Maximize Clutch Life!

[mark25]

Hi Guys

I keep on eye on the sister Lamborghini forum and noticed some of the members have managed to get 30,000+ miles out of their Murci clutch. It makes me wonder what do you guys recommend to maximize the life of your clutch. I have a manual and my car has done 36,000 miles. I am hoping to avoid a clutch change soon so if my clutch it so survive to 50,000 miles is their any techniques you recommend?

PS: I am guessing the R-tronic will automatically get the maximum life out of a clutch as it is the computer doing everything?

Best Regards
Mark

[NVRL8R8]

If you are talking Egear trans on any Lambo, 36,000 miles is highly unlikely. I know many Lambo owners that have been through at least 1 clutch in 10k or less. When I had my Maserati, that was also a big complaint of many Maserati and Ferrari owners with egear transmissions.
I call BS on those claiming such mileage. Unless it was on a 6spd MT...

[gazza1]

Being on this forum since 2008 I have seen no issues with clutch life in the R8 on both transmissions except for a couple of exceptions.

If you consistently do launches,burnouts or ride the clutch in a manual I would suspect that this would hasten its wear.

Technique wise on my manual I generally always heel and toe when I am changing back down through the gears to be more sympathetic to the drivetrain.

[KfabR8]

I had 44K on my first car w/o any clutch wear issues and I used the trans for braking in normal driving as much or more than I did the brakes.

I guess I'm good with clutches, as I never seem to have to replace them in my motocross bikes either. Whew.

[randombloke]

I know many Lambo owners that have been through at least 1 clutch in 10k or less.

I understood that lambo had issues with the early e-gear's, but that they managed to get past that with the later models. Back when the r8 was launched there was a lot of talk about low clutch life expectations for the r8 due to those lambo problems but it never manifested on the r8.

[mark25]

If you are talking Egear trans on any Lambo, 36,000 miles is highly unlikely. I know many Lambo owners that have been through at least 1 clutch in 10k or less. When I had my Maserati, that was also a big complaint of many Maserati and Ferrari owners with egear transmissions.
I call BS on those claiming such mileage. Unless it was on a 6spd MT...

I would have thought 30,000 miles from a Murci clutch was unlikely as well but the guy who said it is a Lambo dealer and well respected on the forum. This is his company: www.catsexotics.com

[mark25]

I had 44K on my first car w/o any clutch wear issues and I used the trans for braking in normal driving as much or more than I did the brakes.

I guess I'm good with clutches, as I never seem to have to replace them in my motocross bikes either. Whew.

Thats what I like to hear I am hoping my clutch will last as long as I dont drive the car very hard. I guess to maximize life you should avoid reving with the clutch down and ensure all gear changes are done cleanly with the clutch all the way down?

[sapien]

If the clutch is down when you're revving there's no contact with the clutch and the engine so it won't wear anything.

[ktdre]

What is the heal toe technique?? :-)

[KfabR8]

It's a little step that Mr. Policeman makes one walk when checking to see if you've had too much to drink! (sorry, I had to... and no, I've never been asked to walk in this manner.)

Heal-Toe is a technique that is used by many race car drivers - you use part of your foot to apply the brake and the other part to blip the throttle to rev-match the engine to the gear being selected as you downshift. I've seen video footage (no pun intended) of both ways - some use the toes on the brake and blip with the heel, some use the heel on the brake and blip with the toes.

I can't do it to save my life either. Man I like the R-tronic!!!