Long story short, today was the SECOND time I've had to replace the Master and Slave Cylinder on the clutch in the last 3 years due to a bad leak at the slave location.

I've got a suspicion that this problem is more than just in the line.

A couple months ago I started hearing a whistling noise when the clutch is not engaged and the car is in neutral, yet the slightest tap on the clutch pedal and the noise goes away. Any ideas? Anyone had an issue like this before?

I can take a quick video of the noise if it will help anyone.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Sounds like the pilot bearing (inside the end of the crank). Should have nothing to do with the clutch master and slave problems that I can think of.

 

So your thinking their defiantly unrelated?

 

Nothing is impossible but I don't see how they could easily effect each other.

 

Is there a way to verify its the pilot bearing without taking the tranny and clutch off?

 

Sorry, the tranny has to be out to check it and if you go that far - might as well change it (and the clutch and release bearing).

 

That was exactly my fear, what damage could this cause the car if I don't get this done? Blown Clutch?

I'm a college student and could really afford not to do it right now.

 

Let's clarify the question.

1. When you say "the clutch not engaged," do you mean that your foot is off of the clutch? (If so, the clutch is actually engaged. It's disengaged when you release the pedal.)

2. And that when you tap the clutch pedal, the noise then goes away?

If the answer to question 1 is "yes," it's not the pilot bearing.

If the answer to both questions is "yes," my first guess would be that what you're hearing is the release bearing (throwout bearing) kissing the tips of the levers on the pressure plate, and that noise stops when there's enough pressure applied to that interface to cause the release bearing to spin with the clutch, rather than remaining motionless. It could be that the clutch fork is not falling back as far as it should when you're not on the clutch pedal.

Live well,

SJW

 

It only happens when my foot is off the clutch pedal and the car itself is in neutral. When my foot is off the clutch pedal and I'm cruising in say first you can't hear it. (Possibly because of my loud exhaust, but I'll listen for it specifically tomorrow)

If you can't tell I'm a beginner but very willing to learn. I did a bit of reading here.

Engaged Disengaged

Your saying that the clutch fork is not fully disengaging (when my foot is off the petal) which is causing the release bearing to not get that full range of travel away from the clutch plate. So the release bearing is spinning with the clutch plate, causing the hissing as it spins around hitting the springs on the pressure plate. Am I following you correctly?

If so, what would cause the clutch fork not to fully disengage the release bearing? Slave rod? Or is it just the bearing itself has gone bad and no longer has its full range of travel? Or the springs on the pressure plate have worn down cause it not to move back properly? Again these are all just guesses based on no actual experience whatsoever just looking at the mechanism.

 

Then you can forget about the pilot bearing, because it's not active while the clutch is engaged (foot is off pedal).

We all were at one time, and none of us knows everything. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Not necessarily. Call it an educated guess.

Almost. If my guess is correct (maybe is, maybe isn't), the release bearing is not spinning with the clutch, but its face is "kissing" the release levers on the clutch, and that contact is the noise you're hearing. Applying slight pressure to the pedal forces the bearing to more fully engage with the levers, and spin with the clutch, thus silencing the noise. I'll repeat here for emphasis: This is only a guess! It is impossible to diagnose this noise with any certainty over the Internet. Best would be to get the car to a top-notch mechanic who is trustworthy.

Possible causes, if this is in fact what is happening, would include a clutch master or slave cylinder piston that isn't moving as freely as should be, or possibly a badly worn and poorly lubricated clutch fork pivot ball. Also possible might be the fork pivot ball coming loose from the bellhousing.

Seriously, your best bet is to get this car to a good mechanic for diagnosis. We can only guess here. This one does not fall into the "no-brainer" category based upon the symptoms.

Good luck with it, and let us know what you learn.

Live well,

SJW