Volvo 164 manual clutch

[sainthonore]

Sometimes when putting my lovely 164 into reverse there is a slight 'grinding' of the gears and sometimes I also have slight difficulty in selecting first. I know for sure it isn't the hydraulics so I'm assuming it has obviously got something to do with the clutch. Every time the clutch pedal is depressed there is a delay in it returning back up and also there is a very slight 'swishing' sound when the gearbox is put into neutral with the engine running. The car is 36 years old with very low mileage and has probably got the original clutch so I don't mind having a new kit fitted anyway. Any comments would be welcomed.

Thanks,
Simon

[Mike_Brace]

You don't state why youy know its not hydraulics - have you checked movement of the fork? I had problems of delayed return from when I aquired my 245GLT and thought clutch was on way out. 50,000 miles later decided to replace it (still a very little life left). On trying to bleed it wouldn't - the problem was no spring in master cylinder - this was cause of delayed return. However, it is most likely if you are certyain on hydraulics that the pressure plate has become weak. Swishing sound could well be either clutch not quite pulling back or start of disintergration of plate. I would be inclined to look into this further rather than risk breakdown. Let us know how you get on. Best of luck!

Mike

[sainthonore]

Thanks for that Mike. It's had a new master cylinder and the slave cylinder is bone dry and the system has been bled about three times so as you say it could well be the clutch unless the seals in the new master cylinder need time to bed in which I doubt. I actually use the car very little at the moment so it's of no immediate concern but I will get it done. When changing the master cylinder I also took off the gearstick and greased the bottom of it and it did seem to improve overall action through all the gears.