[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Most all good advice. I like to keep the car in neutral at stops with the clutch released/pedal up. Like it has been said above, keep yer foot off that pedal AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

There are kinda sorta two "bearings" involved at the back of the engine/front of the transmission area. The pilot bearing carries the rear of the engine output and the "throw-out" or "release" bushing/bearing applies pressure to the clutch plate to disconnect it from the flywheel, thereby disconnecting drive force to the transmission. But you knew all that.

If you keep your foot on the clutch while in first at a light, you are "activating" the throw-out. Probably not a big deal. Every time you depress the clutch when the engine is running, this part has to spin up to speed and disconnect the clutch from the flywheel. Some would say that my method would actually wear the part out more quickly, but maybe not...read on.

Think of the engine's flywheel as a big brake disc and the clutch plate as a big brake pad that's trying to stop the engine. Because the engineers want to make that engagement (which moves the car, rather than stops the engine, in a perfect world) a smooth one, balancing the necessary level of slip between the two parts means one of them should wear more than the other...ever so slightly. That's the clutch plate, although just like brakes, the flywheel, or brake disc will wear a little, too. Once the clutch is fully released/engine and transmission engaged -OR- the clutch is fully depressed/engine and transmission not connected, there is no wear on the clutch or the flywheel.

A clutch being engaged without much power or load being applied to this equation is not presenting much wear to these parts. Pulling out of parking spots, stop and go traffic, even moderate hills do not present much of an engagement event to the system, UNLESS more power/load is applied. Think of the forces involved just with the system I have described above when you hammer the throttle just before you let out the clutch! Whoa, you got a spinning engine with buckets of torque that won't allow it to slow down easily coming into contact with a stationary clutch plate that we are asking to get up to speed quickly. And would you mind bringing this 3800 pounds along, too?

So, these parts wear. They also wear if you are a dumbass, as others have noted in previous posts. No, I didn't mean you...you're not a dumbass...you're reading Camaro5, plus you already knew all this stuff.

D.A. (for short) actions include driving along at any speed (but the higher the speed/load, the more dramatic the results) with the clutch slightly depressed, with your foot just barely grazing the top of the pedal or even with you thinking about having your left foot anywhere near that pedal when not in use. And you don't need to use it all that much.

D.A.'s will sometimes redline the engine and "drop" the clutch, most often in 1st from a stop, but also performing "speed shifting," that is, not letting off the accelerator when depressing the clutch for an upshift. Sure, it's effective for the situation, but get the parts on order, grease up the creeper and get the tranny jack ready...you're gonna need 'em.

I'm just kidding around about people being D.A.'s. Don't take it personally or a criticism of your driving style or application to situation. There's a time and place for everything.

I haven't seen much relating to downshifting and its effect on the system discussed. I'll let someone else have a go at it, if you want. Just to say, try to match the engine RPM with what the clutch engagement would drag the engine speed up to anyway when you release the clutch by 'blipping' the throttle just before letting off the pedal if there's going to be a big difference. This applies to slowing down in a fairly big hurry or to matching your gear selection before setting up for a corner you had to slow down for, but want to power through properly.

Keep in mind, I have no idea what I'm talking about, as always, and have fun. And, hey Junior, move that left foot AWAY from the pedal!

John B.