Clutch pedal noisy

My second gen '67 (manual trans) clutch pedal is a bit noisy. It sounds like a spring chattering, but I've lubed all the spring attachment points, as well as both zerk fittings on the clutch linkage. It's still there. Could it be the throwout bearing? The clutch engages and disengages normally, no problems there. I'm just tired of the weird noise every time I depress or let up on the clutch.

I've also tried disconnecting the tension springs on the linkage but the noise remains.

I can feel the vibration if I depress the clutch and touch the linkage rod up by the front of the van.

Sounds like the release bearing to me.

Is there free play in the pedal?

the noise is only when you push the pedal?

Yes, there is a bit of play in the pedal. And the noise is only when the pedal is depressed or released. Sometimes it's more noticeable when the pedal is allowed to go up than when it is pushed down. So the noise is sometimes louder when the clutch is released. But it only occurs with pedal movement.

well if it only makes the niose during movment of the pedal and wile holding the clutch disengaged I would not think it the release bearing.
There is aball or piviot for the clutch fork just inside the bell housing, where you able to get grease on that piviot?
Does it make the niose also when the engine is not running?

Yes, it makes noise whether the engine is running or not. Which I guess would rule out the bearing, good catch.

I have not lubed the ball and socket joint inside the bell housing. Haven't seen it. There's a rubber boot around the opening, but it's torn so not a big problem getting access, I suppose. I just don't want to wind up squirting grease onto the clutch plates or flywheel... Next time I'm under there I'll take a lighted mirror and see if I can get to that part of the linkage.

diognosis is all about avoiding unnessesary work.

It may not be a ball, it might be just a piviot of some shape I don't remember.

The boot can be removed from the bell housing and replaced without removing the bell housing or the fork. But you may have to disconect the clutch linkage rod at the fork.
I recomend you get heavy grease on the piviot point using a small brush, stick or what ever.

Also try the clutch pedal for noise when it is disconected from the fork.

m1D

Check to see if the clutch pedal rod is scraping the sheet metal as it passes through the floor board. My brake pedal does that once in a while. Annoying at times.

Yes, that was my first suspicion. But I checked that out and the only thing the clutch link arc is touching is the rubber boot that helps to seal the opening. I even smeared rubber friendly disk brake grease on it just in case, with no diminution in squeakiness.

It's probably coming from the pivot joint inside the bell housing. Currently I'm engaging in detailing the exterior (clay, the whole nine yards) so it may be a while before I get back to crawling around under it.

Instead of just guessing, try this:
Remove the last linkage rod from the throwout arm......Now try the clutch pedal....If you still have the noise, keep removing linkage connections working back towards the pedal till the noise disappears....If the noise vanished when you took the ink off the throwout arm, you know that it's a problem inside the bell housing...

AzDon wrote:Instead of just guessing, try this:
Remove the last linkage rod from the throwout arm......Now try the clutch pedal....If you still have the noise, keep removing linkage connections working  back towards the pedal till the noise disappears....If the noise vanished when you took the ink off the throwout arm, you know that it's a problem inside the bell housing...

Good troubleshooting suggestion. I may give that a try the next time I'm crawling around under there.

,,,and see how much meat you still got on all the clutch and gas pedal linkages,,,,,

Hopefully they don't look like that...

For some reason the clutch pedal seems to have quieted down. Might have been from the lubrication I added to the linkage closest to the transmission (but not inside the bell housing). Currently the rear springs are making such a racket, though, that I'm gonna have to see to those bushings before I do anything more about the clutch issue.

Tangentially, the documentation for some dodge shackle bushings specifically mentions the need to lube the shackle bushings inside and out before installation. I'm assuming this is a general rule, since the Dodge shackles and bushings look much the same as the Chevy ones.