I have to ask…We have an 85 240dl wagon. Is there a break in period for a new clutch? Or should we be able to take it anywhere? We picked the car up after having clutch installed. We drove 18 miles though the city and 21 miles up the hwy and found ourselves sitting on the side of the road with no clutch. We were informed today we did not break it in properly.

 

What happened to cause you to be on the side of the road? That just doesn't sound right at all. Sounds like an excuse to me.

 

Damn...you should have driven 21 miles in the city!! Can't believe you did that! Just kidding...there is no break-in on clutches per se. Some clutches are very tight and don't shift well. I've taken a few in the back lot and burned the clutch a little and got them to loosen up a little but that's a rarity. What we are seeing more and more at the shop is bad pressure plates. The fingers are not equal tensile strength and it tips...as if it wasn't bolted down equally. My guess? Either the tech was a rookie and did not go round and round the pressure plate tightening each bolt equally or you got a bad pressure plate out of the box. No way to really tell...and it shouldn'tmake a darn bit difference. The shop should absolutely make good on it. They will return the clutch kit to the vendor for credit and have to eat the labor. That's why any reputable shop does their darndest to get it right the first time...it's not just pride in a job well done, it's not wanting to do a "re-do" for free...techs get paid by the flag hour, working for free doesn't sit really well!