Clutch Thrust/spig Bearing Failure, Again!

[dave_rb20]

G'day

My R33 GTST developed a squeaking noise in neutral with clutch out about Dec 09

I spent $950 getting a new heavy duty clutch, spigot bearing and machined flywheel put in - was sorted.

Then December last year it started again.

I have done 9,000km if that but because of the length of time and no km's recorded on workshop

jobsheet (they're a reputable shop in Perth too) I don't really wanna cry warranty.

Any idea's what could cause this?

Cheers

-bloke who's almost had enough of his Nissan

[Birds]

Did you replace the clutch pivot ball?

This is a weak and commonly failing factory item that should be replaced when the clutch is done. $70 Nismo replacement is available on eBay that is twice as strong. Sometimes they just snap straight up causing a loss of clutch ability, other times they wear out over time starting with a squeaky sounding clutch that is often mistaken for a worn/noisy pressure plate.

A good way of diagnosing if this is your problem, is to pull off the clutch fork dust cover and shine a torch inside. You'll see the pivot ball that the clutch fork pivots on...spray some grease on and around the ball, rocking the clutch fork back and forth on it to mix the grease around. Then replace the dust cover and your squeaking should go away. Even if it does go away, it can return later on when the grease has dissipated over time. This happened to me, but I haven't heard anything since I last sprayed it a long time ago. The only permanent fix is to pull out the gearbox and replace the ball with a Nismo one. It's not just a squeaky sound though - it can affect the operation of your clutch pedal and could one day snap off leaving you with the inability to work your clutch.

[The Dan]

+1

The pivot ball can squeak and although some people will argue with me, the dust boot can also if it's dry enough. Have had 2 instances where lubricating the edges of the boot took the noise away.

Don't stress too much about the baby crickets that live under your car, the noise will come and go for years but it doesn't mean the bearing has or will fail.

[Pal]

I had this happen on my gtst every 6 months. just got under the car, removed the pin between the fork and slave cylinder, pulled the rubber cover off and pushed a bit of grease onto the ball on the end of a screwdriver. fixed it for another 6 months