When I bought my 84, the previous owner indicated that it had had a new clutch a few years and about 5k miles ago. I have a unique sort of squeeking noise that is like the sound from the brakes when the wear indicator toucheds the rotor.
It does this when I am in gear and goes totally away when I push in the clutch. It also seems to go away while excelerating and is worst when driving slow in 1st or 2nd gear.
When I was changing the engine oil I noticed that the inspection cover on the trans was loose and missing a bolt and that the bracket that holds the oil cooler lines was not attached and was actually touching the exhaust pipe -I thought that this may have been the noise, but after getting everything tight, it still makes the noise.
Is this a bad throw out bearing or something else that is loose?

Thanks, Glen

 

If it changes noises when you depress the clutch, most likely it is the TO bearing.

Get ready for a huge job.....

 

That's what I figured, but I thought that a throw-out bearing problem would occur when you push in the clutch, not go away?
When I even place any pressure on the clutch the noise goes away?

 

Yep, T O bearing

 

Sometimes, you hear something funny if you are riding the clutch.....

But Mine squawked while it was dormant. I'm pretty sure with the hydraulics....there is some sort of contact while the your foot is off the pedal.

So my clutch went out and we changed all that out and no more noise.

It was a pretty big job indeed. Took us 11 hours..two guys....well I watched CentralCoaster do most of the work...but took care of smaller things while He worked. Changing out the u-joints etc saved time......

 

Actually, I might suggest it is NOT the Throw-out (release?) bearing.

If your comment above "any pressure", means even just a light touch on the clutch pedal, but not enough to even start to disengage the clutch, then...

It may instead be the clutch slave cylinder...

Which is causing the squeak to actually be between the throw-out (release) bearing and the clutch fork (not the bearing itself).

The slave cyclinder has a spring inside which is designed to keep a small bit of pressure on the fork, which in turns keeps a small bit of pressure on the throw-out bearing -- keeping the fork contact side of the bearing from spinning, while the pressure plate/spring fingers are spinning with the engine.

As the slave cylinder ages, it can develop ridges on the cylinder walls, which can cause the piston seal to 'hang-up', resisting the spring tension against the piston and thereby the fork.

How many miles on the clutch slave cylinder?

If over 50k, it's likely near the end of its life anyway, so consider replacing it -- it's alot easier than the throw-out (release) bearing -- and it might save your clutch fork too (if I am right).

btw, before installing slave, gravity bleed, but DO NOT pressure bleed it (i.e. NO pedal pressure) -- only pressure bleed after fully installed, otherwise seal damage will result...