When my engine is idkeing there is an intermittent grinding or whuring noise which goes if you increase the revs or depress the clutch. The clutch works fine re changing gear and doesn’t slip.was wondering whether this is a clutch thrust bearing issue as it sounds like a rough bearing noise ? Not that I know what a thrust bearing is or looks like. Any thoughts and how to fix ?

Thanks

How much end float does the engine have?

I had this on my van over the summer, in France and it went from being noticeable, to very bad just before we got to the ferry port, symptoms were exactly as you describe. Turns out after 10 years in my van and running fine, the gland nut had become loose so flywheel was grinding on the inside of bellhouse of gearbox. Got so bad that we had to be trailered home from Portsmouth. Had I known the problem and tightened the gland nut as soon as I heard it, might have saved a rebuild but the flywheel, crank and clutch were all damaged, apart from that internals were in good shape considering its unknown history when I bought engine, so rebuild not as costly as it might have been. Your problem might be the same or different but recommend getting an expert eye on it before driving it anywhere, engine out to inspect is where I'd start.

Taffy wrote: ↑Thu Nov 08, 2018 8:43 pm When my engine is idkeing there is an intermittent grinding or whuring noise which goes if you increase the revs or depress the clutch. The clutch works fine re changing gear and doesn’t slip.was wondering whether this is a clutch thrust bearing issue as it sounds like a rough bearing noise ? Not that I know what a thrust bearing is or looks like. Any thoughts and how to fix ?

Thanks

From memory; a dodgy clutch release bearing sounds a bit like a neighbour drilling in to their side of a party wall.

It goes away when you release the clutch (when you let the pedal up) and increases when the clutch is engaged (while you have the pedal depressed).

If that sounds like your problem; fixing it is easy, but a bit fiddly as the clips which hold it in place on the clutch fork are tight and like to ping off in to the distance. You have to pull the engine out to access the bearing.

Thanks to you all. What do you mean by “end float” .

Useful explanation here, there'll be videos on YouTube too
http://www.vw-resource.com/endplay.html