Clutch change

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:29 am

I think my clutch is showing it's age, gears are getting crunchy and hard to engage and as far as I know this engine hasn't ever had a clutch change.. certainly doesn't feel like it.. and it's about 125,000 miles old now, so that's the logical conclusion really.
Anyway, doing it myself is going to be a pain for a number of reasons, not least because I don't have a smooth enough surface to roll the gearbox out on a trolley jack, nor do I have any kind of engine support etc.. so I was just wondering how much I would be looking to pay for it to be professionally done? I'll ring round for actual quotes at some point next week, but I was just wondering about a ballpark figure, see if it would be worth me trying to arrange all the stuff I'd need to do it myself or not..

mk3dave · Post by **mk3dave** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 2:09 am

im gettin a new cluch fitted next month and ive been told itl be about Â£110. mines a mk3 tho so i dunno if its different. since my clutch has gone im gettin about 11/2mpg!

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:39 am

Really? Didn't realise it'd make a difference to economy.. my fuel economy seems to be in a permanent state of wallet burningly thirsty, so anything that might make a difference is welcome..
Â£110's not bad. Gearbox and clutch removal is pretty much the same on a mk2 as a mk3, so I guess that's about what I'll be looking at. I'd probably be paying almost that to do it myself after aquiring all the bits to do it, so I think that's the way to go..

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 12:14 pm

have either of you tried adjusting the cable?

even if the clutch is on it's way out, you can alter the thing so that its a bit more usable (and doesnt slip like buggery, wasting all that fuel!) until you can get it fixed

cheapest. mod. ever.

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:33 pm

Yeah, I have.. to be honest, I'm not 100% certain as to what's wrong with it, it's got some pretty strange symptoms.. basically all the gears are nigh on impossible to select when it's cold.. I can easily select gears before I start the engine, but once it's running and I dip the clutch I can't select a thing. Then once it's been running a bit the gears become selectable but very crunchy - anything less than a VW camper style gearchange results in a nasty crunch as it goes in..
The bite point on the clutch is set a good way up the travel of the pedal, and there's no actual slippage, but if I adjust it any tighter than it is now then when I dip the clutch it make a noise like a fan belt slipping - just the same, starts squealing for a few seconds and then dies off like a belt does when it finds grip again..

The only other thing I can think of is the gear oil, but I've topped that right up, really shouldn't need any more..

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:17 am

vw camper style gearchange possibly = timing it right on the upshift so the revs have fallen *just* enough, and blipping throttle a tadge on downshift so, again, the revs match? could be your clutch then, yeah..

replacement isnt so bad. think mine was about Â£150? made a hell of a difference but the first couple hundred miles were... challenging... to say the least!

hayesey · Post by **hayesey** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:05 pm

try changing the gearbox oil as well.

changing a clutch is a nasty job to do at home on your back under the car.

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 4:33 pm

Gearbox oil has been changed, unfortunately that wasn't the problem

Guess I'll leave the clutch change to the experts then..

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 7:10 pm

GroovyCarrot wrote:Gearbox oil has been changed, unfortunately that wasn't the problem Guess I'll leave the clutch change to the experts then..

Not being funny here but what grade oil did you use?

workinprogress · Post by **workinprogress** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 7:52 pm

sounds like syncros oh dear

get a second hand box incase of duffnes after changing clutch you might find one down your local scrappy
their not that bad to change though just drop the oil out of the box before pulling the driveshafts otherwise it gets messy

try changing a fiesta clutch in the snow outside on axle stands in the middle of winter i couldn't feel my fingers for days

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 9:56 pm

bstardchild wrote:Not being funny here but what grade oil did you use?

I'll check in the morning. It was what the guy in the accessory shop recommended, so I guess it could well be the wrong stuff..

sounds like syncros oh dear

Erk, don't say that...
Surely worn synchos wouldn't affect shifting into first gear from a standstill? Which is where most of the problem seems to be coming from..

The squealing noise from the clutch seems to be getting more frequent now as well..

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:11 pm

GroovyCarrot wrote:Surely worn synchos wouldn't affect shifting into first gear from a standstill? Which is where most of the problem seems to be coming from..

If you encounter difficulty getting it into first gear - bring the lever back to neutral lift the clutch and then depress again and try again helps the cogs turn so they mesh second time round.....

GroovyCarrot wrote:The squealing noise from the clutch seems to be getting more frequent now as well..

Thrust bearing?

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:21 pm

Well, I dunno really, wouldn't know what the thrust bearing sounded like

All I know is that it makes a noise like a belt slipping with the clutch floored, and the noise gets louder and more regular if I tighten up the clutch cable at all.

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Wed Feb 02, 2005 11:37 pm

GroovyCarrot wrote:Well, I dunno really, wouldn't know what the thrust bearing sounded like All I know is that it makes a noise like a belt slipping with the clutch floored, and the noise gets louder and more regular if I tighten up the clutch cable at all.

Well at first I was confused - bear with me here

Thrust bearings only normally make a noise when not under load as they rattle and then I thought I wonder if it has the old type carbonblock thrust bearing they wear out and then it gives all your syptoms - hard to engage gears and lots of noise when the clutch is depressed

A quick look in my surplus to requirements MKII manual and whilst it doesn't say the release bearing is a carbon type one it sure looks like one to me

Edit - it does call it a bearing and to spin it to ensure it's operation is quiet but I've known haynes to use typical statements like that in all manuals before

GroovyCarrot · Post by **GroovyCarrot** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:03 pm

Oh.. very interesting.. my dad was telling me the other day about the haynes manuals he used to sell for Beetles that told people to check the water level if the engine is overheating, so it's quite possible that they got it wrong on the bearing..