Bizarre Clutch?? problem

OK, I have a 1990 Miata w/112,xxx miles. Sunday, I drove to my
daughter's golf practice and all was well. When we left practice I
started the car and heard an awful grinding type noise when the clutch
was depressed. I had no problem getting into gear and there was no
noise when the clutch was released, it just occurred when the clutch
was depressed. Coincidentally, the radio stopped working and the
brake light came on at exactly the same time the noise started. I
just drove the car tonight and guess what: no noise, radio works and
brake light is off???
Any ideas??

wrote in news:1175045090.572579.176000
@n59g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

> OK, I have a 1990 Miata w/112,xxx miles. Sunday, I drove to my
> daughter's golf practice and all was well. When we left practice I
> started the car and heard an awful grinding type noise when the clutch
> was depressed. I had no problem getting into gear and there was no
> noise when the clutch was released, it just occurred when the clutch
> was depressed. Coincidentally, the radio stopped working and the
> brake light came on at exactly the same time the noise started. I
> just drove the car tonight and guess what: no noise, radio works and
> brake light is off???
> Any ideas??
>

The associated electrical problems and the fact that the noise went away
definately throw things off, but I had a similar noise last year that
resulted in a new clutch. With mine, the noise never went away.

Here's my description at the time and the one response I got:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...rowse_frm/thre
ad/b35dd7b89cd17d86/b2cbbcb8f8b1a456

-Scott

wrote:
> OK, I have a 1990 Miata w/112,xxx miles. Sunday, I drove to my
> daughter's golf practice and all was well. When we left practice I
> started the car and heard an awful grinding type noise when the clutch
> was depressed. I had no problem getting into gear and there was no
> noise when the clutch was released, it just occurred when the clutch
> was depressed. Coincidentally, the radio stopped working and the
> brake light came on at exactly the same time the noise started. I
> just drove the car tonight and guess what: no noise, radio works and
> brake light is off???
> Any ideas??
>
The clutch problem is probably the spigot bearing (pilot bearing); it
has a reputation for failing before the rest of the clutch. Could also
be the release bearing (thrust bearing), but these seem to hold up better.

Whatever it is, get a new 3-part clutch kit (friction plate, cover plate
and release bearing), a new spigot bearing, main engine oil seal and
both transmission oil seals (and the paper gasket for the transmission
front cover under which the oil seal lives). You don't often have the
chance to access all of this stuff.

I had all this done a few weeks ago - the old spigot bearing was well
and truly shot.