TheSamba.com :: View topic - Chirping noise when clutch depressed

Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:56 pm

I just had a new throw out bearing, pressure plate, and main seal installed in my '65 bug. I noticed today that I have a chirping noise sometimes when the clutch pedal is just slightly off the floor. If I push down really hard on the pedal it stops. I also had a new crank pulley and generator pulley installed at the same time.

Thoughts on what could be causing this? Hopefully just an adjustment of some sort needed?

Thanks.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 6:07 am

I think I remember a chirping sound when my clutch cable was too tight. Check the freeplay on the pedal, there should be 3/8-3/4".

Sun Mar 22, 2015 6:22 am

The noise is most likely coming from the TO bearing though, whether it's caused by a adjustment issue or not. If you paid a shop to do it, maybe you should take it back to that shop and have them check it out.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 1:26 pm

The chirping sound I was hearing in my '66 Sedan was being made by the clutch pedal pivot shaft being dry. It was corrected with an aerosol can of Liquid Wrench. No more birds in my Beetle!

I originally thought the sound was coming from inside the tunnel but my buddy hoghead5150 told me what to do to get rid of the chirping sound.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 1:38 pm

Couple of (dumb) questions....is freeplay when the pedal is being pushed to the floor or when you are letting off before it engages? If when pushing to the floor, I seem to have about 1" - 1.5" of play. Also, where is the clutch pedal pivot shaft located? If it is that shaft, could the chirping only occur when the pedal is pressed to the floor and then stops when it has been released about an inch or so (doesn't matter if car is in gear or neutral)?

I'm definitely going to take it back to the shop that did the work, but he's about 90 minutes from me so I'd just like to know the likely culprit before I go and whether I should have any concerns about driving the car.

Many thanks.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:23 pm

Oil the pivot shaft at the bottom of the clutch pedal (Prolly fix your chirp).

Adjust the clutch freeplay (easy effort when you start pushing pedal down, before the pedal and cable are pressing against pressure plate) to 3/4" to 1"...you do this by tightening the nut or wingnut on the back end of the clutch cable at the transaxle.

Its time to start learning about your car...

Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:30 pm

Thank you. I am learning about my car.....by asking questions.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 2:38 pm

Samba is good, but I also suggest john muir's book "how to make your vw last forever".

Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:54 pm

About the pivot shaft on the pedal-- that would squeak when moving the pedal, but it would not create a sound that continues while you hold the pedal in a certain place.

I looked up an old thread from when I was doing my clutch and had a noise. Mine made the noise when the clutch pedal was all the way to the floor. If I let off a little, the noise went away. This was because the freeplay was too little. With the pedal pressed all the way to the floor (clutch disengaged), the TO bearing was being pushed too far forward and pressing too hard against the pressure plate, which caused friction in the bearing and a noise. I increased the amount of freeplay and the sound went away.

Your issue sounds different if there is too much freeplay. Double check the it. Use your hand to push the pedal, its more sensitive. And use a tape measure to measure how far the pedal moves. Start pushing the pedal, and as soon as you feel a change in the amount of pressure it takes to push, that's when the TO bearing has touched the pressure plate. That's the freeplay-- the resting position of the pedal to the point where the TO contacts the PP.

If it's too much or too little, it can be adjusted. I'm not sure how comfortable you are working on your car, but this isn't too bad of a job to start with. You need to get the car on jack stands (very important for your safety, do not just use a jack), and remove the left rear wheel. Up under there, you'll see where the clutch cable attaches to the transaxle. Follow these links for the adjustment procedure:

http://chircoestore.com/tech_articles/?p=293

http://www.vw-resource.com/clutch_adjust.html

Sun Mar 22, 2015 3:59 pm

Dr OnHolliday wrote: Samba is good, but I also suggest john muir's book "how to make your vw last forever".

I can't agree enough that you need this book (How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step by Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot). Just sit down and actually read it, you'll learn so much. Then go back as needed for individual jobs. It's presented in a way that someone who has never picked up a wrench will understand.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 4:59 pm

Thanks, this is very helpful. Although I guess it's not obvious, I am actually pretty good at working on my car. I have all the manuals, including Bentley and Muir. I usually turn to Samba for help with the diagnosis. If I'm told that I need to adjust the clutch cable to eliminate a problem, I generally will consult the books to learn how to do that, but I may come back with another question if I get stuck.

I measured the freeplay again and it is 1.25". I will adjust it to the .4" - .8" as stated in Bentley.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:09 pm

Dr OnHolliday wrote: Samba is good, but I also suggest john muir's book "how to make your vw last forever".

Muir talked about writing such a book, but I don't believe he ever got around to it. Do you mean the "Idiot" book? Yes, great for the novice, and add a Bentley or other VW publication for the photographs and exploded diagrams.

Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:33 pm

Yeah - so much for my memory...it is "how to keep your volkswagen alive...."

Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:49 pm

Sounds good, let us know how it turns out.

Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:40 pm

Before I adjust the clutch cable, I wanted to confirm the proper amount of freeplay at the pedal. Bentley says .4" to .8", but many folks on here say 1" to 1.5". My freeplay is 1.25".

I assume I should follow Bentley, but wanted to see if you guys agree.

Thanks for your continued advice.

Tue Mar 24, 2015 4:52 pm

Freeplay will decrease as the clutch wears, so if you leave it set higher, I suppose you'll get more time before it requires another adjustment. As long as it's not too high to cause problems (like chatter, slipping, or maybe crazy noises).

You could always set it to the Bentley spec, and change it back if your noise doesn't go away. If it doesn't, then you should probably at least call the shop and see what they recommend. Maybe the new TO bearing is a dud.

Wed Mar 25, 2015 4:32 am

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the needle bearing in the gland nut, if adjusting the freeplay doesn't cure the sound you might want to look into that

Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:03 am

So did you get it figured out?

Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:11 am

Haven't attempted the adjustment yet.....plan to do that tonight. The shop that did the work is happy to make good on things, but if it can be cured with a cable adjustment, then I'll save myself an 80 mile trip. I'm not very optimistic that the cable adjustment will do it, but I probably can't do any harm if I adjust it to spec (I'm going with 3/4").

Thanks for checking in and I'll report back.

Fri Mar 27, 2015 10:14 am

Yeah, you're probably right. But it's worth a try and if you stay in spec you're safe.