Clutch Squeal?

[MarkSPace]

Hi,

I have an 06 1.4 petrol Zetec Fiesta with 35K miles. Occasionally if you let the clutch up a bit roughly while under load (like a poor gear change when in a hurry or pulling away very quickly), you get a squeal from somewhere under the bonnet. It only ever happens when using the clutch so I guess it is clutch related. It's not from the pedal, but is from somewhere under the front of the car. The clutch is quiet at all other times, including at idle. Any ideas what's wrong?

Thanks,

MarkSpace.

[Max_Headroom]

If a squealing or chirping noise appears or goes away when the clutch pedal is depressed, the cause may be a bad release bearing. Other causes include a bad pilot bushing, a worn or defective input shaft bearing in the transmission, a worn, bent or improperly lubricated release fork, a worn input shaft, improper disc installation, misalignment, damaged bearing retainer, loose flywheel bolts, damaged disc splines, or worn stop pins or broken damper.

A squealing sound that occurs when the clutch pedal is depressed and held is usually caused by a bad pilot bearing or bushing.

A chirping noise that intensifies when the pedal is slowly depressed would indicate a bad release bearing.

If you hear chirping while idling in neutral and the noise goes away when the pedal is slowly depressed, the fork/pivot ball contact point is making the noise.

[MarkSPace]

If a squealing or chirping noise appears or goes away when the clutch pedal is depressed, the cause may be a bad release bearing. Other causes include a bad pilot bushing, a worn or defective input shaft bearing in the transmission, a worn, bent or improperly lubricated release fork, a worn input shaft, improper disc installation, misalignment, damaged bearing retainer, loose flywheel bolts, damaged disc splines, or worn stop pins or broken damper.

A squealing sound that occurs when the clutch pedal is depressed and held is usually caused by a bad pilot bearing or bushing.

A chirping noise that intensifies when the pedal is slowly depressed would indicate a bad release bearing.

If you hear chirping while idling in neutral and the noise goes away when the pedal is slowly depressed, the fork/pivot ball contact point is making the noise.

The noise happens only when releasing the clutch pedal when under load (like a poor gear change or pulling out very quickly) - it squeals for a very short time just as the clutch is engaging. It never does it when you pull away normally or change gear smoothly. It's quiet at all other times, including when the clutch is depressed and held. Does that give any more clues?

Thanks,

MarkSpace.

[mintalkin]

i would say a dry or worn clutch release bearing.

[DONFRAMAC]

The noise happens only when releasing the clutch pedal when under load (like a poor gear change or pulling out very quickly) - it squeals for a very short time just as the clutch is engaging. It never does it when you pull away normally or change gear smoothly. It's quiet at all other times, including when the clutch is depressed and held. Does that give any more clues?

Thanks,

MarkSpace.

Friction linings, such as your pads for your brake disks, and the friction surfaces of the clutch friction plate, get polished under light loading, and I have even had to have glazed brake-pads seen-to by rubbing with emery cloth (carborundum bonded onto a good grade of cloth), to remove the polished material to restore full braking, as the outer pads had got glazed thro' failure of the callipers to float sideways on their pins. the pins were rusted inside their rubber-boot seals, so nobody at the Cologne factory had greased the pins and it cost me 90 mins garage labour to have the brakes fettled, on a 2 month old car.)

To de-glaze your clutch friction plate may take a bit of abusive use of the unit, to burn off the polished surface. I would be inclined to ask an independent mechanic to advise, and have him do it for you. You may be squemish with the rough treatment, or OTT, and damage the bottom mount of the gearbox.

At your mileage,there will be plenty of lining thickness left still, so don't go for a new clutch & bearing, as a knee-jerk reaction.

[andy64]

This just possibly might not be a clutch fault at all, but could be as simple as a slack alternator (generator) drive belt...?

If not tight enough these can squeal for a short time when the clutch is engaged (i.e. pedal released), particularly when revving the engine hard e.g. pulling away quickly. Noise is caused by the rubber belt slipping round on the metal alternator pulley giving a loud squealing noise which will occur when setting off as the engine revs rise rapidly in 1st gear, or when changing into 2nd gear & accelerating hard. This problem can sometimes be worse when all the electrics e.g. heated rear window, headlamps, heater blower etc are switched on at once, also in damp weather.

People often think that this noise is a clutch fault because alternator belt squealing usually occurs just after the clutch has been engaged as the vehicle moves off.

The belt is adjustable although if tightened up too much it can damage the alternator bearings.

Five minute job for a garage.

Worth a check!

[MarkSPace]

Friction linings, such as your pads for your brake disks, and the friction surfaces of the clutch friction plate, get polished under light loading, and I have even had to have glazed brake-pads seen-to by rubbing with emery cloth (carborundum bonded onto a good grade of cloth), to remove the polished material to restore full braking, as the outer pads had got glazed thro' failure of the callipers to float sideways on their pins. the pins were rusted inside their rubber-boot seals, so nobody at the Cologne factory had greased the pins and it cost me 90 mins garage labour to have the brakes fettled, on a 2 month old car.)

To de-glaze your clutch friction plate may take a bit of abusive use of the unit, to burn off the polished surface. I would be inclined to ask an independent mechanic to advise, and have him do it for you. You may be squemish with the rough treatment, or OTT, and damage the bottom mount of the gearbox.

At your mileage,there will be plenty of lining thickness left still, so don't go for a new clutch & bearing, as a knee-jerk reaction.

Thank you very much for the post quoted above and for the other advice. I will be looking into it in a week or two. Will post back with results.

Thanks,

MarkSpace

[DONFRAMAC]

Thank you very much for the post quoted above and for the other advice. I will be looking into it in a week or two. Will post back with results.

Thanks,

MarkSpace

I have in front of me, the Haynes manual for the Mk 6 Fiesta, 02-54 reg., volume 4170. The 1.3 engine has an auto-adjust tensioner, but the 1.25, 1.4, and 1.6 16 valve engines have no tensioner whatever, and rely on the elasticity of the auxillaries belt. New belts are supplied by Ford, complete with a set of plastic tools (the old belt has to be cut off when it is giving trouble or fails its inspection, and the pullies have to be cleaned very well, before fitting the stretchy belt. There are 2 belts if A/C is fitted, for all engines mentioned. I would insist on a genuine Ford belt kit.)

I would agree that this scenario of belt-squeal is quite a possibility.

If a belt has been removed intact, it cannot be re-used, in fact my Son's SEAT IBIZA 1.2 litre, suffered catastrophic valve damage after the aux. belt broke after we had the cam-chain-tensioner system upgraded, at a cost of £376, inc. a mini service.

Due to skilled "shoe-horning fitter skills" being required, I would have a skilled man check it and carry out any belt changes.

Belts do fail inspections, usually by cracking or glazing, but I would pass on that task due to access.

[MarkSPace]

Hi,

I spoke with an independent mechanic and he road tested the car. He said it was the thrust bearing but that it wasn't necessarily worn. He said the noise was due to the design of the bearing and that it was quite common to be able to provoke this on Fiestas if you use the clutch badly. In fact, I've read a couple of threads elsewhere from people with the same issue. So, I'll live with it. I'm used to a MK3 petrol Mondeo which, while not exactly quick, is very quiet and very smooth... Fiesta 1.4 petrol is more fun though!

Thanks,

MarkSpace.