[Jimny_No_Power]

Hey guys,

After a bit of wisdom in diagnosing a clutch issue on an '01 M15A Jimny.

10 months (12,000kms) ago the following were installed:
Xtreme HD Clutch and new OEM flywheel. Also throwout, pilot/spigot and inputshaft bearings.

No dramas until recently and symptoms are:
Chirp noise when releasing clutch pedal under heavy load. Metallic "tink tink" at >2500rpm whilst driving, pitch increases with rpm and noise disappears with clutch pedal slightly depressed, can still be heard very faintly if revved at the same time.
Whilst stationary idling in neutral depressing and releasing the clutch pedal produces a quiet and dull tired bearing noise.


Can't locate the source of the noise as it's not loud unless under load and mid-high rpm. I've ordered a new HD clutch kit and the pilot/spigot bearing as that is my suspect.

My worry is a gearbox or transfer case failure. Your thoughts on this are appreciated

[henno]

Jimny_No_Power wrote:

Whilst stationary idling in neutral depressing and releasing the clutch pedal produces a quiet and dull tired bearing noise.

Is the noise active only in one of these states? (Depressed or released?)

[Jimny_No_Power]

When the clutch pedal is released, when the clutch is engaged there is no noise

[henno]

I'm going with spigot bearing, although they are so tiny they often make very little noise if and when they fail. I think you should cross your fingers that it is that, as beyond the spigot bearing you are looking at gearbox bearings. The throwout bearing (99% of the time) usually only makes a noise on depression of the clutch pedal.

I am sure Scrawn will pop by any moment to tell me I am wrong that throwout bearings occasionally make noise on release if there is any play, like he usually does

[Jimny_No_Power]

Haha thanks heaps. That's what I'm thinking.

I did the input and output shaft bearings on the gearbox at the same time ><

I did do a week on Fraser and some big creek crossings shortly after doing all that work, so I'm wondering if sand got in a bearing and has been working it's magic since then :/

[fordem]

Jimny_No_Power wrote:

When the clutch pedal is released, when the clutch is engaged there is no noise

First - let's see if we can clarify this - when do you get the noise with the pedal depressed or released?

The way the clutch works, it engages (transmits power) when the pedal is released, it disengages (no power transmission) when the pedal is depressed - if you're getting a noise only when the clutch is released, the noise is most likely transmission related.

Bring the vehicle to a stop, engine idling, transmission in neutral, pedal released - at this time, most of the parts in the transmission are still rotating - the output shaft will be stationary, because the vehicle is stationary, but the input shaft, layshaft, and pretty much all the gears will be turning - when you depress the pedal, all of the above parts should stop turning - if the noise goes away when you depress the clutch, it's almost certain to be in the transmission.

If there is no noise with the pedal released, and the noise shows up when you depress the pedal, it will almost always be either the clutch release or pilot shaft bearings.

[Scrawny]

henno wrote:

I am sure Scrawn will pop by any moment to tell me I am wrong that throwout bearings occasionally make noise on release if there is any play, like he usually does

When you push the pedal to the floor and disengage the clutch, BOTH spigot and throw out bearings are working.
Once you get your hoof off the pedal, unless there is insufficient clutch fork freeplay, BOTH bearings are no longer working. That's when gearbox bearings come into play, usually input bearing as that takes most of the load

[Jezza86]

when this happened to me it was due to the mud to grease ratio of the throw out bearing

[watermouse]

First thing I would do is adjust the clutch cable (loosen) to see if the throwout bearing is not dragging when clutch is engaged (as per Fordem's definition). Simple to do and will solve or eliminate a potential problem.