Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator

Gritty feeling clutch?

adventureboss

TJ Enthusiast
Original poster
Joined
Aug 1, 2023
Messages
144
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
I drove from Dallas to Phoenix a couple days ago in one shot (yeah I know, long drive) with my 06 TJ with the NSG370. The transmission and clutch only has about 20k miles on it since my friend shifted incorrectly and blew it a little while ago. I guess I didn't learn my lesson because I let my mother who was riding passenger on the trip but also hasn't driven stick in 40 years drive the TJ for maybe half an hour while I ate my lunch.

I realized 15 mins in that she was resting her foot on the clutch and told her she'd wear things out if she used it as a foot rest, so she stopped and I didn't smell any burning or anything. Last hour of the drive the clutch started to feel a little bit gritty, like there was dirt or something stuck in there. Never felt this on the TJ before, and driving it today it seems to come and go. Immediately, my mind thinks throw out bearing. But if this were the case, it wouldn't be intermittent right? No way my mother could kill the clutch in 15 mins especially when I couldn't smell anything burning at all and it was fine till the last hour?

Did I screw myself over again by letting someone else drive or could it possibly just be dirt? There was a good amount of almost flooded roads and crap we had to drive through coming out of Dallas, the weather was nuts and it was hailing on i20.
 
Clutches aren't that sensitive to bad driving habits IMO. If they were, they wouldn't last long offroad. I have to ride the clutch on steep hills when offroad. The clutch had to be going out before your friend "blew it" by "shifting incorrectly", and your mom didn't ruin it in that short amount of time either.
 
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Clutches aren't that sensitive to bad driving habits IMO. If they were, they wouldn't last long offroad. I have to ride the clutch on steep hills when offroad. The clutch had to be going out before your friend "blew it" by "shifting incorrectly", and your mom didn't ruin it in that short amount of time either.

Good to know. My friend blowing the transmission was definitely him though haha. Basically the light turned yellow and he tried to downshift to third to floor it and get across but didn't push the clutch in. It made horrible grinding sounds and immediately after wouldn't go into first and fifth gear was gone. We found metal bits in the gear oil :(

Is it likely just the dirt from travelling then?
 
Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ radiator