Busted clutch clip!

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 05 May 2006, 13:34

Anyone think its a good idea to 'buy' one of these metal clips ready for when the plastic one fails?????

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 08 May 2006, 14:33

davek-uk wrote:The Gloucester specialist is CGS Autosystems (01452-311110). I brought one of their metal clips a couple of years ago (at 105k). My clutch is still heavy but still fine at 155k. I think the clutch cable dries out. Every now and again I attempt to oil mine. That improves things for a while but the heavyness soon comes back. I wonder how many people change their clutch without needing to?

Dave, what sort of money is the superior clip from these people?

BTW, auto Xantias are a WHOLE DIFFERENT can or worms - trust me - you'd rather do a clutch swap and back breaking clip...

Andrew

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 10 May 2006, 09:11

The replacement clip from CGS was £20 two years ago. It sounds a lot but it's a wonderfully strong contraption of machined aluminium - far to beautiful to be hidden where it is! With no chance if it breaking, I can sit back and wait for either the clutch or the cable to give up. With the worry of waiting for the clip to break again, the inconvenience of where this happens and the awkward job of changing the clip, I thought £20 was good insurance.

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 10 May 2006, 09:43

Great thanks Dave. It'd be worth having a couple spare - the only anxiety is the chance that when this part usually DOES fail it's the first sign of a possible IMMINENT clutch failure!?

Andrew

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 10 May 2006, 21:11

No matter the clutch is an ordinary push (or the TD pull) type, then a heavy clutch almost certainly is caused by the release bearing grooving into the clutch spring fingers.
Oiling the cable will of course help as the friction temporarily will be decreased on an oily wet cable - as long as it is oily wet.
A new cable will also help matters for a while, as the inner cable has not yet grooved into the cable sheath. But all the clutch activating parts are strained beyond design values; thats why the clip snaps after all.

I have no estimate on how long you can postpone the un-avoidable.
My own BX16RS has had a heavy clutch for at least 2 years now (some 20Kmiles), and the cable has been adjusted recently (again) to bring up the pedal.
My guesstimate the car will decide by itself this summer before I get around to do a clutch (or car) change.

Some of you may think what a shame as the clutch friction plate itself very rarely is worn down near to the rivets. Thats correct. It seems that the clutch service life these days largely depends on the (quality of the) release bearing.

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 15 May 2006, 12:00

I understand what you have said Anders. But the fact that my clutch has lasted over 50k since my clutch clip broke suggests that the clutch failing isn't the only cause of broken clip syndrome. And my clutch seems fine so far…

Wear in the cable and the cable drying out must increase the strain on the clip. Add to that worn clutch components and you have the big ping just waiting to happen. Plastic ages too; I would hazard a guess that the original clip had quite a definite life span regardless of how the car is driven.

Having said that, I haven't experienced total clutch failure. Discounting the heaviness in depressing the clutch pedal, what are the symptoms of imminent failure?

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 15 May 2006, 22:45

There are only 2 symptoms on a bad clutch :

1) the heavy pedal (not caused by a worn cable)
2) clutch slipping in high gear while engine pulling hard

Crunchy gearchanging is mainly caused by a too low pedal not dis-engaging the clutch properly.

Bigjoe · Post by **Bigjoe** » 01 Jun 2006, 08:45

Hi all,
Update the xantia with busted clutch clip,it got towed to the local mot station as it was due for the dreaded annual test and they've given me a quote of £425 for the work needed,including a leak from the distribution valve and a new rear silencer and centre section.......i dont think its worth it to be honest on a 115,000mile 1.6i L reg which isnt the prettiest xantia i have ever seen.

So i think it may be the final curtain.

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 01 Jun 2006, 09:08

cant you replace the clutch clip and the exhaust yourself?

handyman · Post by **handyman** » 02 Jun 2006, 07:47

Hi Rob81, you do not need a clutch cable clip for the Activa as the clutch is hydraulically operated. Give it to somebody else.
Now replacing the sealed clutch hydraulic system or the clutch centre bearing............thats a whole different ball game!