Lude Generation

Any help/advice is very much appreciated.

The clutch started to feel gradually worse over a few days, feeling spongy and the bite point dropped pretty much to the floor where before it was halfway up. It got to the point where it was difficult to select gears and crunching in as if the clutch wasn't disengaging all the way. Selecting gears whilst the engine was on became impossible. Bleeding the clutch cured the problem for a few hours until i drove the car hard, had to drive the car home without the clutch.

has anyone experienced anything like this before?

try bleeding the clutch

Ive had a clutch go on my 4th gen about 12 years ago - pedal dropped and then couldnt get it into gear so had a new clutch fitted. Spongy pedal sounds like air in the system. Could be master or slave cylinder is on its way out. Dont think thats helps much but start with slave cylinder and then look at master cylinder and check they are ok and no leaks or drips.

Bleeding it cured it for a while until i gave the car a good run through the gears. No leaks what so ever. I'm thinking the slave cylinder too. Just getting other opinions before i jump in replacing things, thanks guys

Yeh could be a seal gone bad in either master or slave cylinder, or poss clutch worn. If you do get your clutch replaced good idea to replace rear main seal at same time

Cheers bud, don't think its the clutch itself though, there's been no slipping what so ever

usually the the clutch slave cylinder will corrode and fail to move as far as it's supposed to.

the other fault is the clutch master cylinder seals can fail, either dumping the fluid out down the firewall in the cabin or bypassing the cylinder altogether and dumping it back into the reservoir.

I replaced the slave yesterday. I can select gears with a little force but it makes an awful noise whilst in gear with the clutch dipped. Once the clutch is raised/engaged and moving the noise goes away. Thinking it may be the release bearing

Yep, noise with the clutch depressed does sounds like release bearing. Though I'm not sure about it being linked to trouble changing gear or the pedal going to the floor Maybe the pressure plate is breaking up? That could possibly cause both problems?

Is it a screaching noise, or rumbling?

If it's the release bearing, I wouldn't drive it if I were you. I had a release bearing suddenly seize on a car once. I drove home and as I dipped the clutch when I pulled onto the drive, the release bearing tabs that hold it to the release fork suddenly snapped (with the bearing seized they were suddenly taking rotational force instead of just linear) which meant it suddenly dumped into gear and lurched me forward.

When I took the old clutch out, the pressure plate fingers weren't far from wearing through either. Scary stuff

The noise is hard to explain, its like clackering with absolutely no pattern. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and split the gearbox better invest in some thermals, this could take a while ha