Clutch Pedal Weirdness

[Guest stevec205gti]

Right, after possibly sorting out my steering woes it's time to report the latest problem.

 

The past couple of days the clutch pedal has occasionally been going light when I press it down, feeling a little bit sticky as I start to lift off and then feels graunchy/juddery on it's way back up. I don't think it's the cable as I changed it a couple of months ago. Is this a sign of the clutch going? It seems to be ok grip wise - I can give it a big boot full of throttle in any gear and it doesn't slip.

 

Answers on a postcard to..........

[Guest Gar]

Try applying the footbrake with the car in 1st, then pull your foot off the clutch. If the engine doesn't stall, then your clutch is probably on its way out.

 

Hope this helps!

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

One thing to check if it's an early clutch mechanism is the pivot arm that activate the clutch on top of the gearbox; these can bend and snap but work for a while before they go completely. Sometims the lightness is the arm bending then it starts to move the clutch so goes heavier.

[Guest d_henry]

sounds like the arm, i`ve changed mine 3 times in 8 months. Is it quite common for them to suffer metal fatigue?

[pug_ham 245 3 Cars]

It must be fairly common but not three in eight months.

 

When it went on mine, I can't remember if the clutch kept varying between light and heavy but I was driving into work and suddenly couldn't change gear easily, if at all.

 

I bought a new clutch thinking that was now dead, then when I looked I saw what it was and bought the arm instead.

 

If the arm is going, replace it straight away so you don't loose the pin.

 

Graham.

[jackherer 543]

yes, this is a common fault on cars with a certain design of clutch arm. later clutch arms have a welded bar to reinforce them and earlier (I saw one on a D reg) clutch arms are a better design (big lump of sheet metal folded over with no weak spot).

 

be3 boxes dont suffer from this problem either but be1 boxes do on all pugs/cits (bxs and 405s etc too).

[Guest d_henry]

i`ve jst ended up getting the arm from the scrappies everytime for nothing after the arm kept falling into my pocket!!! The dealer said they had no long how long it would take to get one for me. the be1 box, is that the one with reverse is lifted into top left?

[Guest stevec205gti]

Has anyone got any piccies of the weak design please - might help my diagnosis?

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

. the be1 box, is that the one with reverse is lifted into top left?

 

Yes.

[Guest d_henry]

steve. look for the triangular bit of metal on top of the gear box where the round rubber on the end of the clutch cable attaches on(round rubber prob not techy name for it!)(or triangular bit!!) Anyway, left hand side of this triangular arm where the pin goes between the arm and the clutch fork you`ll see it either broken or bent out of shape. Its a simple 5 min job to change tho if it is, only held on with one bolt. And if your getting it from the scrappies i`d nick a couple so you`ve a spare ready if it goes again.

[Guest stevec205gti]

Right. I've got the later gearbox without the lift-up reverse. I've been out and hand a look and the clutch lever is a single straight strip, not triangular shaped at all. There's no obvious twists in it, though it does appear bowed - it arches up out the gearbox then back down again to the clutch cable.

 

For the moment I'll drive it around on short journeys and see what happens, but any other suggestions would be gratefully received!

[jackherer 543]

your gearbox doesn't suffer from this design fault.

 

what type of clutch cable did you fit? if its not OE it could have gone bad in a short period of time...

 

have you got power steering?

[Guest stevec205gti]

It was a proper Pug cable, but after some further investigation it feels a little loose - possibly just stretching a little as it's settled in??? I'll try retigthening it and take it from there.