On Thu, 7 Aug 1997 11:13:04 -0400 "Dustin Howarth" <howarth@pulsenet.com>
writes:
>Well, here's my first advice request since purchasing my '73 Midget in
>May.
> It has been on the road for about 3 weeks, but then I ran into clutch
>problems.
>
>Since the first drive, there was a mild clunk when releasing the
>clutch
>pedal, especially, it seemed, in reverse. There also seemed to be a
>large
>amount of miscellaneous noises in the trannny (loud first gear, etc.).
>
>Often it was difficult to get into first gear after a stop, and even
>going
>2nd to 1st sometimes produced a slow, mild grind before slipping into
>1st.
> These may or may not be related to the current problem:
>
>During a typical drive home, I found that shifting was becoming
>difficult,
>requiring me to rev the engine to slip into each gear. When I
>stopped in
>my driveway in neutral and running, I could not get into 2,3,or 4 at
>all,
>and any attempt to slip into first (with clutch in of course) was met
>with
>a high speed grind. Pedal pressure seemed much lower, but I haven't
>driven
>the car enough to have a definite feel.
>
>This is where the plot thickens, possibly splitting into two problems.
> It
>seems that the clutch pedal/slave cylinder was not functioning, so we
>checked clutch MC level -- very low, despite no evidence of a leak.
>After
>refilling and bleeding, pedal pressure seemed better, but maybe not as
>good
>as original. While securely up on stands, I started the car and
>carefully
>shifted thrrough all 4 grears at idle -- seemed fine, although the
>first
>gear grind happened the first attempt only. The car came down, and as
>I
>pulled out for a test drive, there was a new, disturbing whine from
>the
>bell housing area while in gear with clutch in. During the drive, the
>car
>shifted, but I still experienced difficulty getting into 1st after a
>stop,
>and had some resistance from 2nd to 3rd. Back into the garage.
>
>The question is: Does this sound purely hydraulic, as in I didn't
>bleed
>the system sufficiently), or does it sound more serious (thrrow-out
>bearing, linkage, etc.)? I'm planning to attempt bleeding once more
>before
>diving into engine/tranny removal. I'm not too concerned about the
>removal
>(I have space, equipment, and good help), but I'd rather wait until
>winter
>if possible, so I can do the while-I'm-at-its without losing summer
>driving
>time.
>
>Sorry for the long message, but I wanted to give as much background as
>possible. I suspect these are typical symptoms of something. If you
>made
>it this far, can you give me some help?
>
>Thanks,
>Dustin Howarth
>howarth@pulsenet.com
>'73 Midget
>
Dustin,
The first thought, assuming the clutch hydraulics are correct, and the
slave cylinder travel is correct, is that the throw-out bearing is worn.
It is a carbon faced plain bearing, and when it wears, more travel on the
clutch mechanism is required to dis-engage the clutch plate.
The bad news is that clutch bearing replacement requires the removal of
the engine/transmission from the car. (Not as hard a job as it seems.
First timers usually take about a day to get the engine out, clutch
changed and engine replaced)
And because it is a relativly major task to do so, it behooves one to
repalce ALL the clutch components (clutch plate, pressure plate and
bearing) while it's being done. Another point to check is the clutch arm
pivot pin and bushings. Any "slop" here will translate into excess pedel
travel.
While in the "checking" mode, also look at the clutch slave cylinder
operating rod. The end which connects to the clutch arm had a hole for
the pin. If it is egg-shaped, you will want to replace this as well.
Again, "slop"=excess pedal travel>
The whine you hear in 1st gear is typical of a Spridget gear box with
some age on it. First is not syncronised, and is a straight cut gear.
Most times the whine comes from the reverse Idler bushing, but can also
be cause and/or aggrevated by layshaft/bearing wear.
The Midget clutch usually is very light, compared to many other
hydraulic clutch systems.
Hope this helps
Rick Morrison
72 MGBGT
74 Midget
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