Dear all. I'm new to this forum as I've taken on the task of getting the mini that's been sitting in a garage since 1998. I have no previous experience in this sort of thing but have gradually picked up with the help of forums and the Haynes manual. I apologise if my questions are basic.
My questions relates to the hydraulics of the clutch (pre-verto) and the movement of the release lever/arm.
Firstly, the pedal was solid and didn't move the arm. The clutch reservoir is full but I relieved the pressure by taking the pipe out of the top of master cylinder. This left the pedal with good movement but obviously no pressure or resistance.
Since the car has been standing still for years, I guessed the slave cylinder was knackered so I took that off and I've ordered another one. The slave was all corroded inside and the rubber end had perished.
With plusgas and the help of a wrench to act as a crowbar, I've been able to loosen the release lever/arm. It is still stiff but I've got no idea how loose it should be:
Q1 Should the arm be stiff or should it be able to be moved by hand?
Q2 How much movement should there be?
With regards to the hydraulics, I currently have the slave off and wish to drain all the fluid with the reservoir so that I can put clean fluid in before connecting it back up. I am having difficulty here and I would be grateful for some help:
Q3 If I pump the pedal, I would have expected a lot of fluid to spurt out from the hose that would be connecting to the slave (like a blood artery). As I previously mentioned, the master cylinder reservoir is full but for some reason I only get a few drops and squelching/air/hiss sound. My concern is that if I connect the new slave, I'm unlikely to get enough fluid through. What is the likely problem?
Q4 If the master cylinder is at fault, what can I do as I would like to avoid buying a new one which costs £40-50?
I would be grateful for some help and I look forward to your replies.
eilz1999
