Well those who have been reading my posts may remember I asked if there was a problem with my 1st gear...
think it must be the clutch - noticed the empty travel is suddenly huge with just a little take up at the end
at the same time noticed brake reservoir (addition to the car) almost empty - filled that but guess its not a combined reservoir as hasnt made a difference
now cant select 1st or reverse, and hard to get into 2nd
think it might be time to pass the car to a serious mechanic to fix the clutch! might do it at same time as new gearbox goes in
Unless someone has fitted a hydraulic clutch conversion, the fluid resevoir is never going to have even the slightest inkling of a chance to make any difference!
The clutch linkage is all rods and levers, I wonder if the pivot between box and chassis bush has lost a bush? That would introduce a hell of a lot of slop all of a sudden I think.
Might be worth popping the gearbox cover (unless you find crawling under the car easier) and taking a good look at the various bits
Inspect the linkage urgently to find what has gone wrong. Worn out clutch shows as reduced pedal travel - so your's is probably a linkage problem although could also be carbon thrust problem. You also need to consider why the hydraulic fluid is going down - is it leaking somewhere? which is worrying with brakes !! Time to pop the drums off and have a look see.
Well this is a case of synchronicity as my clutch failed on me this morning too. It was getting difficult on the way home last night so I tried quickly adjusting it (in the rain) when I got home. Start the car this morning and the pedal goes straight to the floor. Hmm. Thought it was just the rubber bush on the relay shaft (which I replaced only a few months ago) and adjusting it would get me going until I replaced it but now I'm not so sure.
So much fun getting the Minor across the drive, partly pushing, partly abusing the starter motor to get to the garage to get the Sprite out instead. Nice weather for little sports cars too. Not!
Thx - I was just about to ask that - if I get underneath and try adjusting the clutch using the nuts on the connecting rod bit (excuse my highly advanced terminology *grin*) will that help or will it just help burn out the clutch if something else is wrong?
And if I do that, which way along the rod do I want to go? Make it longer (move the nuts towards the front of the car) or make it shorter (towards the back?) I would attach a photo but some little monkey stole my camera!
Onne van der S. MMOCno 60520 Moderator
2dr 1971 White DAF 55 (with hopefully a 1600cc engine soon)
2dr 1973 Bergina (DAF 44)
2dr Estate 1975 DAF 46 in red
2dr saloon 1972 DAF 44 in Mimosa
Aye - but look to see why it is suddenly changed from the last time you used the car - has something jumped out of place - spring come off - there must be something different !
well, might put it to fairly rapid change but not sudden - i just thought there was a problem with first gear developing over the last week or so... and it wasnt until it became really bad that it occurred to me that the clutch had way to much travel! *learning to become more observant of the little clues!*
Whilst checking the clutch linkage under the car examine closely the domed
housing which is bolted to the side of the chassis member and holds a large
rubber bush and a phosphor bronze bush. One end of the pivot fits into this
housing and, if chronic wear has taken place, the pivot can wear right through
the rubber bush then rub on the metal housing until it collapses causing a
sudden increase in pedal free travel.
been trying to work it out, lying on a tarpaulin under the car in the rain - familiar feeling anyone?
I prefer to have the tarpaulin above me, not under me wheh it's raining... Other than that, the advice on linkages is mosty likely to help. A worn clutch will slip - not drag! Even a completely worn clutch can be adjusted to open fully.
If the linkages are all ok, there is a very slim chance that the clutch cover has started to dissassemble itself. I had that on a friend's car last year - caused by a manufacturing defect in a 'genuine' clutch cover (I've still got the parts to prove it). A spring pivot had unscrewed so that it was permanently clamping the disk.
Ray. MMOC#47368. Forum moderator.
Jan 06: The Minor SII Africa adventure: http://www.minor-detour.com
Oct 06: back from Dresden with my Trabant 601 Kombi
Jan 07: back from a month thru North Africa (via Timbuktu) in a S3 Landy
June 07 - back from Zwickau Trabi Treffen
Aug 07 & Aug 08 - back from the Lands End to Orkney in 71 pickup
Sept 2010 - finally gave up breaking down in a SII Landy...
where to break down next?
2013... managed to seize my 1275 just by driving it round the block
Glad to hear badfelafel got his clutch adjusted OK. Here's the answer as to why my pedal was on the floor: it had broken off the shaft! Yep, the weld had broken so the pedal just turned on a static shaft and even fell off it completely after I'd taken the gearbox cover off (31 screws). Easy bit of welding to fix it though and the shaft didn't seem particularly worn by the bushes so I felt justified in not getting a brand new one. That and the fact that I could get the car mobile again in about two hours. Bit of grease, slide it back in, reconnect the linkage, 31 screws again and readjust it. Sorted.
Did I mention there are 31 screws holding the gearbox cover on?
There seems to be less clutch judder now so I guess that weld had been cracked for a while.
(btw., it's 5/8" for the dome nut and 1/2" for the locking nut)
Well, it was more like 2 1/2 hrs really. The cover's been off before so there's grease on the screws so most were OK. To be honest there's probably old engine oil on some of them.
