Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all,

I'm hoping for a little advice!!!

My clutch won't fully disengage...aand it seems to be slowly getting worse.

I've changed both master and slave cylinders and the system is bled with a pressure bleeder and I am sure the is no air. I put 2 x full easibleed bottles through it!

However I still have incomplete disengagement. With the clutch fully down it still 'drags' making g gear selection very hard.

What are the likely culprits? I am planning to pull the box and replace the clutch assembly asap... do release arms bend? If so I'll order a new one....? Is there something I haven't thought of?

Thanks in advance!

Tom

Could be that one of the clutch fork arm welds has failed. They are known for it.

slowly collapsing spigot bearing....?

Dont think that would much effect Em, the spugot doesnt actually do a lot of work (on older cars it is just a bronze bush)
Clutch cover diaphragm might have fractured but its more likely to be something failed at the release bearing, putting uneven pressure on the release fingers and causing it to drag.

Ah OK... I had wondered this.

So if the spigot is worn it means the input shaft is still turning with engine yes?

However clutch bite got lower and lower over the years, could this still be a spigot bearing issue?

Thanks everyone!!

If the pedal jas been getting progressively lower then I would say that the fork tips have worn down, so its smply not pushing the diaphragm far enough.
Transmission out time.

Thanks guys..... will pull the box

Have a look at the pedal and its push rod.. has the hole that the rod sits in worn [elongated?].

fodtommo wrote:
So if the spigot is worn it means the input shaft is still turning with engine yes?

Thanks everyone!!

Correct, so you need to check it as Ermie said. As it is a needle roller bearing it also needs greasing when you replace the clutch.
But it does sound like a clutch fork issue.

First time my spigot went was quite dramatic...it had been getting harder to change gear....and then it went...could not get out of gear when engine running. Had to stall to stop as depressing the clutch did bugger all. could change gear when engine off. 2nd time...was more sudden....came out of gear...wouldn't go into gear....finally did...would come out of gear, not go back in. Had to stop at roundabout. Wouldn't engage first. turned engine off - managed second. Crawled to garage. They were initially convinced it was linkage. finally rang to say they couldn't find a problem with the linkage - didn't think it would be spigot, and suspected box. Pulled box...and found the spigot partly collapsed.

Just my experience

I defer to your greater experience Em!

Last time i saw these symptoms it was after fitting a new clutch kit. The pedal just wouldn't quite give clearance. Had to stop engine, select 1st or reverse then restart, biting point was a fraction off the floor. The cause was that the pushrod end cup on the slave was worn away/missing. I removed the rod and modified it by welding a nut on the end, drilled out then made a plastic insert cup of similar radius to the ball on the clutch lever, packed with grease and refitted. The extra rod length gave a perfect pedal and biting point.

well... thanks to everyone for their replies!!

Just to post an update once the box was pulled, i found more than a few issues!!!

1) - The release arm wasnt bent or broken, but it was worn almost completely away on the surfaces that bears against the release bearing. Both the 'lobes' were long gone!

2) - the clutch pressure plate bolts had clearly not been torqued down properly by the last person to put a clutch in as one was about to fall out, most were pretty much finger tight....

3) - Because of the above issues the release bearing was pretty shot, and in turn the 'fingers' on the pressure plate were also badly broken away...

4) the release arm nylon bush was pretty much gone.

Removing the box allowed me to notice that it was leaking oil from one side on the final drive and the selector rod.

So ive now got all the bits courtesy of Brickwerks and plane to get it ready to go back in tonight...

All I can say is that im very relieved I pulled the box this week as if that clutch had fallen off things would be a lot worse!

pretty amazing it was changing gear at all!