2000 Outback clutch questions. Failing?

[Paul Rybarczyk]

Hi. I've got a manual 2000 Outback with about 39K miles on
it, and I have some clutch questions.

From day one, the clutch has always emitted a stinky burning
rubber smell when slipped much, even when under minimal
load. For example, slipping the clutch a couple seconds (under
minimal power) to get the car moving up my driveway would
cause it to emit the odor. But it still worked OK.

Anyway, two weeks ago I purchased a SeaDoo, probably 1200
lbs total with the trailer. Tonight, I trailered it for the
third time, and noticed the clutch was slipping at the boat ramp
when I pulled it out. That is, the clutch pedal was all the
way out in 1st, the engine was spinning, and the tires were not.
This went on for 2-3 seconds until the SeaDoo was out of the
water. And the clutch smelled really bad.

So now for my clutch questions...

What is the normal life expectancy of an Outback clutch?
Is it normal for them to smell like that?

How far gone is this clutch? Ready for replacement?

Are there any clutch wear indicators (like with brake pads)?

How quickly does a typical clutch fail? If it fails completely,
will that cause more damage and a higher repair cost?

Anyone else out there had similar experiences? Advice?

Just for reference, my first car (1989 Chevy Beretta GT)
had 112K miles on the clutch when I sold it, and the clutch
still worked fine. Of course, it never pulled a trailer. I don't
recall the Chevy's clutch ever smelling. I'm just mentioning
this to point out that I'm normally pretty gentle on the
transmission and I know how to properly drive a stick.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Paul Rybarczyk]

Just wanted to add. The clutch does not (yet) slip under normal
driving. Only once when I was pulling the SeaDoo out of the water.

 

[nItpIk]

There is definitely something wrong with your clutch. Either it has a
broken spring in the pressure plate or there could be some fluid leaking
onto it. It is not behaving normally. I would have it looked at.

 

[Bud]

Paul,

If your clutch slips on the boat ramp when it's all the way out it's toast.
Get it out of there before it comes apart and pokes holes in your radio.

 

[Dominic Richens]

If your clutch slips on the boat ramp when it's all the way out it's
toast. Get it out of there before it comes apart and pokes holes in
your radio.

It could also be that oil is leaking into the clutch, causing it to smell
and slip at max torque. Either way, get a mechanic to look at it.