1. Home
  2. Car Maintenance
  3. Fiesta Mk3 Clutch, again

Fiesta Mk3 Clutch, again

I posted a while ago about a clicking noise on the clutch of a 95 Fiesta

1.6si with 57k on the clock.

I found the clicking noise was coming from the self asjuster on the clutch pedal. The noise occured when the adjuster tried to take up the slack in the cable but as the pawl was already on the last tooth of the cogged wheel it went past it then just slipped back to the last tooth again. Thinking that the clutch cable may have stretched(clutch was also stiff to depress) I replaced the clutch cable. I found the new cable to be about 1/4" shorter but when fitted the clicking noise has returned as the adjuster has reached its max adjustment again.

The clutch cable I bought was non-lubricated, is this how they should be fitted?

When driving the car, the clutch seems to "bite" fine and gear changes are non-crunched so can it still be a worn clutch?

PS I read a while ago that to replace the clutch on this car it was an engine out job, is this the case?.

Thanks

Reply to
Kirky
Loading thread data ...

You need to replace the adjuster. Cables don't stretch. Clutch can be changed by removing the gearbox, but actually removing the engine can be slightly quicker and easier for a home mechanic.

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Yes.

Duh, looks pretty likely don't you think?

Probably.

Reply to
Conor

of course you may have something odd like a bent operating arm on the gearbox or if it is on splines, then the wrong spline. or as you say, a dodgy clutch, but this is less likely, they usually wear out and slip, rather than fail and drag. £90 labour, plus parts for a new clutch to be fitted.

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Thanks for your reply. Im not questioning your knowledge, just want to understand. What could be wrong with the adjuster, to me it looks like its working fine as when I changed the cable I set it to have no adjustment and over a period of time it fully afjusted itself up.

Many Thanks

Rob

Reply to
Kirky

If the adjuster is working correctly it immediately takes up all the slack (by the spring that goes down the pedal and pulls the quadrant round) There are several different adjuster quadrants, I have seen the wrong one fitted before, the sizes are different, giving different amounts of pull and adjustment.

However, do check that the clutch release arm is on the right spline, there is a dot mark on the shaft IIRC that should be at the split in the arm (IIRC) or dot mark , I forget which.

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

That's because the clutch is knackered. Change the clutch. They fail in many different ways nowadays, but when this clicking noise starts, the clutch is dead.

Steve

Reply to
shazzbat

Not normally, normally the clicking noise means the adjusters died, the inability to drive up steep hills is the clutch dieing

Reply to
DuncanWood

That's one of the many ways. Another is the diaphragm springs weakening, meaning that all the adjustment is taken up to compensate, which in turn means that the adjuster reaches the last notch, then starts clicking as it can't take up another notch. Which is where I came in.

The clutch is dead. trust me.

Steve

Reply to
shazzbat

Having recently driven a 93 Fiesta 1.1CFi, I'd say driving up steep hills is a problem regardless of the clutch :)

Reply to
Mark

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.