Triumph Repair: Clutch whining, spitfire 1500, pivot pin

Question
QUESTION: I just replaced the clutch fork pivot pin on my 1980 Spitfire 1500. Now when I depress the clutch pedal, I get a little whining noise. When I release the pedal it stops. Does that sound like a problem?

ANSWER: Hi Tom,
It may or may not be a problem but sounds like a release bearing.
Howard

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QUESTION: I replaced the clutch (including the bearing) a few months back, and I didn't have any problems until I pulled the transmission the other day to replace the clutch arm pivot pin. It seems to be driving ok. I'll just remain vigilant, and if it gets worse I'll take further steps. Thanks.

ANSWER: Even though the release bearing is on a slider, when you replaced the pin in the arm, you slightly moved the point that applied pressure to the slider so that may have set up a noise.
That is a guess as there may be something else off a little. Either way, there is not much of anything you can do from the outside and there is no way to tell if it is ever going to be a major problem.
So, you are correct that maybe a "wait and see" is the best approach until it is necessary to take it out.
Howard

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I might have figured it out. When I had the bearing arm out, I had a welder add 1/8" to the pushrod. I did this because when I replaced the clutch, I couldn't get it to go into any gear. Someone on this site told me to make sure the slave cylinder was pushed fully forward--which I did, enabling me to get it into gear. With occasional gear clashing, I thought perhaps the pushrod wasn't quite long enough (from wear in the pushrod hole over time). I just now moved the slave cylinder back maybe 1/8", and no more whine. Is the range on the clutch release really that precise?

Answer
The release bearing is not designed to run all the time so that was your whine.
I have found that many or the Spitfires and TR-6s I have worked on had clutch release problems and I always believed that Triumph designed the release system just on the edge of working. I use to have to switch master cylinders to a larger bore on several to get them more travel so they would release. Even when they were new you had to put the pedal all the way to the floor to get them to release.

I had several customers who put carpet or accessory floor mats in and then had clutch release problems.

By making the rod longer you solved one problem and created another. What was needed was more travel. Larger bore master or smaller bore slave will do that. It would be to much fabrication to change the fulcrum points of the pedal or the internal clutch arm.

Howard