22 replies to this topic

[alexberry]

Hi Everyone, I’m after some advice as we are in somewhat of a panic!

My friend asked me if they could use my Mini as their wedding car, I said yes and after getting it out of the garage today for its wax and dress up, the clutch appears to have gone.

Neither of us are even close to mechanics so please keep it simple.

The car is a 1980 Mini 1000 Manual 998cc

I was driving the car (went to fill up with petrol) and as I was on my way home the car was shuddering as I was pulling off, something that concerned me a bit. Anyways, I carry on home and the shudder got really bad as I was trying to pull onto my drive, I pump the clutch a few times and it goes away, I get the car onto the drive and then there’s nothing from the clutch, I’ve got the engine running, the car in gear and I can take my foot right of the pedal and nothing happens.

I go into the house to call a friend and as I come back outside there is a puddle of clutch fluid emerging from the front of the car, all over the drive, great!

I pop the bonnet and the clutch fluid reservoir is obviously empty but there is no fluid anywhere around the cylinders.....

As this happened at about 10.45pm I can’t see under the car very well. (Also recovering from a stroke so getting on the floor when alone is a big no no)

I’m basically looking for pointers on anything that could have happened, like I say, we are novices!

I should probably point out that the clutch slave and master cylinders were replaced in 2010 (less than 2000 miles ago) and the clutch itself in 2011.

The wedding is on Tuesday morning and I can only get parts up until 1pm on Saturday.

All help and advice is very much appreciated.

[KernowCooper]

This bit concerns me " I’ve got the engine running, the car in gear and I can take my foot right of the pedal and nothing happens." As you have said the clutch fluid has gone it points to the clutch mechnism, otherwise It could have been gearbox/diff/driveshaft/clutch assembly related.

here are my thoughts and where I would check first due to the car being standing.

The thing that springs to mind in the clutch mechanism due to lack of use has thrown the diaphram and then the arm has either siezed on the pivot where the split pin hold the clevis pin, or the shaft from the rod where the clutch arm has a ball socket to push the rod in with the release bearing on has siezed in the clutch cover (Wok as its now seems to be called) the fluid may have come out of the slave cylinder. This is the only thing you can have outside the clutch assembly which would allow you to be In Gear With The Engine Running And Have No Drive. (without the above mentioned components being faulty)

Visual check outside
Check with the engine off that there is a gap where the clutch overthrow large nuts are and the aloy boss of the cover, if there is no gap and the two nuts are pressed up against the boss either the clutch arm is siezed on the clevis pin ot the shaft is siezed in the clutch housing.

With no one in the car pushing the clutch it should look like the picture below which is showing the clutch arm at rest and no pressure applied to the lift the diaphram, drive from engine to gearbox is possible

Attached Files

•  clutch.png   638.76K   3 downloads

Edited by KernowCooper, 04 April 2013 - 11:07 PM.

[Ethel]

It's not uncommon for the slave cylinder to let go if the car's been sat for a while, they can rust on the "dry" side of the piston which then trashes the rubber when you press the pedal. It's more unusual for it hold the clutch disengaged, as it sounds yours is.

Do you know if it's a Verto or Preverto clutch?

[Shifty]

This bit concerns me " I’ve got the engine running, the car in gear and I can take my foot right of the pedal and nothing happens."

The thing that springs to mind in the clutch mechanism due to lack of use has thrown the diaphram and then the arm has either siezed on the pivot where the split pin hold the clevis pin, or the shaft from the rod where the clutch arm has a ball socket to push the rod in with the release bearing on has siezed in the clutch cover (Wok as its now seems to be called) the fluis may have come out of the slave cylinder. This is the only thing you can have outside the clutch assembly which would allow you to be In Gear With The Engine Running And Have No Drive.

Visual check outside
Check with the engine off that there is a gap where the clutch overthrow large nuts are and the aloy boss of the cover, if there is no gap and the two nuts are pressed up against the boss either the clutch arm is siezed on the clevis pin ot the shaft is siezed in the clutch housing.

With no one in the car pushing the clutch it should look like the picture below which is showing the clutch arm at rest and no pressure applied to the lift the diaphram, drive from engine to gearbox is possible

Yup, this has happened to me on more than one occasion, verto clutches are more prone to this.

[KernowCooper]

@Ethel the check on the overthrow nuts will identify this condition and yes as you've corrctly said they do seize, the test for this would be to undo the bleed nipple on the slave cylinder if the clutch arm returns to its resting place and the gap is visible on the nuts as per the picture then its hydraulic, if it stays in the same place either the clutch components have siezed as per my expo above or the possibiility the slave has siezed, then it wold require unbolting from the cover with caution as the pressure from the diaphram would be on it.

If it is siezed down below spray it with WD40 or similar and allow to soak, it could really do with removing and them greasing up both components but that will entail removing the clutch cover.

[Ethel]

It might not return if the piston is stuck. If there's fluid there's certainly something adrift with the cylinder, but it could be because the plunger is stuck, as you described, allowing the hydraulics to be pumped to a higher pressure. Unbolting the cylinder from the clutch housing would show which it is.

[alexberry]

Thanks for all your advise, it sounds like a foreign language to me so probably best if I don't mess too much. I've got a mechanic (unfortunatly one who has never worked on anything that you can't plug in, but beggars can't be choosers!) coming round this afternoon, will keep up dated.
The bit that conserns me is also that I am in gear with nothing, the pedal has just gone limp.

[seancv1]

sounds like your in a jam if you were anywhere near id offer a hand good luck hope you get it sorted

[KernowCooper]

Best to show your mechanic this post topic and let him read the advice and points maybe ???

[Ethel]

If you need it on Tuesday, I'd set about getting a new seal or slave cylinder now - just to be safe.

[alexberry]

Hi guys, just a quick update. Clutch slave cylinder has been changed today (that's where the leak was coming from)
No more fluid leaking from anywhere now, however...... as per usual with this car the problem is not over, we bled the system but there was still no real resistance on the clutch pedal, this time however i could not get it into gear, after starting the car and pumping the pedal a few times the pedal was firm again (if not a little springy) We bled the system again, no air what so ever now!
However the clutch now works when it wants to, the bite point is all over the place, one minute it seems the clutch is stuck on (pushed pedal down) then it's off and the car will stall.
I'm lost as to what's happening.
I've got a more experienced mechanic coming round tomorrow (Saturday) to hopefully figure it out. When something goes on this car it usually goes in 3's!
Any ideas as to what's gone wrong now would be great, or anything we should look out for.....
Thanks again everyone.

[KernowCooper]

Have you done the check on the arm and the shaft in the casing to see if its siezed/tight? lubricate it up with wd40 wont do no harm.

[alexberry]

Another update......
Everything is moving as it should, nothing seized. The current opinion is that a collapsed clutch hose is the culprit. No fluid can pass through the hose, this seemed to spur the slave cylinder into going and caused no end of issues. I'm going to get the new part on Monday morning and hopefully it will solve the issues. I'll keep you all posted!

[KernowCooper]

Thanks for the update I'm sure there are lots following this post with interest.

[Alex_B]

my money would be on the clutch arm not moving smoothly sometimes working sometimes catching hence the bite point being all over the place, but good luck with the hose!