Club 80-90 Forums

Fairly sure its a dying clutch and/or release bearing but had a rattling/whining noise on and off for a week or two now - affected by actuation of clutch. The whining was just like a milk float or like an old Brit car's transmission - also a chuffing noise from same area like a steam train when sat in traffic. Initially a toss up between clutch and a gearbox with some serious backlash somewhere but this evening, when I went out to pull off to go home, clutch pedal was hard, only going down when i started engine. Must be clutch on that basis - just not heard one sound like that.

Got home ok anyway, albeit with with some paranoia obviously. Plan to replace clutch Monday - just hope it lasts till then - no time to look before then.

worth changing the spigot bearing while you are in there

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Removing a gearbox is a heavy enough affair but done it SEVEN times in last two days and each time there was no drive at all. Mercdoctor figured out why but first time either of us has seen this happen. Gearbox fine, clutch fine, release bearing fine (latter two replaced) so points if you can guess why I had no drive when gearbox was bolted up.....

Release shaft siezed
Slave hydraulics not releasing pressure (one way valve type fault)

Broken arm on release shaft? Even broken shaft?

Nope. impossible to spot except by feel (and it has to be said, total desperation). When I removed gearbox, release bearing basically fell apart as expected (see photo), the bits dropping into bell housing which I removed obviously. I had a good used clutch from Corkyboy76.



What I hadn't noticed is that a section of the original release bearing was still sitting on the guide, effectively creating a short section of invisible plastic sleeving - thereby forcing new bearing around 1/2" further forward. You really couldn't see it by eye. This had the effect of operating clutch when gearbox and engine were bolted together. It drove us nuts till Marcus ran his hand along guide (after the seventh removal). I am grateful to Marcus for staying until it was resolved - only a mate would do that. The release arm was somewhat worn so he built it up with weld - in situ.

Nice to have no noise. I went home black, stopping only for fishcake and chips on the way home. Clutch now functions perfectly. We were both stumped as to the cause. Just shows you. you can still encounter fresh problems.

Mmm didn't give us all the facts but to be fair I wouldn't have guessed that anyway

Nearly forgot the release bearing last time I fitted the box

I had a boat that broke a valve spring at sea - no problem fit a new one (good job I carried a spare). Same thing, new one broke (worst luck was 3 miles from harbour but had just finished hauling the gear). Finally found the culprit was a broken section of spring buried in the black filth that passes as oil in a diesel engine which is not easy to spot when you are lying on a deck covered with fish and bouncing all over the place. Luckily I got a tow back to harbour by a passing foreigner - well next port.
I am sure that machinery is the devil's work!

Glad you got it sorted!