Technical broken clutch peddle / Stop & Start Not available?

[Louie Bee]

Hi All,


Just wondering ai any 500s also suffer the broken clutch peddle issue where the travel limiter snaps off and leads to clutch overstroking and release bearing fail like I suspect on my Panda?

Perhaps starts with Stop & Start Not available and the up and down shift arrows not working on the dash - car was like it when I got.

https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/t...e-overstroking-leading-to-clutch-fail.501431/


Thanks All,

Louie.

 

[DaveMcT]

The Fiat clutch pedal travel gets shorter as the clutch wears out. Eventually, you will be pushing so hard the pedal arm breaks and/or the clutch pressure plate spring fingers shatter.

It sounds like you need a new clutch, new clutch pedal and maybe a new clutch release arm. Also replace the gearbox input oil seal. They get hard over time and oil on the clutch messes up your day.

However, it might be that you have air in the hydraulics. If the pedal will lift back to the up position, bleed the hydraulic system and see how it goes. If it goes bad again you'll need a new master cylinder and probably a new slave. Shop around and you can get them quite cheaply. Panda, 500 and Ford Ka all use the same parts.

 

[Louie Bee]

The Fiat clutch pedal travel gets shorter as the clutch wears out. Eventually, you will be pushing so hard the pedal arm breaks and/or the clutch pressure plate spring fingers shatter.

It sounds like you need a new clutch, new clutch pedal and maybe a new clutch release arm. Also replace the gearbox input oil seal. They get hard over time and oil on the clutch messes up your day.

However, it might be that you have air in the hydraulics. If the pedal will lift back to the up position, bleed the hydraulic system and see how it goes. If it goes bad again you'll need a new master cylinder and probably a new slave. Shop around and you can get than quite cheaply. Panda, 500 and Ford Ka all use the same parts.

Good call on the input shaft seal... got the dif seals too.

I blead the clutch the day before the release bearing went.

Certainley on the lookout for a peddle. Maybe the previous owner broke the peddle pushing too hard... was like that when I got it.

 

[DaveMcT]

Sounds like you have a bit of work to do.

I used a pair of timber battens between scuttle and radiator support frame with a steel tube across the car above the gearbox. This allowed me to carry most of the gearbox weight with a ratchet tie-down strap. The steel tube also allowed me to rotate the box for refitting. For lowering take the weight on a jack and loosen the strap a little. Lower the jack so the strap takes the weight and repeat until it's on the floor.

You *can* do it with muscle and TBH that's probably the best way if the car is on a garage lift. I have to work with axle stands and a trolley jack so that's how the idea came along.

There are a few How-tos on the forum for changing the gearbox bearing and oil seal. Later boxes have a big roller bearing but accessing the oil seal is the same deal.

 

[Louie Bee]

Sounds like you have a bit of work to do.

I used a pair of timber battens between scuttle and radiator support frame with a steel tube across the car above the gearbox. This allowed me to carry most of the gearbox weight with a ratchet tie-down strap. The steel tube also allowed me to rotate the box for refitting. For lowering take the weight on a jack and loosen the strap a little. Lower the jack so the strap takes the weight and repeat until it's on the floor.

You *can* do it with muscle and TBH that's probably the best way if the car is on a garage lift. I have to work with axle stands and a trolley jack so that's how the idea came along.

There are a few How-tos on the forum for changing the gearbox bearing and oil seal. Later boxes have a big roller bearing but accessing the oil seal is the same deal.

Thanks. I've done a clutch about 15 years ago on an Uno but I remember enough about it not to give it a go myself this time. Paying someone to fit it this time but it's a lot more than I paid in 1996 for my fitst clutchjob (in my first Uno).

 

[DaveMcT]

I paid to have my Panda 100HP clutch replaced. Its was (very) not cheap. 20,000 miles later I had no drive - oil on the friction plate. So I fitted the next clutch myself and replaced the oil seal myself.

Using the ratchet strap around the box up against the bell-housing made lowering the box really easy. Ditto putting it back as I could rotate the box to align the bolts and ping in it went.

The starter motor has a hidden bolt at the top - use a mirror to find it. Later models put a larger hole in the gearbox so there's no need to remove the starter. Also change the gear shifter oil seal. That's not hard with the box in the car but its nice to get it all done at once.