Technical creaky clutch (but not the pedal)

[Big Black Stilo]

i have a creaky clutch. it started after a heavy rain shower i got caught in and the car had a little swim.

This isnt the creaking from the pedal inside the cabin, although jerkiness can be felt on the pedal.

on depressing the clutch pedal and raising it, it sounds like a ratchet on a socket set, but only a few clicks, mainly near the bottom of the travel. The creaking/clicking noise can be heard outside the car and also when bonnet up.

The clutch is performing fine. My first thought was a sticking clutch cable, but the 1.2 stilo doesnt have a clutch cable (or does it?)

any ideas anyone?

 

[minimad99]

Could be a dry joint in the clutch mechanism? I know the JTD is a hydraulic clutch not sure about the 1.2.
I would spray anything that moves when the clutch pedal is depressed with WD40 or similar to see if that helps.

 

[Big Black Stilo]

see, im thinking now it could be a spring sticking, just by the noise and feel

 

[Deckchair5]

I'd get some lub in here first at the ball end of clutch slave cylinder push rod.

It's a tremendous load here on that little ball pushing the whole clutch in and out all the time and it's a hot place so it gets dry. If it happened more after a gush of rainwater so a bit of rust got there then even more so. I'd advise anyone to lub this place quite often as it makes a big difference on the clutch pedal heaviness and smoothness. It can make it feel like a new clutch again


If the noise is internal on the clutch then it's more often the clutch fingers wearing out (see pic top left). The noise wouldn't change whether it's wet or hot or when the car is stationary or not

It's sometimes the case that the slave cylinder itself judders internally when it's being operated and a take out and lub or just replace has been the answer


Or if the noise is in the car then the clutch operating ball is the usual suspect

 

[Big Black Stilo]

cheers decks, that diagram isnt the 1.2 clutch is it?

I have a feeling it maybe the part in your first diagram as i have no undertray now and i got caught in a flashflood (good job 1.2 takes air higher up!) and the clutch that in it was changed about 25k ago due to being covered in gearbox oil. (first clutch had 30k or so on it) Kinda hoping its not those fingers, cant imagine it on a youngish clutch that hasnt been thrashed, but then again this is me and my luck we are talking about here!

will have to leave it for today as i feel like death warmed up and made myself worse by investigating my leaky house roof this morning. man i hate flat roofs.

 

[Deckchair5]

No that's a 1.6 clutch, yours is very similar. If it is the clutch pressure plate fingers then you tend to get a one definite click, very spring sounding "doiiiing!" in the engine bay and you can feel it through the pedal

As yours sounds like a ratchet i'd go with the dry joint somewhere, most likely at the slave cylinder piston arm pivot or the slave cylinder internal piston a bit dry

Good luck with your roof, even prehistoric man and Indians had sloping roofs, we're going backwards with technology
Notice how they went from hydraulic operated clutch-(nice)- to cable clutch- (bloody stupid)- and back to hydraulics again. That's evolution with people mucking about in between

 

[Big Black Stilo]

you dont happen to know about flat roofs do ya decks?

 

[Deckchair5]

Do what the Indians do.
First, find and kill your Buffalo.

Let us know when you've got that far

 

[Big Black Stilo]

i got a man to come and look at my flatroof.

back to the stilo, i have used some lithium grease (designed for use on joints near high temperatures) in a can and covered that part and the rest of that linkage and its cut it down an awful lot, still the odd clicks so looks like its not quite worked its way around, but blimey decks, you were right about the pedal feeling better.

 

[Deckchair5]

Ah good! Yes it's a tremendous load on a single point there that hardly ever gets any lubrication. Lithium grease is good, that'll keep the water out too.

It deteriorates so gradually that you don't notice it happening except it seems a lot harder to drive than it used to be and not so much fun. Makes smooth gearchanges and stop/start traffic a breeze again doesn't it

 

[Big Black Stilo]

not driven it yet and it still gives the odd creak, but not as loud as before shot lube on anything that looked greased but had gone dry or had muck stuck round it

 

[Big Black Stilo]

just been out and tested it again, creak/click, creak/click a few times i pressed it, then silence. lets see how it is after a run to work tomorrow

 

[ricardo]

My clutch is heavy to operate as well , I can see the bleed nipple but the other half is concealed , how do you get at the lever end ?

 

[Big Black Stilo]

the 1.2 is easy to get to, other larger engines may need the engine cover removing.

 

[stilo16v]

My 1.6 has all of the above! Clicking under the bonnet, clicking from the clutch pedal and a juddering clutch with a high bite point!

The juddering goes if I slip the clutch for a bit, so i think it might have a leak somewhere onto the clutch. Obviously slipping it isnt doing it any good, but it sorts the judder.

Im going to see about getting the clutch replaced next week and obviously get the possible leak and clutch pedal looked at too.

 

[Big Black Stilo]

is it the original clutch?

 

[stilo16v]

is it the original clutch?

Mine?

I believe it is yes. My Stilo is almost on 40K miles.

I bought it 6 months ago, the clutch was pretty bad when i got it, but its been getting worse, more judder and more clicking.

The clicking noises are really loud with the engine off and listening under the bonnet. The judder is really bad, making it hard to pull away smoothly as it needs a lot more revs to it doesnt judder!

Im going to have a new clutch fitted, but im wondering if its something else as well. Could it be needing a new cable or linkages maybe

If i spend any time sat in traffic the clutch becomes much worse until it cools again.

Its the clicking thats worrying me most, i dont want the pedal just to go to the floor one day!

 

[Big Black Stilo]

ok, it may need a hydraulics bleed/top up and the creakinging and clicking is most likely the ball joint thing decks pointed out.

where abouts are you?

 

[stilo16v]

ok, it may need a hydraulics bleed/top up and the creakinging and clicking is most likely the ball joint thing decks pointed out.

where abouts are you?

The clutch doesnt slip, so im thinking the friction plate is ok. Its the juddering though, im not sure what that is, maybe a leak from somewhere as it goes when i slip the clutch a little but it soon returns.

Ive heard the ball joint can cause a noise, where would i find this?

Although the noise sounds very loud just to be a plastic ball joint.

Something needs to be done, its a right pain to drive now, so im going to park it up until i get its problems resolved.

Im in the Northeast, Hartlepool.

 

[Deckchair5]

You're very right and going to need a new clutch and very soon. The clutch plate isn't meeting squarely with the flywheel causing your bad judder and the pressure plate will most likely collapse through the fingers breaking off. So new clutch is required and pronto.

Most likely caused by a seizing clutch release bearing but one thing leads to another