When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
After driving my 78 c3 for a while I noticed that when I pressed the clutch in to shift, it would make a clicking sound and I can feel it in the pedal. There is no grinding noise or anything like that, just a click. Sometimes it does it when I push it in really fast but not when I push it in slowly. It does not do it every time I push in the clutch, some days it won't click at all, other times it will. It also clicks when the car is stopped and the engine is off. I read about some bearings that could be bad or on their way out and the clicking noise is an indicator of that. What's the likely culprit? Is it safe to drive the car? I don't have any shifting problems or anything, just the clicking noise.
Put the front up on ramps.
Disconnected the hot wire to the dizzy so it can not start.
Remove the flywheel / clutch inspection cover.
Have a partner depress the clutch while you observe. Torque down pressure plate bolts nearest to the bottom of the flywheel.
Have assistant jog the key until the next bolts are within reach, torque and so on.
Attach hot lead, start it up and see if the noise continues.
I suspect your Throw-out Bearing is tired. Big job ahead of you if that is the issue.
After driving my 78 c3 for a while I noticed that when I pressed the clutch in to shift, it would make a clicking sound and I can feel it in the pedal. There is no grinding noise or anything like that, just a click. Sometimes it does it when I push it in really fast but not when I push it in slowly. It does not do it every time I push in the clutch, some days it won't click at all, other times it will. It also clicks when the car is stopped and the engine is off. I read about some bearings that could be bad or on their way out and the clicking noise is an indicator of that. What's the likely culprit? Is it safe to drive the car? I don't have any shifting problems or anything, just the clicking noise.
Throw out bearings are more inclined to "rattle" when free-wheeling when they are failing. Pressing the pedal is when a bad throw-out bearing stoops making noise. A clicking noise you can hear when the car isn't running and you depress the pedal probably isn't the throw out bearing at all. The fork attachment to the bell housing, the z-rod and other pieces of the linkage that connects your foot pedal to the end of the fork pushing that throw out bearing into the fingers on your pressure plate all are suspects I'd be more inclined to look at to explain a clicking noise as you describe it. Even the spring that ensures retention of the adjustment bar between the end if the pedal linkage and the clutch forks are potential suspects here.
A light cliking noise is far from unusual and rarely turns out to be an actual problem or indication of impeding clutch failure.
We don't see many standard shift transmissions anymore but over the last 30 years virtually all have hydraulic clutch activation that we've come to think of as totally silent. Old school linkage makes NOISE especially if pivot points haven't been maintained.
By all means if this noise really bothers you. Get the car in the air. Make sure you're absolutely SAFE when the clutch gets depressed by a buddy and get under there and figure out where the "click" is happening. I'm betting it's in the linkage and no big deal at all.
On the flip side. If for some reason I've got this one wrong and you do actually have funky throw out bearing making a "click" that I've never heard before. You will have to pull the transmission to get a new one in there and for me I'd be inclined to swap out the disc and pressure plate while I had it apart or at the very least pull it apart to inspect it just to be sure it's got enough life left in it to justify the extra effort of doing this a second time out in a distant future rather than anytime soon.
The first thing i would do is check for looseness in z bar, clutch cross shaft, and all other linkages.
that bar can unscrew. Include pedal assembly. Poke a camera at fork as mentioned.
The z bar clutch adjustment rods will wear at the end making the hole larger than it should I’m not telling you that this is your problem but it could be they wear terribly
I replaced the clutch linkage with a kit from Speed Direct. They call it RodLinks Clutch Linkage and it is a really nice upgrade for the worn parts on the Clutch system. My C3 had the standard issue of a little play in the parts from the Tube used in the clutch pedal linkage.
The RodLinks Clutch Linkage kits really do make for a much smoother clutch operation. It is clean, tight and well made and looks much better than the original parts. Working better with a smooth action is what made it a great improvement on my C3.
Haven't seen any prior post mention it but before you start taking things apart or placing the car on a lift, push the seat all the way back, stick your head under the dash and push on the pedal with your arm. Could be pedal interference with something under the dash, bushing, or something else inside the car.
Clutch clicking when pressed down
