch test and it's worked for me so far.