I've noticed something odd happening when the car has been used a lot in traffic and is getting hot. When I depress the clutch it emits a funny noise that although not very loud is nevertheless annoying, especially at night when there is less traffic noise to mask it.

Now I come to describing the sound I'm stuck for a reasonable description as it isn't a squeal, or a rumble, in fact it isn't even a single tone but more of a modulated sound. If anyone is old enough to remember the noise they used to make in old flash Gordon films when someone fired a raygun then that's the sort of thing.

Another way of describing it would be to say that it's the sort of noise I imagine a UFO would make if it were hovering above, but of course if I said that you'd think I was completely barmy.

Clutch release bearing? Though I've heard described more as 'wind through trees' than a ray gun ...

I would also say clutch release bearing. I wouldn't worry about it, it's been making a noise on my 2cv since I bought it in 2002.....130,000 miles ago

The release bearing is only 3k miles old though. The noise is a wheep-wheep-wheep-wheep-wheep type thing that isn't all that loud, just bloody irritating. None of my others have done it, but they all had diaphragm clutches and this one doesn't, would that make any difference?

Correct release bearing for coil spring clutch? I think there is a difference ...

Yep, it came as a kit.

Get a stereo and position one of the speakers right behind the gearbox

Sadly doesn't always mean it's the right bits.

Old-Nail,
did you put a dab of grease or some engine oil onto the spigot bearing in the tail of the crankshaft, as well as replacing the tiny oil seal, before fitting the new clutch?

From your description, I'd reckon it's most unlikely to be the release bearing, much more likely that the spigot bearing is dry...

ken.

That'll be it then as I didn't put anything on there other than the new oil seal. I saw it was dry on dismantling it so put it back the same way.