8 replies to this topic

[danny5686]

Hi I had a harsh shift into second and lost all gears! I bled the clutch and found air in as master cylinder on the way out! I replaced this bled the clutch and car drive fine! When I got it home and let it idle in neutral I heard a rattle but it will stop when foot on clutch/disengaged! Car drives ok sometimes hard to get in a gear but once in will go in all gears fine! I have removed the clutch cover and release bearing and arm all look ok! Any ideas? It's a 91 cooper! Any help would be appreciated!

[bmcecosse]

Bleed it some more........

[danny5686]

The clutch is disengaging fine now no air in system!!

[Stevie W]

Hi,

Thats a classic sign of idler gear bearing wear or out-of-spec idler gear end float.
If you tick-over is very low or slightly lumpy (hairy cam) this can make the noise worse.
Does the noise disappear if you raise the tick-over speed slightly?
If the idler gear bearings are worn or the end-float too large the idler tries to "wander" and in severe cases can ruin the clutch housing/gearbox thrust washers and casing faces etc.

Cheers, Steve.

[danny5686]

Cheers Steve got the clutch off yesterday found 3 of the 6 bolts on the pressure plate have come out and been rattling around, hence the noise!! Damaged the 2 plates but everything else ok! New clutch ordered!!!

[tiger99]

Make sure you use a torque wrench, and new lockwashers, or Loctite, as appropriate! I have never heard of those bolts coming loose before, and I am sure you don't want it to happen again. All Minis now have lots of history, sometimes not so good, in the hands of previous owners, which is why we probably see so many problems these days, of a sort which should never have happened. Do it yourself, and you can know that it has been done right. Give it to someone else, and, well, maybe....

[Stevie W]

Cheers Steve got the clutch off yesterday found 3 of the 6 bolts on the pressure plate have come out and been rattling around, hence the noise!! Damaged the 2 plates but everything else ok! New clutch ordered!!!

Oh blimey!!!!
Good job you found those.....could have been nasty!!!!
Glad you found the problem though
Cheers, Steve.

[danny5686]

Nothing would surprise with this car from some of the horrors I've found since I've owned it!! The last owner was definatley a chimp!!

[tiger99]

Ah, the monkeying about with it explains why something that just never happens, actually did happen! Sadly, the majority of Minis have experienced treatment like that at some stage.