"Popping" clutch pedal?

[tylerdurden801]

My clutch pedal has recently started an intermittent "pop" noise when I push down the pedal, usually at about the halfway point. It sounds like it's from inside the car. How can I tell if the linkage is fuxored? There's no play in the pedal.

 

[leet]

Pull out your master cylinder and see if it needs a rebuild.

 

[tylerdurden801]

Well, when I tried to adjust the clutch I noticed that the black boot was covered in oil (none dripping though) so I assume the MC is indeed on its way out, but how would that be related to the sound I'm hearing? It's getting more frequent, BTW, and it doesn't seem to be affecting shift quality. Just annoying and worrisome. Thanks for any more replies.

 

[AWDPetmitsu]

Check the spring. I think that is what's causing the popping noise.

 

[Defiant]

The sound is more likely the clutch lever bushings.

 

[rocketrx7]

I would lay odds on your pressure plate. I've seen these same symptoms accompanied with excessive force required to engage the clutch.

 

[tylerdurden801]

Originally posted by rocketrx7
I would lay odds on your pressure plate. I've seen these same symptoms accompanied with excessive force required to engage the clutch.

I think we may have a winner. The clutch is awfully stiff for a stock clutch rated to hold a ground pounding 200lb/ft of torque. Am I looking at a gradual worsening or a possible spectacular failure leaving me stranded and ####ing the tranny?

Also, I think some improvement might be gained from adjusting the clutch. After reading Taboo's article on the system, I think the last inch or so of clutch pedal travel is lifting the fork off the pivot ball because the last bit of travel is the stiffest by far. The tranny seems to shift smoothly when the clutch is depressed right at that threshold rather than all the way down. Maybe the heavy pedal caused by making the fork hit the stop in the bellhousing is putting enough strain on the linkage to make it noisy (similar to the effect of putting in a heavy duty clutch).

 

[rocketrx7]

You might feel confident driving for a few months, but I would expect it to get worse. You would most likely be much happier if you just replaced it. Sometimes the pressure plate corrodes just enough that it takes an inordinate amount of force to engage the clutch. That force is transferred to the throwout bearing and it gets chewed up on the splines of the pressure plate. I've even seen pieces of the pressure plate break off where it contacts the bearing.

 

[Velo7825]

i had this same problem for a while, ended up being a broken shift fork.