31 replies to this topic

[Kt1966]

There must be an easier way.....

I'm trying to refit the external spring which attaches to the clutch arm ( I found it in the back of the car...)

 

Am sure it's the right spring, but I just can't get it to stretch far enough to hook it onto the arm... any suggestions  before I completely shred my knuckles.....

[jonny d]

right what i do is tie some strong string to the slave end of the spring then pull the string hard and guide the hook onto the tab and relax tension then untie string hey presto done

[tiger99]

First of all, loosen the return stop bolt and screw it right in to allow the lever to retract fully. Remember to set the clearance afterwards!

 

If that is not enough, stick a heavy screwdriver between the turns of the spring near the unattached end and use that to lever the spring. Or, as it attaches to a little tag which fits loosely around the bleed screw, unbolt the slave cylinder from the clutch housing, set it at an angle, as far as the pushrod allows, which brings the tag nearer to the spring, hook it in, and then pull the spring tight by forcing the cylinder back into its normal position.

 

In an extreme case you can undo the bleed screw (use a hose clamp to prevent the system draining itself), hook the tag to the spring, hold it in a pair of mole grips, and pull into position. Re-insert bleed screw, and bleed system.

 

I believe that you can get a tool which is basically a reverse action pair of pliers, with thin nose ends whpring as nich you insert into the spring as near each end as possible, and when you squeeze, the jaws open instead of closing, stretching the spring. I think they use e them on brake shoe springs, but as I have never needed such a tool I may be wrong.

[Dan]

  Use very strong cord or wire threaded through across the back of the engine and pull in a straight line from the other side of the engine bay until someone else can slip the end into the spring tab (with pliers not fingers).  Very easy.

[Kt1966]

Thanks everyone. Will give all the options a go.....
Should I work on a 15thou gap on the return stop ?

[Cooperman]

Try 0.015" as an initial setting. Then, if the pedal picks up too near the top, increase it to around 0.020". Don't forget to correctly set the overthrow nuts after the stop setting has been set correctly.

[daenesh]

which is the overthrow nut?

[tiger99]

I strongly recommend that you get a Haynes manual, or even better, a Rover manual. It is not a good idea to be mainatining a car just from answers on this or any other forum. You will get the job done much quicker by referring to the manual. The manual would have immediately told you what to adjust, and given you a picture or two.

 

It is the big nut, with locknut, on the end of the clutch operating plunger. Loosen it off. After setting the return stop correctly, get someone to hold teh pedal to the floor, and adjust the nut till it contacts the face of the clutch cover, then one or two more flats. Then, tighten the lock nut against it.

[GraemeC]

Ok, I'm going to stick my head above the long grass and question two comments by our more learned contributors (I expect to be shot down quickly and noisily!):

First of all, loosen the return stop bolt and screw it right in to allow the lever to retract fully. Remember to set the clearance afterwards!

Isn't the first step in setting the clearance "remove the spring" to allow you to lightly pull on the arm to make sure the release bearing against the diaphragm? With the spring in place pulling the arm is made so much harder that the gap set may not be correct.

Try 0.015" as an initial setting. Then, if the pedal picks up too near the top, increase it to around 0.020". Don't forget to correctly set the overthrow nuts after the stop setting has been set correctly.

Surely the bigger the gap, the lower down the pedal stroke the bite point will be as there will be more pedal movement to take up the slack. The extreme being that if the gap is too big you'll not get the clutch to release.

Edited by GraemeC, 01 October 2013 - 08:57 PM.

[Big_Adam]

I always hooked the spring on the far side and pull it onto the arm, holding it with a pair of wire cutters.

 

I mean, I got some big f'ing wire cutters but they aren't going through the spring any time soon. Some swearing later and on it is.

[Kt1966]

Well, a new spring, mole grips and a bit of a run up, and it's all done.
Thanks to everyone, and I am sorry to have created a bit of a storm......

[tiger99]

To answer GraemeC's relevant question, yes and no! Yes, you can take the spring off to check the clearance, but no, I would not do that because then I would have to go through all the hassle of putting it back again.

 

I just push the lever over as far as I can by hand, against the spring. The force required becomes very much greater as soon as you take up the operating clearances and start to actually release the clutch, so much so that you will not get it to move beyond that point unless you are very strong or use a tool. At that point, with hand pressure on the lever, the clearance in the mechanism is taken up so you just slip in the feeler gauge.

 

If you have a handy tool which helps you to unhook the spring and then refit it, by all means do it that way, and just apply light finger pressure. It actually makes no difference, just do what works best for you.

 

Having said that, my last Mini, and likely the next one, had a Verto clutch, so no return stop to adjust. The first had the ancient coil spring clutch, which makes no difference to the adjustment procedure, compared to the pre-Verto diaphragm spring clutch of the second.

[GraemeC]

To be honest, with a small pair of long nosed mole grips I've never had a problem with the spring. Two second job every time.
Pug the arm end on first and then stretch to the slave cylinder keeper - doing it this way means you don't have to twist the spring to get it through a hole (unlike doing the slave cylinder end first).

[daenesh]

i just realised ive never had an overthrow nut..hahah wonder if thats gonna be a problem.. 

[tiger99]

You should fit one, and of course the locknut, because if you get clutch overtravel it can flip the diaphragm spring inside out, so instant loss of drive, and can also allow excess pressure on the crankshaft thrust washers, so they wear, which gets expensive! Fitting and adjusting only takes a couple of minutes. Longer if you have an injection model, with servo and ECU  in the way...

 

I did lose the locknut on my second Mini once, it vibrated off and the adjusting nut would itself up tight, so I arrived at a roundabout with a locked pedal. Not nice, but the problem was obvious, and I drove home without the nut, being careful not to press the pedal hard to the floor. Amazingly, the locknut had not fallen out on the road, it was still on the lower flange of the subframe, possibly stuck to the inevitable mix of road dirt and oil, and I retreived it the next day.