series clutch probs (part 2!)

Is the pivot free on the pedal ? Sounds like the only bit you've not changed.

You really should drive it more. Another fix would be to do like I did, remove the clutch pedal, walk to the wheelie bin and throw the muther in there! Then fit a proper gearbox ;-)

Lee D

"Tom Woods" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...

It's very hard sometimes to visualise what's wrong when you are not actually looking at it. Could be that you have damaged the pivot by "jumping" on it last year or that one of the pins on the cross shaft into the bellhousing was partly sheared or fell out by "pumping it a lot" as you say. The first thing to ascertain is that the master cylinder is working as it should and you can do this by first making sure that the adjustable rod has some free play when the piston is on the start of it's stroke, that it will travel freely all the way down with the pipe disconnected and finally with a bleed screw or 3/8" UNF nipped up in the hole for the pipe that you then have a pedal that is solid at the top and won't travel at all. Then check that you can push the slave cylinder rod at least 1/2" back up into the cylinder from about the middle of it's travel to allow for clutch wear and remove any external spring on the linkage. This makes it self adjusting. Originally they were fitted with a return spring and had to be readjusted every so often to allow for the wear. If there is a circlip in the bottom of the slave cylinder (as there was originally), make sure the piston is not coming into contact with this when the pedal is pressed. This may be the reason for only having 3/4 travel on the pedal which can be rectified by lengthening the rod. This usually happens when one of the aforementioned pins breaks or shears and puts the lever out of position.

HTH Oily Refit the pipe, bleed and try again

It sounds like the release bearing is sticking rather than returning fully. Has it had water in the bell housing?

I dont think its had water in. It was fine before being parked up for 18 months and wasnt offroaded before hand (dont think it has ever been off roaded with that gearbox in). There was only a bit of crud in the slave cyl hole - no more than i'd expect in a landy!

I replaced the release bearing 3 or 4 years ago because the bearing siezed and it melted back into the body (it is a plastic body!). The replacement was plastic also though (all i could get).

If i wasnt so shit at aligning the gearbox and engine i'd be tempted to pull the gearbox out and look at it - i need to change my seatbox anyhow..

I'd love to! - but this clutch has been gone for pretty much the last 6 weeks and ive only just found the round tuits to fix it - and despite throwing bits at it (new OEM master and slave to try to make sure I found the problem first time!). I'm always too busy :(

If it was anything other than the clutch that had gone (thus making it undrivable) i'd have taken it somewhere to have it fixed for me!

I'd ideally love an auto in the 101, then the 101 box could go in the 2A along with my spare v8!... maybe next year....

The 109 2a military chassis, and probably others, had a removable cross member, so the part may be readily available.

AJH

The chap I work for has just been offered a v cheap, one owner p38

4.6hse with dodgy central locking. He's humming and arring on it but I'd like it just as a donor engine plus gearbox for my rusting heap.

AJH

Ah, I didn't know it had a series 3 gearbox in it, there's not much to go wrong there. If the master cylinder checks out ok then it's probably the release bearing carrier that's knackered again. It's not advisable to remove the slave rod from the bell housing as you may not get it back in it's plastic clip, a bit awkward but can be done. The master should only have about a millimetre of free play but it is essential. Unless you've some stripped threads on the bolts that hold the slave cylinder or there is a problem with the master then it looks like you might be better to pull the box. Where are you? I might have a look if you're near East Manchester.

Oily

I'll second your advice Martin. And if Tom pays the bus fare I'll take a look at it too. ;-)

I said it had a s3 box right at that start of my post! ;)

no stripped threads on the slave. they are fine.

is the release bearing meant to be so fragile?

in in crewe/stoke near Lee_d (so south manchester)

i might have chance to strip it down again today..

hehe ;) If you will return the favour and take me over to look at yours then it's a deal!

Got any contract work going over there?. I'd love to get some work over your way! Am going half way to you in the summer! :)

What's your specialty? There's a reasonable amount of IT contract work floating around.

Honestly it's not too hard to remove/replace a series gearbox if you have a halfway decent cradle to hold it on a trolley jack.

You most certainly did, I was not paying attention again.

They don't need to be any stronger really, unless the bearing jams and spins on and melts the carrier.

That's a shame, I went to Stafford Classic Bike Show on Sunday, couldn't have been nearer.

And you don't have to remove the seatbase, you can remove the gearbox mountings and pull the gearbox back to get enough clearance to replace any clutch parts. A short, cut off piece of old gearbox input shaft (about 5") comes in handy to align the plate if you need to, that's long enough to get hold of to remove and short enough to work in the space you have.

Oily

seatbox needs to come out anyway as its buggered and ive got a better condition one to go in!

Right - im confused now!.

I sat and thought about it today and realised that i am stupid and that my clutch was originally stuck IN not OUT - when i sat in it last night and tested it, i could clutch down (as far as it would go),put it in gear, clutch up and I didnt move. tried it in low and high, overdrive in and out.. Thats gonna affect the diagnosis isnt it!

Then today:

gave it loads of free play on the master shaft. no change clamped the flexy pipe. pedal goes solid. removed the master outlet. pedal goes right to the floor and ejects fluid.

reconnected outlet and have a pedal that now goes all the way down. didnt bleed it.

Decided to start it up and see what happened:

clutch now works, and bites right near the top of the pedal. considering that i havent bled it since removing the master out, im surprised!

Further ideas?

I'd venture to say you didn't have enough play on the master cylinder shaft and now you have, re-check the free play to make sure. You may also have had some crap in there which has now gone. If you haven't got any free play on the master, the fluid will not return but will still feed, with the result that it holds the slave out and the clutch disengaged. Sounds like you've sorted it anyway!

Oily

That does sound like a sensible diagnosis.

I have bled it and driven it tonight. bites right at the top of the pedal and slips occasionally, especially when im reversing it into my drive. From that i assume it really does need a clutch plate/bearing?

hydraulics must have been a bit tired before, so with new ones ive now got a tiny bit of life, but still not enough.