7 replies to this topic

[blacktulip]

Hello everyone, I have recently got the mini back on the road after completely rebuilding my engine. I have got a new minispares lightened flywheel, new friction plate, new release bearing, new plunger and new clevis pins on arm, slave pin and master to the pedal. I have centred the plate and made sure the new straps are adequate. Since driving it the clutch judders if you pull away with little revs. if I rev it more it pulls away fine.

Is there any methods to fixing it without pulling the engine out?

[Swift_General]

You may find it sorts itself out. I have had a couple of cars (not minis) where I fitted a new clutch which juddered initially until 'bedded in' then was fine. Otherwise consider oil contamination (primary gear oil seal), engine mounts or something loose. In any event I don't see that you should need the engine out to fix.

[neal]

Make sure you re-visit bleeding your clutch again, I've had some similar clutch issues to find air in the system, I spent ages bleeding it the first time round whereby I was satisfied that there was no air in the system, how wrong was I.

 

Might be worth rechecking the clutch throw and clutch arm stop 

 

Not sure if this helps

[tiger99]

Judder may have external causes such as the engine mounts and steadies. These are mainly easy to fix. Check that the bracket for the bottom of the top steady bar is not coming adrift from the bulkhead, which is a minor welding job. A new set of bushes all round is not expensive.

[blacktulip]

I have fitted new mounts new top steady bushes, plus I have a remote gear casing so nothing is moving.

[tiger99]

Yes, with a proper remote, we can rule that one out. I wish they had continued with those...

[blacktulip]

You may find it sorts itself out. I have had a couple of cars (not minis) where I fitted a new clutch which juddered initially until 'bedded in' then was fine. Otherwise consider oil contamination (primary gear oil seal), engine mounts or something loose. In any event I don't see that you should need the engine out to fix.

Do clutches bed in?

[tiger99]

Sometimes. You could try gently slipping it a bit at medium revs in normal driving. A sustained slip at idle will kill it due to lack of air flow (centrifugal, around the inside of the casing) and at high revs the energy involved will kill it, both due to overheating and destroying the friction plate material and even the surface of the pressure plate and flywheel, which may show a network of cracks.

But pottering about at 30 to 40, slipping it for maybe 5 seconds at a time to let the revs rise by maybe 20% should not harm it and ought to polish up the surfaces. Don't know if it will cure the problem but there is not much to lose.

I suppose the friction plate is fitted right way round, so the damping springs are doing their job? Same for drive straps. Not much else to go wrong except manufacturing faults or a wrong combination of pressure and friction plates, such as mixing racing and normal parts. But you will have checked all that, I am just thinking aloud as it were about where else to be looking....