Technical 1986 Fiat 126 Clutch Disengagement issues.

[RensdeKooker]

Hi All,

New to the forum but not new to this car, did quite a lot on it brake wise and paint/rust wise so happy to be able to drive it again. I do have problems with disengaging the clutch tho.

When the problem first popped up it was a simple fix with adjusting the clutch cable adjustment nut. That helped me for a couple weeks, then however the problem popped up again. Adjusting the cable wouldnt fix this problem, so here is the problem described.

When not driving for a while(Think 1 to 2 weeks) the clutch disengages without a problem and shifting works like intended. However after 10-20 minutes on the road the clutch wont fully disengage as if the cable isnt set up correctly. Since this is not a static problem but a periodic problem I wont know what to do.

In a couple weeks I'll get some time to crawl underneath and get a look at the flywheel/clutch. Anybody recognize this problem and what should I look for? If I cannot find the source of the problem I will go ahead and replace the clutch/pressuregroup and pressurebearing. Dont know when and if that has been done yet in this car.

Hope you guys and gals have any ideas.
Kind greetings,

Rens

 

[the green vanper]

Hello,

Isn't the clutch cable blocking somewhere? I remember all the cables in the 126 had this problem... on the other side it's not strange, looking at how it's built. I had a similar problem in my Ducato with the handbrake cable...

PS. It's just a suggestion, I don't/won't remember much about the 126

I think there should also be a spring, or perhaps more of them, that could also be worth checking.

 

[RensdeKooker]

Hello,

Isn't the clutch cable blocking somewhere? I remember all the cables in the 126 had this problem... on the other side it's not strange, looking at how it's built. I had a similar problem in my Ducato with the handbrake cable...

PS. It's just a suggestion, I don't/won't remember much about the 126

I think there should also be a spring, or perhaps more of them, that could also be worth checking.

Hello,

Thanks for the advice! There are some springs and one was missing earlier which I already replaced. I now ordered a new cable to replace that since it is a cheaper replacement first. If that will not work I will go further and look at the clutch itself.

 

[RensdeKooker]

Alright bit of an update, and if people dont mind I will keep updating this for others who also ran into this problem.

Clutch cable operates really smoothly after replacing, the clutch never felt this smooth. But after a 20+ minute drive the same problem showed up. The clutch got worse and worse. I will still try to adjust but accepted that I will need a new clutch. The pressure bearing seems the most likely to be the issue but replacing the clutchplate and pressureplate at the same time seems the smartest thing to do.

I do have a video of the clutch operating with the old cable. Will post it here if someone sees something else wrong with it. There was a lot of oil dried and still liquid in the pan and the bearing look oily. This would indicate a broken main seal on the engine. Since I will be removing the engine completely this winter for the clutch I'm thinking of replacing that main seal aswell.

 

[RensdeKooker]

Alright, another update. The cable didnt fix the issue but as said above I wasn't expecting it to. I orderd a new clutch set and will be replacing the clutch this christmas break. Since I will be removing the engine to do that, any recommendations on what to do at the same time? I will order a new main seal for the engine because of all the visible oil and replace that at the same time.

 

[Kelso]

From what you have written so far I think you have have a clutch thrust bearing sticking on its splined shaft.
A complete replacement clutch kit is a good idea.
While you are at it, replace the two plastic bearings which hold the vertical shaft for the clutch fork. It is a real pain to replace these if they wear out, and they are very cheap.
If you are taking the engine out, it is worth checking the state of your starter motor, its bendix gear, and the electrical contacts.
If you have a series 1 126, the starter motor will be cable operated from a lever on the floor, and the contacts will be mechanical, actuated when you pull on the lever.
If you have a series 2 car, the starter motor will operate from a key switch and use a solenoid. It is a different motor from above. But the same comments apply.
Similarly, it may be worth checking your alternator - brushes and bearings. (or dynamo if you have an original series 1 car).

 

[RensdeKooker]

Thank you for the reply, greatly appreciated.

I will order those plastic bearings you are talking about. (Just as a check but I believe you are talking about these correct? LINK)

The starter motor is key operated and does sometimes act up and wouldn't connect to the fly wheel and make some noise, but switching off and on always fixes it. So I will have to replace/rebuild that later but will look at it for any obvious defects.

 

[Kelso]

Thank you for the reply, greatly appreciated.

I will order those plastic bearings you are talking about. (Just as a check but I believe you are talking about these correct? LINK)

The starter motor is key operated and does sometimes act up and wouldn't connect to the fly wheel and make some noise, but switching off and on always fixes it. So I will have to replace/rebuild that later but will look at it for any obvious defects.

Yes - that is the plastic bearing / bush. There are two of them.