Clutch ~ Spring broken ?

[Catflem]

Here's hoping the forum clutch Guru's can save me a lot of inconvenience and money.

My clutch has started making a loud click when you depress the pedal about 3/4's of the way down. When approaching this point you feel a slight change in resistance through the pedal, you then hear and feel the click through the clutch pedal as you pass this point. The pedal then continues to the floor without any problems. If I only press the clutch pedal halfway I can still change gear, and avoid the "click".

There isn't any whirring sound that you usually hear when a release bearing is on its way out, so I've discounted the release bearing as being the culprit.

The clutch is operating normally, and you don't hear or feel the click when the engine is not running. The click is definately coming from the transmission/clutch area.

My thoughts are that its probably a broken spring, or perhaps the fork is worn and one side is clicking out of the release bearing when under pressure .......... but I don't know my backside from my elbow when it comes to clutches

[omega]

if you 100% sure its comeing from the clutch then i think your options are
you will have to strip it to find out whats wrong
or
wait till it breaks
or
sell it quick before it breaks and costs you a lot of cash.

[Catflem]

I think its going to be a case of wait until it breaks.......... and then scrap it

[lozz]

Have you checked the pedal itself?
is there a Return-spring on them?

get someone to listen near the gearbox end to see if the noise is in that Direction whilst you press the clutch pedal,
id only start worrying if the noise was coming from the Box,

[Catflem]

My first thought was that it was a problem with the pedal, but after getting the wife to operate the clutch whilst I had a listen in the engine bay, I managed to track the noise down to the box itself.

The bit I can't get my head around is why does the noise only happen with the engine running, and why doesn't it happen if I only press the clutch in halfway

[highlander]

I can't get the front wheel off due to a butchered locking wheel nut

That needs sorted; what if you get a puncture and have to put your spare wheel on?

Go to a garage and get them to remove that. Then you will have access to change your clutch whenever you want.

[mjb]

I'm going to be optimistic for once . Pull the slave cylinder out, put a rubber/latex/nitrile glove on, and use a bit of kitchen roll to clean the dent in the clutch fork (sorry, doesn't look like I put any pictures of it on my howto) which the cylinder pushes. Carefully clean the end of the slave push rod too. Use a *tiny* amount of grease to lube up the dent in the fork, and put it back together. Bleeding a tiny amount of fluid out of the slave will make the job much easier, but you should probably think about changing the fluid anyhow.

If anything's off with the slave cylinder, just get a new one from the dealers. They're only £17 or so - cheaper than you can get 'em anywhere else!

[Catflem]

I'm going to be optimistic for once . Pull the slave cylinder out, put a rubber/latex/nitrile glove on, and use a bit of kitchen roll to clean the dent in the clutch fork (sorry, doesn't look like I put any pictures of it on my howto) which the cylinder pushes. Carefully clean the end of the slave push rod too. Use a *tiny* amount of grease to lube up the dent in the fork, and put it back together. Bleeding a tiny amount of fluid out of the slave will make the job much easier, but you should probably think about changing the fluid anyhow.

If anything's off with the slave cylinder, just get a new one from the dealers. They're only £17 or so - cheaper than you can get 'em anywhere else!

I think you may be onto something there .

I've just released the slave cylinder from its mountings (I didn't disconnect the plumbing), during the course of releasing it, the bellows slid off the pushrod........ and some brake/clutch fluid started dribbling out of the bellows.............. so fingers crossed that a new slave cylinder solves the problem.

[Catflem]

It was previously owned by a farmer, who lived on the coast (as do I), so every nut/bolt fixing etc is corroded to hell and back. Every nut that I manage to undo gets a damn good coating of copper grease before it goes back on.

I won't make the mistake of buying another local car - in future I'll head south, or inland

[omega]

i can sell you some puncturesafe that will protect you from most punctures!

[Catflem]

i can sell you some puncturesafe that will protect you from most punctures!

I'm consoling myself with the fact that I've got AA relay.

If I get a puncture the AA man can either get the wheel off, or arrange to have me transported home - so its a win win as far as I'm concerned.

If I do get a puncture........ at least I get to use my AA membership, and I haven't wasted the fee money
If I get transported home....... I save a bit of diesel

[mjb]

I've just released the slave cylinder from its mountings (I didn't disconnect the plumbing), during the course of releasing it, the bellows slid off the pushrod........ and some brake/clutch fluid started dribbling out of the bellows.............. so fingers crossed that a new slave cylinder solves the problem.

Aye, sounds knackered. The damn things seem to be remarkably fragile in my experience.

Best way to bleed a D9 clutch is to use an air-powered brake bleed kit. Mine's 'powered' from a tyre.

Alternatively, get the front of the car as high in the air as possible, brim the reservoir, pull up on the front of the reservoir to get some of the air out, brim again, then only pump the pedal once or twice with a brake bleed kit on the slave before starting again with the brim+pull+brim. The reason for this is the inlet for the clutch section is right at top of the bloody reservoir. Who the thought that would be a good idea?

[roverv8]

if its a sealed unit from what i read thats £200 to you, i know because its whats on my puggy,

[mjb]

It's 2002 so it will have the D9 separates system

[Catflem]

Many thanks for the bleeding tips