Clutch is very stiff

[peugeot406rapier]

hello everyone i wondered if you could help me my clutch started to get really heavy and stiff since saturday its been fine up till then and its not still all the time its just on occasions can anyone recommend what might be the problem! sorry its a 1.8

thanks a lot!

[Pob]

Could be as simple as the clutch cable... The clutch on mine was stiff and jumpy when the car was warm. I replaced the cable and it's fine now

Dan

[eoin27]

you have a hydraulic clutch so it could be a fluid leak

[djheath]

My 1.8 has a cable clutch which is incredible stiff. I changed the cable and it made no difference.

This weekend I am changing the whole clutch, I will let you know if it helps things!

[peugeot406rapier]

oh okay lovely! thanks everyone ill get a clutch cable if it works itll save investigating further!

yeah thanks a lot id love to know how that goes!

thanks again everyone

Martin

[djheath]

o

yeah thanks a lot id love to know how that goes!

Well, you said you wanted to know:

Short story is, I changed the clutch, the release bearing was in bits, the clutch is now light as a feather and has no judder or problems, feels like a new car!!!

Long story is, *Big deep of breath* it was a complete pain in the arse to change the clutch. I dont know how mechanics do their job day in day out what with dealing with rusted bolts and tight seized nuts! Saturday I took everything off ready to get the gear box out. That involved taking the wheels off to get the locking pins off the hub nuts, wheels then back on to undo the hub nuts, then drive down to the local tyre place to ask them to use their air wrenches to loosen the hub nuts, then back home to take off the hub nuts, then jacked up again and wheels off, then wheels back on to go get a bigger pickle fork to split the hub ball joint, then wheels back off, hub ball joint off, grinder out to cut the roll bar links as their were seized, then drive shafts off, then all electric bits off, then ages spent getting the linkage joints to split and then the sun decided to go down!

Sunday was spent getting the gear box off then changing the clutch took all over 20 minutes! Then four hours later I still couldn't get the gear box back on. It took pain, bruises, blood and sweat to lift it in to place and would it go in the last inch, no!

So then Monday came and so did the rain and I spent all day taking the gear box out again, checking the clutch, refitting the release bearing as it fell off whilst lifting the box back on, then heaving and jacking the box back in to place, all whilst getting as wet as a fish in the rain. Once again the box wouldn't go in the last inch or so and just stuck there! So I gave in and called a mobile mechanic to come help. He came mid afternoon Tuesday, bent down on the floor, picked the box up in both hands and slipped it onto the engine like it was made of air! Unbelievable! So after that it took another 5 hours to fit everything that had been taken off on saturday all without mishap thank god!

Gee that was long. Sorry, I had to get it off my chest! I can understand now why this job was quoted by every garage I called at over £500.

[Doggy]

Bit of a marathon that - but well done for getting through it

[Captain Jack]

Don't scare people here with clutch changes. We have mjb here trying to run that marathon in the very near future.

[Pob]

Ive done a few clutchs/gearbox changes and sometimes they can be quite straight forward, other times a total nightmare. Even with a clutch aligning tool, getting the gearbox lined up can take a few attempts. It brought back alot of painful memories reading your clutch change diary... But yet I still willing do them and always say never again during it

Practice makes perfect, it does get easier the more you do

Dan

[jasper5]

o

yeah thanks a lot id love to know how that goes!

Well, you said you wanted to know:

Short story is, I changed the clutch, the release bearing was in bits, the clutch is now light as a feather and has no judder or problems, feels like a new car!!!

Long story is, *Big deep of breath* it was a complete pain in the arse to change the clutch. I dont know how mechanics do their job day in day out what with dealing with rusted bolts and tight seized nuts! Saturday I took everything off ready to get the gear box out. That involved taking the wheels off to get the locking pins off the hub nuts, wheels then back on to undo the hub nuts, then drive down to the local tyre place to ask them to use their air wrenches to loosen the hub nuts, then back home to take off the hub nuts, then jacked up again and wheels off, then wheels back on to go get a bigger pickle fork to split the hub ball joint, then wheels back off, hub ball joint off, grinder out to cut the roll bar links as their were seized, then drive shafts off, then all electric bits off, then ages spent getting the linkage joints to split and then the sun decided to go down!

Sunday was spent getting the gear box off then changing the clutch took all over 20 minutes! Then four hours later I still couldn't get the gear box back on. It took pain, bruises, blood and sweat to lift it in to place and would it go in the last inch, no!

So then Monday came and so did the rain and I spent all day taking the gear box out again, checking the clutch, refitting the release bearing as it fell off whilst lifting the box back on, then heaving and jacking the box back in to place, all whilst getting as wet as a fish in the rain. Once again the box wouldn't go in the last inch or so and just stuck there! So I gave in and called a mobile mechanic to come help. He came mid afternoon Tuesday, bent down on the floor, picked the box up in both hands and slipped it onto the engine like it was made of air! Unbelievable! So after that it took another 5 hours to fit everything that had been taken off on saturday all without mishap thank god!

Gee that was long. Sorry, I had to get it off my chest! I can understand now why this job was quoted by every garage I called at over £500.

Very well done

I've been a mechanic for 38 years, imagine how I feel about cars

Over the weekend, I'm going to post a how-to on changing a clutch for mjb and anyone else interested, perhaps you could add any missing detail.

I don't do clutches these days unless they will be finished in less than four hours, I did one on a Hyundai Lantra a few weeks ago, took me three hours.I got my mate to do a Honda Jazz for me weekend before last.

[teamster1975]

I'm going to have to tackle the clutch in the tubby sooner or later as it's starting to slip, I'll be very interested Jasper!

[mjb]

I'm going to have to tackle the clutch in the tubby sooner or later as it's starting to slip

I'd go with sooner rather than later. Mine's now slipping in any gear at any speed/rpm if I don't have the revs perfectly matched on a gearchange and wait to come clean off the clutch before altering accelerator pressure Needless to say I've learned how to drive very, very smoothly!

Interesting to note the 5th gear / handbrake on test still causes a stall guess it's one for cars without the hefty idle control valve (as on the tubby, 194bhp v6) which we all know can be a bit slow and overreacting

[djheath]

Very well done

I've been a mechanic for 38 years, imagine how I feel about cars

Over the weekend, I'm going to post a how-to on changing a clutch for mjb and anyone else interested, perhaps you could add any missing detail.

I don't do clutches these days unless they will be finished in less than four hours, I did one on a Hyundai Lantra a few weeks ago, took me three hours.I got my mate to do a Honda Jazz for me weekend before last.

No problem. Looking back I reckon I would do the clutch again if I needed too. It was annoying and hard work but not too bad a job really. It just takes a long time and need to be prepared for everything.

3hours for a clutch is very good! The mechanic that came and got the gear box in said he does them in 2 and half hours. I reckon thats on some magic car with a clutch on the outside of the engine!!