Really stiff clutch. Problems ahead?

[whiterabbit]

Stiff clutch like an old tractor! I spent a few hours cussing and swaped out the clutch cable, royal pain to attach it under the dash! The old one was ruff and on it's last leg but the clutch is still really stiff. Possible throwout bearing about to expire? Release fork is ok, spring on tranny still there and the clutch doesn't slip, the wife is always chirping the tires at take off. It does "chatter" if you slip the clutch a bit but I think I need a new tranny mount bushing. It looks ruff. Replaced the driveshaft support bushing 'cause it was toast.
Is there a clutch job in my future?
Thanks all.

[124JOE]

i used white lithium spray on the pivot point it helped alot.
its kind of messy but you need to get the drivers side of the clutch pivot and the cable end"in the fork"

[So Cal Mark]

high pedal effort will result in a broken firewall and pedal if not addressed

[vandor]

I second what Mark said.

I assume the big stiff helper spring under the steering column is hooked up?

It seems to me a lot of clutches get stiffer with age. Even tho they don't feel super stiff before, after replacement they are noticeably lighter. Once I installed an aftermarket COME brand clutch, and that was insanely stiff from the beginning. It came out 500 miles later and was replaced by an OEM Valeo.

[thefiatek]

Bad disc or pressure plate, especially when there is a judder taking up drive.

[whiterabbit]

Kind'a guessing the pressure plate was going south, or the throwout bearing, but they usually start making allot of whining noise. All the pivot points are well greased and all springs are accounted for.

[MrWampus]

high pedal effort will result in a broken firewall and pedal if not addressed

Mark's right about that. I had a '79 with a stiff clutch. I broke the pedal twice. The factory spot welds broke loose from the pivot plate where the pedal attaches to the firewall. The mechanic finally just rewelded the new pedal with a good hardy weld which held until I sold the car a few years later. The clutch on my current '81 is much lighter, but still stiff by modern standards.

[divace73]

you guys should see what's like with a RHD clutch, I have to re-oil mine every couple of years...and yes it had gone through the firewall, and yes my clutch pedal has snapped. The heat from the exhaust does wonders to the cable....