Just got a call from my wife, she was at the service station and couldnt get the 500 into gear. :bang:
When I tried it the clutch pedal pressed down 1/2 way and was solid but not disengaging the clutch, so I started it in gear and drove it home.

On the drive back there was lots of noise and squeals from the release bearing.
now the pedal is disengaging the clutch (pretty much on/off) and extremely difficult to press.

So new clutch required. Just a few questions
Is there anything else i need to check/change while doing the clutch?

Is there any particular brand of clutch you would recommend or to avoid?

The last fwd drive clutch I changed was about 20 years ago in a tipo, is there anything tricky to watch out for in the 500?

Hi,

Just tapping in to follow the thread.


We are at 45k miles so expecting a new clutch soon but mechanic says no rush and could be fine for another 5k.

We have a very minor oil leak, nothing on floor but just some signs on the side of the block gearbox LHS side but again mechanic says wait to fix that at same time as new clutch so worth while looking around if you have any signs of minor leaks as apparently gearbox seal is prone.

Out of interest what mileage have you achieved and wonder what is best mileage anyone has got on an original clutch plate.

Hubby likes to change early rather than wait so no potential damage to flywheels so as soon as everything is back to normal and out of isolation we will no doubt have it done as been quoted 380GBP all inclusive so again assume this is reasonable but not sure what make of parts the garage uses.

Farrah

Farrah said:

Out of interest what mileage have you achieved and wonder what is best mileage anyone has got on an original clutch plate

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Depends very much on how it's driven. I inherited a company Mondeo at around 27k and the clutch failed about a week later. Gosh knows what the previous driver had done to it.

On the vehicles I've owned from new, I've never had to touch a clutch. Three were still going strong at over 100k, and one at well over 200k. The Panda is now a whisker under 100k, and that's the original, also. I'd expect it to last the remaining life of the car.

On the 500 & Panda, I'd say the hydraulics (on RHD cars) are the weak link; not the clutch itself. If the hydraulics aren't fully disengaging the clutch, you'll likely see rapid wear on both the clutch and the gearbox. So keep a close eye on this; change the fluid at least every two years and preferably annually (it's an easy job). Replace any weak hydraulic components at the first sign of poor gear engagement. We see a lot of threads here about slave and master cylinder problems; running with these parts in poor condition puts a massive strain on the clutch.

Farrah said:

Hubby likes to change early rather than wait so no potential damage to flywheels

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That's sound thinking, if there's any sign of excessive wear, particularly on those TA models with a DMF. That said, the DMF's themselves are well known for premature failure (anything from 50k onwards seems to be a risk), so some folks might need to do a clutch job because of a failing DMF, rather than the other way around. Tolerances are very tight and a failing DMF can do significant damage to both the bellhousing and the gearbox; that's when it starts to get really expensive.

Our 09 car is at 93k on the original clutch, it does show indications of wear as there is a bit "grabbing" when engaging sometimes but is generally normal. We have had a new master and slave cylinder.

John202020 said:

Our 09 car is at 93k on the original clutch, it does show indications of wear as there is a bit "grabbing" when engaging sometimes but is generally normal. We have had a new master and slave cylinder.

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Thanks for info. We will wait out having the clutch done but may get the slight oil leak looked at.:yuck: As I said it is not dripping out just signs of a bit of surface gunge on side of casing when looking through LHS wheel arch. It is annoying as gets written up as an advisory on MOT and when you see these comments year after year it makes it look like one has not cared for the car. hubby washed it down before last MOT so it was not picked up.

Farrah

Use a Valeo clutch, since they (and Borg & Beck) provided the original equipment clutches. By reputation, B&B are slightly more grabby than Valeo.

You may see Luk.. and Luk is now owned by Valeo, so you might get Luk branded pieces and Valeo branded pieces in the same box. They're okay too.. I find them a bit more grabby than Valeo.. but quality is okay.

I'd be tempted to also swap the slave cylinder, since it's on the gearbox and it's easier to do it while all the bits are out of the way.. but sometimes it doesn't want to separate from the rest of the plumbing, so you end up also needing to buy the pipes and the master cylinder too.. so it gets expensive (although you then have a pretty much 100% guarantee that you won't need to touch it again for another 5 - 6 years) so it may be worth it..


Ralf S.

Ralf S. said:

Use a Valeo clutch, since they (and Borg & Beck) provided the original equipment clutches. By reputation, B&B are slightly more grabby than Valeo.

You may see Luk.. and Luk is now owned by Valeo, so you might get Luk branded pieces and Valeo branded pieces in the same box. They're okay too.. I find them a bit more grabby than Valeo.. but quality is okay.

I'd be tempted to also swap the slave cylinder, since it's on the gearbox and it's easier to do it while all the bits are out of the way.. but sometimes it doesn't want to separate from the rest of the plumbing, so you end up also needing to buy the pipes and the master cylinder too.. so it gets expensive (although you then have a pretty much 100% guarantee that you won't need to touch it again for another 5 - 6 years) so it may be worth it..


Ralf S.

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Thanks for the advice and information.
I got a Luk clutch as it had the best lead time( I have found Luk to be good in the past but didnt know that Valeo now owned them

The slave cylinder looked to be weeping a bit so I ordered one, I dont want to go anywhere near it for as long as possible