Clutch 

For other uses, see Clutch (disambiguation).

Clutch for a drive shaft: The clutch disc (center) spins with the flywheel (left). To disengage, the lever is pulled (black arrow), causing a white pressure plate (right) to disengage the green clutch disc from turning the drive shaft, which turns within the thrust-bearing ring of the lever. Never will all 3 rings connect, with no gaps.

Rear side of a Ford V6 engine, looking at the clutch housing on the flywheel

Single, dry, clutch friction disc. The splined hub is attached to the disc with springs to damp chatter.

 A clutch is a mechanical device, by convention understood to be rotating, which provides driving force to another mechanism when required, typically by connecting the driven mechanism to the driving mechanism. Clutches and brakes are similar; if the driven member of a clutch is fixed to the mechanism frame, it serves as a brake.

 Clutches are useful in devices that have two rotating shafts. In these devices, one shaft is typically attached to a motor or other power unit (the driving member), and the other shaft (the driven member) provides output power for work to be done. In a drill, for instance, one shaft is driven by a motor, and the other drives a drill chuck. The clutch connects the two shafts so that they can either be locked together and spin at the same speed (engaged), or be decoupled and spin at different speeds (disengaged).

 Multiple plate clutch

 This type of clutch has several driving members interleaved with several driven members. It is used in race cars including F1, Indy car, World rally and even most club racing, motorcycles, automatic transmissions and in some diesel locomotives with mechanical transmissions. It is also used in some electronically controlled all-wheel drive systems.

 Vehicular

 There are different designs of vehicle clutch but most are based on one or more friction discs pressed tightly together or against a flywheel using springs. The friction material varies in composition depending on many considerations such as whether the clutch is "dry" or "wet". Friction discs once contained asbestos but this has been largely eliminated. Clutches found in heavy duty applications such as trucks and competition cars use ceramic clutches that have a greatly increased friction coefficient. However, these have a "grabby" action generally considered unsuitable for passenger cars. The spring pressure is released when the clutch pedal is depressed thus either pushing or pulling the diaphragm of the pressure plate, depending on type. However, raising the engine speed too high while engaging the clutch causes excessive clutch plate wear. Engaging the clutch abruptly when the engine is turning at high speed causes a harsh, jerky start. This kind of start is necessary and desirable in drag racing and other competitions, where speed is more important than comfort.

 Friction clutches:

Single plate clutches and Multi-plate clutche Uniform wear theory and Uniform pressure theory Problems in clutches