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Stiff/heavy clutch after long drive


KyleC
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Hello there,

I noticed that on my Lupo the clutch will become very stiff and "sticky" after driving for long periods (e.g. an hour). When it's cold it's much better (although it's still not as smooth as it could be).

Would this be down to a clutch cable, or is it something more complex like the dreaded pedal box?

- Kyle

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Nah, common problem. It's as simple as nothing more than an oil leak. What happens is the primary input shaft seal next to the clutch release bearing leaks very slightly. Almost nothing. But the dust from the clutch sticks to it and forms a glue like substance that binds between the centre of the sliding release bearing and the little metal guide tube.  So the sliding action isn't smooth, becuase the force is at a very slight angle. So it sticks sometimes. Happened to one of my Lupos. It was so stiff I thought I'd either break the pedal box again or snap the cable. I pulled the box out in the end. Nothing wrong with anything except that stickyness after about 100k miles. But changed the clutch and bits, plus rebuilt the gearbox while out... Just in case.

A temporary fix that @Rich and me discussed a while ago but didn't try, is by removing the starter and see if you can "somehow" get to it to clean it with some solvent like petrol or spray some lube or something on the sliding bit. 

But. You don't want to contaminate the clutch disc or it'll slip then judder all the time. 

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  • 1 month later...

Hi mk2 and Rich,

Thanks for your reply - I thought I'd post this as a follow-up to my problem.

Dad I got round to trying a clutch cable earlier (last owner bought it but never fitted it) - it seems much better now after a good 30 minute drive. What we found is that the end of the sleeve on the cable by the ball joint which connects to the clutch pedal was all warped and damaged, suggesting it wasn't installed properly the last time someone did it (if ever!). Also, when the cable was out of the car, I tried pulling the cable itself. It pulled up fine but did get stuck going down suggesting it was frayed inside

New cable seems to be doing wonders now :)

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