How heavy is your clutch?

Was out today and the clutch cable broke

After the AA man did a temporary fix on it he told me my clutch was on its way out

He said because the pedal felt heavy it was a sign that the clutch was about to go  :dontknow:

I have never heard this before

The clutch has always felt heavy

My pedal is high (bighting point) so I know mine is on it's way out (replacing it now) and gears are hard to select especially reverse… not sure about a light/heavy pedal though… thought it was all about the bighting point height!?!?  :dontknow:

Maybe it would feel harder if the cable is sawing through the bulk head!?!?

Don't know personnally, but my clutch is heavy and on it's last service was told it was on it's way out that was last August and it's still going !!

I think I'd take the AA man's opinion with a pinch of salt too. You'll know when the clutch really is on its way out! All the pedals are stiff compared to modern cars anyway.  :dontknow: What's your bulkhead hole like, just out of interest?

my hole is reinforced  8O

The AA man is right, diaphragm clutches do get heavier when the friction plate wears, I think its the angle that the diaphragm has to work at that does it. As was said in a previous reply though these old bangers do have a heavy clutch when compared to a new car. I've got two Mk1's, both with a new LUK clutch, one is fairly light and nice and progressive, the other is also light enough but bites right at the top, why there is a difference I don't know.

im no mechanic, but when i got my golf the clutch was real stiff, now had a new one fitted & its light as a feather now hope this helps

it may just be the cable is bad,ive changed many with heavy pedals especially mk3 astras and the pedal is lighter afterwards  :wink:
Bert

brucieboy said

GSF ones are about 12.50, complete, be arware of bulk head damage where the clutch cable goes through, a common problem is ( and im sure its happened to all of us at some point, or will)   is that the welding for the plate that the clutch cable goes through isnt 100% reliable.

just a warning.

           and unless you get the part off the shelf it shreds the rubber bung that goes through it over…over and …over again!!

look up behing the clutch pedal and see if the metal bulkhead(leading out to the engine bay) is perished, bending or ok.

From personal experience, i found it extremely difficult to get the clutch to initiate any gear, i thought it was my gear box or clutch but it was the metal bulkhead absorbing the sress i was putting when dipping the clutch, therefore causing an incredibly heavy!!

this may the cause of your heavy clutch.

let us know??

Bruce

I had a new clutch fitted and still stiff what should I look at next then ?

as i said in march,try a new cable,i fitted one a few weeks ago to a 16v conversion mk1 and it was a totally different pedal after 15 quid
Bert

the cable is brand new as well !

There was someone on e-bay selling VW clutch kits supposedly to fit a Mk1 GTI but they were actually a reconditioned clutch (genuine VW), but designed for a Mk2 Golf that was being used as a taxi or for towing. I and my brother both bought one and didn't realise why the pedal was then really heavy until I contacxted the VW dealer with the part number. I've now got LUK low lift clutches, (don't know what that means), in both cars and the pedals are light and progressive. You didn't buy yours from e-bay I suppose.

took the New cable out that had been fitted by previous owner to find it was twisted and stretched !  put an original cable in and all is good !

My clutch was heavy so I checked and the bulkhead was sawing through, I fitted the plate using the sticky pad provided but it was still really stiff.
500 miles later the clutch cable broke , I've fitted a new one but it's still really stiff.

Is it better to fix the repair plate to the bulk head to remove flex ?  ie rivet / bolt / weld ?

on some self adjusting clutch cables, they tend to get stiff when clutch is getting fine etc,

£10 says arthurs autos once heard about this so every car with a stiff clutch, that arthur see's  he will come out with this becuase arthur dont need to know anything more then how to change a flat tyre to get his job

If you've fitted a new cable and the clutch is still heavy it's more than likely it needs replacing. If you're changing it get a good one such as LUK.