Troubleshooting A Squeeling Clutch Noise

If your manual transmission equipped car has an annoying noise whenver the clutch pedal is all the way out, and the noise goes away AS SOON AS you put the slightest pressure on the pedal, it is easily repaired. You don’t need a new throwout bearing. You don’t need a new clutch. More on this later.

However, if you get a noise WHEN you press on the pedal, and it GETS WORSE AS you press the pedal further, it is your throwout bearing that is going bad and needs to be replaced, or other potential problems.

Now, back to the first case. To fix the squeeling; chirping; or whirring sound that goes away as soon as you apply even the slightest pressure on the pedal. You need to replace the lubrication that has dried up at the point of the shift fork and pivot ball stud. The loss of lube has allowed it to dry up and the noise you hear is actually a frequency vibration and as soon as you put pressure on the pedal it dampens the frequency, and the noise disappears. To replace the lube do the following:

1. Get a can of disc brake wheel bearing grease and a small stiff brush, like an ‘acid brush’
2. Pull the shift fork boot away from the bell housing
3. Push the shift fork forward, towards the front of the car. This will be difficult, but you can do it. It will probably look dry and rusty in the area of the contact of the ball stud
4. Now, while holding the fork forward, take the brush that has been loaded with a dab of grease, and smooth the grease around the area of the ball stud and shift fork dimple. Do this 2 or 3 times.
5. Replace your shift fork boot, if so equipped.

You will have eliminated the noise. As soon as you start up the engine, the noise will be gone.