John,
I'm not a B driver (mine's a midget) but a problem like this sounds like the
clutch system needs to be bled. Most MG's were hydraulic from what I can
tell and if air gets into the system, the clutch never fully disengages and
you get the grinding you are talking about. If it was stored for a long
while, the hydraulic fluid could use a change anyway - can't hurt.
Dick, 77 midget.
-----Original Message-----
From: John Trindle <johnt@tsquare.com>
To: mgs@autox.team.net <mgs@autox.team.net>
Date: Sunday, February 28, 1999 5:50 PM
Subject: Clutch, 73 MGB, argh!
>Please forgive me if this has been a recently answered question. I've
>been off the list for a couple of years, while my B has been mouldering at
>a friend's house due to lack of funds. A rod bearing was spun, and the
>rod itself (as well as the crank) damaged.
>
>Well, now the engine is back in the car, and runs great. However, we
>canNOT get into gear without grinding. Sort of.
>
>The symptoms are now that you can get into first or reverse once without
>grinding. Subsequent attempts in the same motor run fail, with grinding.
>
>Turn the motor off, grumble a while, and try again. Same thing.
>
>If you start with the car in reverse (or forward, I think, but I haven't
>tried it) after a rest, the car starts without moving. As you raise the
>pedal the friction point is *right* off the floor, but the clutch engages
>smoothly. Any further attempt to shift fails. If you shut off the
>engine, and put the car into gear (just like before) and start, the car
>moves immediately.
>
>It's like it "recovers" after a time. Even at its best, it's unusable
>because the friction point is so close to the floor.
>
>The pedal feel is very good. It's been bled a couple times with an
>EZ-bleed with no further improvement.
>
>The master cylinder is new. The slave has been rebuilt in the last week
>with a kit (new seal, boot). There is no mechanical slop on the pedal end.
>The clevis bolt from slave to clutch fork is new, because the one which
>was on the car when it was parked was badly worn. The hole in the clutch
>fork is round, the one in the slave fork somewhat ovalled. (HOWEVER,
>remember the clutch worked OK just before the engine blew up, and it
>would have had that same ovalling then, plus the worn clevis).
>
>We've pulled back the clutch fork with a come-along, with the slave
>disconnected, and the clutch does disengage and we can go into all gears.
>Unfortunately, we didn't measure how far back that was.
>
>The slave fork/bolt/clutch fork end moves 5/16 or 3/8". There is no
>visible movement when you hold the clutch pedal down. There is no fluid
>leaking from the master or slave.
>
>*sigh*. Any ideas? Thank you very much.
>
>--
>John M. Trindle | johnt@tsquare.com | Tidewater Sports Car Club
>'73 MGB DSP | '69 Spitfire H Stock | '88 RX-7 C Stock
>
>
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