406oc.co.uk

Hi Guys,

First off i would like to say what a great place this is for advice ive been browsing it for a little while now some really has helped me out of a few sticky situations with my 406.

I am however in need of some advice that i cannot seem to track down or have maybe missed a post that has got the information in so any help would be gratefully appreciated. I own a 2000 (W) 406 2.0 LX Petrol,that has now covered 142,000 miles and in the last week i have noticed that when the clutch is pressed down there is a weird kind of whining noise so at a guess i am looking at a replacement clutch(?) It isnt slipping and goes into gear ok so it has kind of got me stumped. As i say when the clutch is pressed it makes a wierd noise but goes pretty much as soon as you let your foot off!

Have i got this right, it needs a new clutch? I have looked around for one but am unsure what would be the best to get, any ideas? and lastly is it a fairly easy job to do myself without having to pay stupidly high labour costs at my local garage, and main dealer is definately out of the question i think!!

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Hi Shaun, that sounds like the release bearing's going. It's a nuisance as the clutch disk is probably still ok but the bearing will eventually disintegrate so it's best to change it, and it'd be daft not to change the whole clutch while the gearbox is off.

Not done it but there's plenty on here that have so I don't think it's beyond the amateur spanner monkey

Thanks on the pointers Steve, and just as an update, have finally got the car apart and yes the release bearing was shot.....infact it just fell apart! Along side that the Release fork was worn down where it had been rubbing against the pressure plate, and the guide bush was also shot to pieces to the point it took me ages to gently prize it off of the gearbox shaft. I was quite surprised really at the damage as it had been no more than a week since it had starting making noises to me posting on here but hey ho i suppose!

Anyway off to my local dealer i went as the release fork & guide bush are apparently dealer only supplied, and ended up with a decent deal -

Guide Bush, Release Fork, Two Seals, Hub Nut (got irate and hacked it off lol), and a Valeo Clutch all for the nice little sum of £153.96 including VAT, so looks like i can push on and get back on the road!