T25 hydraulic clutch lever/slave cylinder travel? Newbie:-)

[gpthedoctor]

Hi all,
This is my first post so please be gentle I've searched the forum and wiki and cannot find a definative answer to how much travel the hydraulic clutch lever / slave cylinder shaft should have when activated? This is on a T25 '83 petrol 1.9L.
Travel measured is about 10mm, should this be alot more or is it about right?
Ok here's the history:-
I've only owned it for about 3 weeks before that I borrowed it for the last 8 years and used it for camping at silverstone for F1! It had the clutch and slave cylinder replaced 11 months ago. Clutch worked fine then suddenly failed at the weekend, cannot engage gears unless the revs are correct. When engine off and stationary all gears can be selected just not when the engine is running. Checked the master cylinder and there is a little bit of fluid on the rubber seal. So I'm guessing that the master cylinder seal has a leak and let some air in (well fingers crossed that's what it is).
I'm going bleed it tonight and see if it improves.
Any other thoughts on what this could be? There were no funny noises prior to the failure, the only thing was that the clutch was pressed in for more that 30 seconds whilst trying to pull out on on a busy roundabout.
Thanks for your help
GP

[Ian Hulley]

Welcome to the forum Should really ask you to wait for 10 minutes then tell you call come back 2 weeks on thursday when we have a free appointment

When engine off and stationary all gears can be selected just not when the engine is running.

I really hope it's the clutch however those symptoms are the same as when the spigot bearing has failed, this is in the end of the crankshaft and supports the gearbox input shaft, when it fails it spins the shaft making it impossible to select gears when stood still.

http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/shop?page=s ... ory_id=123 £5.46 BUT quite a major job to do.

Ian.

[Aidan]

about an inch of travel at the lever arm

[kevtherev]

Welcome to the forum

The arm movement is suspicious as there should be over 20mm travel,
I think a clutch bleed first.
I found the slave will self bleed, without the need to pump the system if the reservoir is full and the bleed nipple is loosened.

[Oldiebut goodie]

Thrust/release bearing as it was being depressed at the time.

[gpthedoctor]

thanks for the replies
ok silly question time!!
I can not find a "bleedin" nipple on the master cylinder?? Not even a photo of one, looking at them on JK or Brickthingy???

or am I looking for sometink that dont exist? maybe it's just on the slave??

[kevtherev]

You are... the bleed nipple is on the slave

[gpthedoctor]

ok thanks, it's taking an age to bleed so gonna attempt to instruct the GF on the fine art of bleedin (so to speak!) hopefully that'll speed things up

[kevtherev]

That's a good sign there's air in it

[gpthedoctor]

no joy
bleed away, not sure that I saw any air bubbles in the plastic pipe but did see dirty fluid come through, carried on till it ran clear - about 500ml of fluid (was this enough bleedin?).
Still no more movement than about 10mm at the slave cylinder and cannot engage gears with engine running at standstill.

[gpthedoctor]

update
Replaced the clutch master cylinder as the seals on the old one were leaking a little but still no improvement on release lever travel.
Is there any possibility that the release bearing could have unclipped itself and twist around so it no longer engages with the release shaft?
I think i'm resigned to the fact that the gearbox has gotta come off for a poke around inside...

[kevtherev]

yes a poke around looks likely.
Still while your in there you can change the clutch?

[gpthedoctor]

i've got receipts to say it was done only 11 months ago, under 1000 miles since?

[kevtherev]

Ok well at least you can check the claim.
You'll fix it, you sound like a chap who isn't fazed by little setbacks.

[gpthedoctor]

Update.....I got a m8 who works in a local garage to take the gearbox off and have a look at the clutch, he'd never before seen what was inside as the bits came falling out the release bearing and one of the forks of the release shaft.....he reckons when the clutch was replaced a year ago they some how half dislodged the release bearing whilst refitting the gearbox, one word bodgers = Hitech Autoservices. It also messed the clutch surface up and wore the release bearing sleeve.

I would add some photos but got the message"the board attachment quota has been reached" is this normal?