A clutch plate is perhaps the most important part of the transmission system, because without it the car would not drive and it would not stop. It works solely on the concept of friction, and it is friction that actually drives your car. Without a clutch, the car engine would have to be connected directly to the wheels. This means as soon as you turn the car on, the engine would start running and the wheels would start spinning. That is why when you try to start a manual transmission car without pushing in the clutch, it lurches forward and eventually stalls. That is because in a manual transmission car, the clutch is always engaged, that is until you push in the clutch.
A clutch plate is part of series of discs inside of a transmission. The clutch plate is round and has a friction sensitive surface that allows it to grip. It sits next to the fly wheel, which is connected to the drive shaft permanently. That means the flywheel immediately starts to spin as soon as the engine is turned on and the motor turns the crankshaft. When this happens in a manual transmission, the clutch must be disengaged. That is, it is pulled back from the flywheel, so it can spin without engaging the car wheels.
The clutch plate is sandwiched between the pressure plate and the flywheel. When you push in the clutch, the clutch plate moves away from the flywheel, because a series of springs and bearings pulls the pressure plate back. When you release the clutch pedal, the pressure plate is engaged by the springs and then pushes against the clutch plate. When engaged, the pressure plate forces the flywheel and clutch together. A clutch plate is designed to handle different levels of force and apply different ranges of friction depending on its design and its materials.
