Technical How much life in a 1.2 clutch?

[DaveMcT]

At 85,000 miles, Mrs Dave's 1.2 clutch has started to make an annoying squeak. I've not had the battery out but a squirt of WD40 has made zero difference. We can live with the noise but is this is a sign of impending clutch demise?

Thing is the clutch action feels fine, perfectly normal apart form the noise. Hydraulics feel fine and the action of the clutch feels fine.

Has anyone any experience of this?

 

[koalar]

if its when you push the pedal down

it will be the release bearing

eventually the dust covers fail and they loose all there grease

I had one let go on me on a Punto. However it had been noisy for about a year

 

[dac69er]

Not a fiat, but I have had a squeak in the past and it was just the clutch arm that moves the release bearing. It was a bit dry.
Was particularly bad on really hot days. Used wd40 to limp it through until I got the gearbox rebuilt and had it all off

 

[Wazzzer]

The wife's 1.2 squeaks when the pedal is pressed/released, not sure if it's the same noise?

It does it without the engine running too

 

[jrkitching]

The life of a clutch depends so much on the type and style of driving that it's pointless trying to assign a mileage number to it; even more so if you haven't owned and driven the car from new.

I've seen some clutches fail after 25k, and others run 250k and still be working fine.

There's a thread running in the 500 section this morning about a 105HP TA which could be a clutch/DMF issue after 20k. I once inherited a company Sierra which developed a massive clutch slip a week later with just 18k on the clock.

You just have to be guided by the symptoms you have, and make your diagnosis based on your engineering knowledge. Fortunately in your case, you have quite a lot of that to fall back on.

 

[portland_bill]

You need to determine whether the squeak is from the clutch inside the bell housing, or the hydraulic cylinders.

The hydraulics, being plastic squeak when they are worn, soon after they get sticky and the pedal fails to return. Replacing both cylinders is the fix. Several threads about this.

If the pedal is held down when stationary, the pressure plate diaphragm fingers will wear, and then develop a squeak. Later, one or more may break, and it comes home on a truck. Release bearing failure is caused by the same 'technique'. The life of the clutch will depend on the number of operations, so higher mileage cars last longer, and on time spent with pedal held down.

I've witnessed a clutch destroyed in about 45 seconds, but most do last significantly longer. A deaf man, lots of revs while manoeuvring, tore the new clutch apart before he got out of the parking space.

 

[koalar]

video of the squeak would help a lot.

Is the squeak the same with the engine on and off ???

I see GSF have a promo code for the next 6 days and a clutch kit works out at £42

 

[DaveMcT]

The wife's 1.2 squeaks when the pedal is pressed/released, not sure if it's the same noise?

It does it without the engine running too

I believe the release bearing, clutch and hydraulics are ok - just wondered if the squeak is a sign of impending clutch failure.

Like Wazzzer's the noise happens when pedal is pressed/released and it's worse in hot weather. There is no noise from the release bearing and the clutch behaves normally. I will have to whip out the battery box and see if I can get some spray onto the release arm.

It does not get abused so the clutch could have plenty of life. But really who knows hence wondering if the squeak is a sign of things to come.

I'll report back after getting a closer look at it.

 

[koalar]

video of the squeak would help a lot.

Is the squeak the same with the engine on and off ???

I see GSF have a promo code for the next 6 days and a clutch kit works out at £42

is the squeak the Same with the engine on or off would answer the question of release bearing ???

 

[portland_bill]

Like Wazzzer's the noise happens when pedal is pressed/released and it's worse in hot weather.

I'll wager a shilling that it needs new hydraulics.

 

[jrkitching]

I'll wager a shilling that it needs new hydraulics.

Shouldn't that be a zloty? .

 

[DaveMcT]

is the squeak the Same with the engine on or off would answer the question of release bearing ???

It's the same engine on or engine off. It's like a squeaky hinge. Deffo not a release bearing noise

I think its coming from the pivot end of the slave piston push rod, but until the battery comes out can't be sure. It could be hydraulics but there are no leaks and no signs of air ingress (yet anyway).

When I get the battery out I might be able to hear it better with a listening stick to work out exactly what is making the noise.

 

[Chali]

I changed clutch about 1000 miles ( 1600km) ago, now i fell that clutch release bearing is making noise while the clutch is pressed

 

[koalar]

I would get the wife to push the pedal while listening to the slave cylinder

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/454270-clutch-squeak.html

if I was on my own I would undo the bolt holding down the slave cylinder

and rig something to push back against the piston and test in insolation

If its making a noise without the engine running it should be fairly easy to track down.

 

[portland_bill]

It's like a squeaky hinge.

Hydraulic cylinders getting sticky inside.

I'll up my bet to 0.49zloty (2 shillings)

 

[DaveMcT]

I have a spare slave cylinder swapped from my car. If the noise stops I'll have the source.