Staccato chirping sound coming from clutch cylinder...HELP.

What could this be and is there a simple fix.

With the engine running and in neutral there is a hi pitched chirp-squeaking sound. It's not real loud but it's annoying and embarrassing. If I push in on the clutch just a little the sound stops.
The sound is there when driving but less noticeable due to engine and road noise.

There is some sort of a clutch solenoid doohickey on the drivers side of the gear box attached to a rubber boot that has vents on it.

With the engine running and in neutral I can crawl under the truck and put hand pressure on the doohickey and the sound stops.

A friend thinks it's not nothing to do with the clutch/pressure plate but something to do with internal linkages or even the throw out bearing.

Has this symptom ever occurred on this forum as described?

Can I pull off the rubber boot (with out damaging it) and spray some Airkroil lubricant in there?

All opinions welcome.
Thanks
Bert

 

Sounds like the throw out bearing. Mine does it too. It comes and goes so I haven't replaced it yet but once the bearing fails or noise gets bad enough you'll have to pull the trans and replace it. I wouldn't spray any grease up in there because you chance getting it on the clutch. If you do replace the bearing do the clutch at the same time since the majority of the work is getting the trans off.

 

Try putting a little grease where the slave cylinder rod meets the clutch fork. That may tone it down a little. Unlikely the TO bearing is to blame. It doesn't have a load on it until the clutch pedal is depressed.

 

I was afraid I was going to hear something like that.
I just bought it used with 49k miles and it just started this noise about a week ago.
DAMN.

 

Should I be able to get that boot off with out tearing it, I'd like to give it a try.

 

ive had this problem on my 95 4runner and 00 4runner...both were bad throw out bearings. both needed clutch jobs as well so i changed everything clutch, flywheel, to bearing, pilot bearing, and the noise went away

 

Looks like I better find me a model specific repair manual...oh well.

 

I've taken the rubber boot off before. It's just kinda molded to hold on to the trans. I squished mine and popped it right off and it went back on with a little fiddling.

 

Thanks.
I'll be under it today.

 

Mine has made this sound since i bought it with18k miles. Now at 70k miles and it has never any gotten worse. Im sure it will be addressed when i change out the clutch, but it's still good so that wont be for a while.

 

I'm sorry this has taken me so long to reply to but about a week ago I creeped under, pulled the boot and sprayed just a little Airkroil in the area and the sound instantly stopped...easy peasy.