How to Keep Oil off Your Clutch Plate

The ability to keep oil off your clutch plate can save you having to get a new car in the long run as well as reducing maintenance costs in the short term with just a few simple tips making all the difference.

Oil on your car's clutch can really ruin your day, especially when you consider that it may cause more permanent damage. Unfortunately, oil can quite easily get into your clutch and ruin it beyond a simple drying out or burning off. To help keep oil off your clutch plate and remove it once it's there, there are a few simple steps to follow.

How to keep oil off your clutch plate in the first place

Oil on the clutch plate almost always comes from a rear main seal leak, but it could also come from a loose or leaking oil gallery plug or oil pan as well as other sources, therefore it is important to regularly carry out maintenance checks such as checking your oil level.
If your oil level has an unexplained drop then you might have a leak, it's also important to check for leaks immediately after topping your oil up. Check underneath the car for leaks using a piece of white paper and run the engine for a few minutes. Also examine the bottom of the oil pan regularly.
If the drain bolt on the oil pan is loose tighten it. Remember to also check the oil pressure sending unit for leaks and get it repaired as soon as possible if there's a problem. Finally, check for oil leaks from the valve cover gasket area as leaks here are quite common, do this by wiping the gasket with white paper or cloth and checking for stains.

Removing oil from your clutch plate once it's there

If you're unsuccessful in your attempt to keep oil off your clutch plate your best bet is to try wiping the clutch plates clean with a cloth or remove any excess oil, this woks best if the oil hasn't dried yet. Failing this you can try using brake cleaner, although you might need to drill through the bell housing to spray at the right angle. Before spraying you should raise one wheel of your vehicle to allow for drainage. Keep flushing whilst you rotate the clutch disc, you do this by being in forth gear with one wheel raised and slowly turning the wheel. Whatever you do don't use other cleaners. The worst outcome of failing to keep oil off your clutch plate is having to get replacement clutch plates.