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Clutch woes and buying outside EU

Knucklehead

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 28, 2013
Messages
408
Probably like a few others on here, I sometimes get parts from Amayama.
Bought a clutch kit from them which I had recently installed but the throw out bearing failed within a couple of days.

Toyota in the UK don't want to know as bought outside the EU and unknown to me Amayama will only stand by their parts if they have been fitted by a Toyota dealership/certified Toyo technician (teach me for not reading their terms!). Mine was fitted by bog standard Clutch garage so have no comeback. If buying parts outside the EU be aware Toyota UK warranty does not cover them.

Anyhow, to the second part of this.
The bearing is making what can be best described as 'chirping' when engaged. Put slightest pressure on the pedal and all is quiet. Took it back to the garage and they reckon the box needs dropped again and a new bearing. More £££.

I can see in the FSM that there are a couple of ways to adjust the clutch pedal travel and boost rod and was wondering if adjusting these might help remove some of the noise? Had thought about trying a bit of white grease in through the rubber boot and around the fork release/bearing but unlikely to work as think these are sealed bearings.

Thinking it is probably out with the box again but thought would put out for advice on here first.
Still do a fair few miles in the cruiser so a collapsed bearing would be bad.

Appreciate any thoughts as usual.

Dave.
 
It sounds to me like it's just tickling the release fingers, perhaps not fitted on the clutch arm properly so it retracts (there's usually a clip that holds it to the arm). Not sure if you might be able to spot thus if you shine a torch through the release arm hole. If it's attached, backing off any adjustment should do the trick (if theory is correct of course).

PS don't spray anything in there, if anything greasy gets on the clutch plate and lining it will probably make it slip.
 
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Cheers.
This is the reason I hate getting my cruiser worked on by anybody else as can only take the garage at their word that it is a part problem and not their install.

Yeah, spraying anything in there would end in more problems.
Will pull the rubber boot and see if there is anything obvious going on.

I've been around cruisers for quite a few years and this is the first time an OE part has failed straight out of the box.
Not saying it can't happen but very surprised.

Dave.
 
Good luck with it Dave. I know exactly what you mean about getting someone else to do the work. If you do it yourself, you KNOW what went on when it was done.
 
Yeah, so true. Too big a job lying on my driveway for me to tackle so no real option.

Really starting to think it could maybe be a problem with installation though near impossible for me to prove.

Looking at the FSM and this link, there should be some Lithium grease added to the fork and input shaft or you can get the chirping sounds.
Will get under it tomorrow and see if can look at the fork with the boot off. Could also be a duff bearing of course as they say.

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/f25/update-squeak-chirping-possible-clutch-problem-66611/index2.html
 
The bit that made me think the bearing was ok was when you said the noise went away when you put a tiny bit of pressure on the pedal. That would spin up the bearing and if duff I think it would be at that point that you would get a squeal or something.

Take your phone or camera under and get some photos inside if you can.
 
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Forgive me I haven't read every part of every response ...

I had EXACTLY the same thing with my new clutch last year. Drove me so mad that I ordered a brand new release bearing from Toyota. When it came it was IDENTICAL to the one in the Valeo kit. (I found this out later) So nuts in fact that I dropped the transmission on my own, on the floor to replace the bearing. Put grease in all the right places which incidentally the garage hadn't.

And..... it still chirruped. In the end I bought a clutch slave cyl from Milners. This was slightly different actually and I ended up robbing a couple of old bits but the upshot was that the stroke in the 'parked' position of the slave was just enough to cancel the chirrup. So, an easy fix is to remove the actuator rod from the slave and make it slightly longer. Dome of weld maybe? I put it down to wear over 20 years. It's quiet as anything now and I am sure it's not riding the bearing or anything. We are talking about the thickness of a fag paper.
 
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Oh, as a foot note the bearing I took out after 1000 miles was perfect in every way. I still have it on the shelf.
 
That is my gut feeling Chris. Buy new bearing, pay garage to drop the box again and no better. I can be well sure they did not grease up anything even though I gave them FSM printouts showing how.

Extending the cylinder rod is definitely worth a look. Going to get under the truck tomorrow and have a proper look. Need to fix up the snapped bash plate bolts they stuffed anyhow.
 
In that case an easy check would be to cut a plastic milk container down and (somehow) stuff it in between the slave cylinder and the release fork. That should stop it if it's that that's doing it. Then, well, whatever takes your fancy. Mind you, thinking about it, wouldn't that mean the clutch release bearing is always in contact with the diaphragm fingers? Hence no chirp but possibly knackered bearing after a while? Or am I getting it wrong?
 
Not a cruiser i know but i recently had a clutch in my old Mk5 smiley transit, straight away it started the chirping, the only way of stopping it was a simple bungee cord wrapped around the clutch pedal arm & secured to a bracket on the bulkhead, crude yes but works a treat,
 
Yes, JM that's the way I was thinking it needed to go, off rather than on, if that makes sense.

Just curious, but have you owned a Land Rover in the past?

[emoji6]
 
Thanks for replies fellas.Noticed there is also a section in the FSM for checking clutch pedal freeplay and booster air valve stroke.Worth a check anyhow.Quick google search shows lot of people with similar problems, some blaming release bearing some blaming no grease on the fork.Pain in the arse noise for sure.
 
Sounds like you're on to something there KH.
 
The chirrup was a chirrup but almost a jingle? No need for making bits from milk cartons. The clutch lever is just that. It's a see saw. If you go under the vehicle and simply try to wobble the see saw back and forth you will most likely find a bit of play. This very small amount of play allows the whole lever to vibrate and if you take the whole thing to bits you'll be staggered at how primitive is. There's the pressed steel lever sitting on a little tit with the bearing wobbling around on the other end. If this is not under tension it's not surprising that it jingles. The slightest pressure at the end of the arm where the actuator rod sits and it stops. There is no way you are compressing the tines or anything, it's just stopping the wobbly stuff.

That's how I found it.
 
I get that Chris, I just always thought the bearing should be retracted away from the release fingers so as not to be constantly spinning it and possibly wearing through the fingers.
 
No, never had a Land Rover, by eck it was hard typing those two words.
 
Sorry, wasn't trying to counter what you said - just that you don't need to cut stuff up to just see if that's the cure. Put your finger on the lever and if it stops, then that's what it is. Mine was making the noise not because the bearing was duff but because it was free to bobble about. The new slave cyl took out that slight play and it stopped. So if it's supposed to be free then the slave cyl is wrong. Which it may well be of course. But now I can at least sleep.
 
Never owned one but driven several when i do the balloon retrieving, broken down many times !!!
 
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