51 replies to this topic

[sonscar]

Now get some oil,engine oil is OK,and oil all the moving points.Do this several times over a week and every month or so afterwards,you do not need loads.Well done.Steve..

[Norris73]

Top work, really pleased for you! Shame you had to buy the bits, but worth having as spares on the shelf, you may well need them in years to come. Try not to be too smug when you tell the mechanic 'I FIXED IT!'

 

The plunger must have been partially sticking in the wok housing. The slave cylinder was able to overcome this when you pushed the clutch pedal in however when releasing the pedal the plunger sticks and the clutch remains disengaged. The process of gently working the clutch pedal coupled with the penetrating oil was enough to free the plunger off completely so the clutch pedal can return and the plunger and arm mechanism can be free to operate once again.

 

When you get your parts fit the new clevis pin and split pin to the top of the clutch arm were it links onto the push rod, so these dont drop out as you are driving down the road!

 

Try to avoid laying the car up if inactive for a long period of time, even if you just hop in it start it up and drive it forward and back a few feet once every month or so, should help prevent future reoccurrence of this issue (this coupled with all that WD40 and Plusgas down there!)

 

Happy driving!

[Crawfish]

Now get some oil,engine oil is OK,and oil all the moving points.Do this several times over a week and every month or so afterwards,you do not need loads.Well done.Steve..

Thanks Steve, consider it done mate!

[Crawfish]

Top work, really pleased for you! Shame you had to buy the bits, but worth having as spares on the shelf, you may well need them in years to come. Try not to be too smug when you tell the mechanic 'I FIXED IT!'

 

The plunger must have been partially sticking in the wok housing. The slave cylinder was able to overcome this when you pushed the clutch pedal in however when releasing the pedal the plunger sticks and the clutch remains disengaged. The process of gently working the clutch pedal coupled with the penetrating oil was enough to free the plunger off completely so the clutch pedal can return and the plunger and arm mechanism can be free to operate once again.

 

When you get your parts fit the new clevis pin and split pin to the top of the clutch arm were it links onto the push rod, so these dont drop out as you are driving down the road!

 

Try to avoid laying the car up if inactive for a long period of time, even if you just hop in it start it up and drive it forward and back a few feet once every month or so, should help prevent future reoccurrence of this issue (this coupled with all that WD40 and Plusgas down there!)

 

Happy driving!

I don’t think the mechanic was relishing replacing the clutch either ,he may well be pretty happy about it too, 

I basically just did what you said ,and in all honesty I have been hugely impressed, firstly with the time you have spent and essentially the patience you and everybody else has shown. 

 

I am really not the sort of person that goes anywhere near cars and mechanically in truth I am scared of them.

To have had the confidence to take the parts off and to do what I have done will seem small beans to you people that know your stuff ,but its been a big deal for me and not without a lot of doubt

I’m totally shocked still ,that this has actually worked out, without anybody (but me) going near the car. and following the idiot proof directions that even I could follow.

 

I still think that replacing the slave cylinder can’t hurt ,as I have all the parts and the old one has seen better days, but I would like to get the car through it’s MOT first. So will get that underway ASAP.

 

Point taken about moving the car , I was starting it ,but not moving it ,it won’t happen again! :)

[Crawfish]

Hi again,

I thought this thread might’ve been finished with ,but there was something that came up today .

 

I needed to put the new clevis pin in and put the split pin in it.

The plunger that goes in the slave cylinder came out ,so needed to be put back in too.

 

Anyway eventually I got it all back in and checked that it was all moving when I pushed the clutch pedal ,it felt a lot easier to push the pedal ,which I put down to all the oil I had put on the parts.

 

Anyway I found I couldn’t get it into gear ,so I tried pumping the pedal and pushing and pulling the clutch lever and after a while the pedal regained it’s original stiffness and it is now going into gear.

 

There has been a lot of pushing and pulling on the clutch during this entire  process ,bleed screw on and off etc

 

Do you guys think that this might’ve been air in the system ,is it going to stay stable now it’s all back together ,or do I need to do anything to make it all stable like bleed the clutch or similar? I really dont fancy the clutch deciding not to work again in the middle of nowhere :)

 

Cheers

[Norris73]

Clutch needs bleeding. With the bleed screw being open when trying to free the clutch plunger, air has gotten into the system, causing 'clutch drag' ie not dis engaging so not enabling gears to change smoothly.

 

When you say the plunger fell out, do you mean the push rod that connects the clutch arm to the slave cylinder, the rod you have fitted your new clevis pin through. Hopefully you dont mean the plunger/insides of the clutch slave cylinder fell out - then you would have got huge amounts air introduced into the system

You will need an assistant, or a piece of wood to jam the pedal. This is how I do it:

 

•    Connect a length of tube that is a tight fit over the bleed screw nipple, submerge the other end of the tube in a jam jar containing an inch or so of brake fluid
•    Open the bleed screw with a spanner, approx half a turn
•    Press the clutch pedal down (either with helper, or by jamming it down with a piece of wood between clutch pedal and seat/crossmember.
•    Wait a couple of seconds (you will see fluid expelled from the slave cylinder bleed screw. Tighten the bleed screw
•    Once bleed screw is tight release pedal

•    Repeat the above several times (atleast 5) and try the pedal once bleed screw is tight. Keep an eye on the Clutch master cylinder reservoir that the fluid is not dropping below the minimum mark as you are bleeding, if it is top it up. You can identify the clutch master cylinder my tracing the rubber hose from the slave cylinder back, it connects to a solid metal pipe then enters a pot like object with a cap on the top, this is the clutch master cylinder (these can be either metal or plastic depending if its been replaced in recent times)

 

If you don’t have any brake fluid get yourself some DOT4 brake fluid, available almost anywhere Eurocarparts, even Halfords sell this. Only need a small bottle 500ml or 1l what ever is cheapest!

 

Dont spill brake fluid on paint work, its the worlds best paint stripper! Plenty of rags down is key, and use a filler funnel to top up the master cylinder.
 

Edited by Norris73, 25 February 2021 - 07:14 PM.

[Crawfish]

Hey Norris73 ,

I have purchased a brand new bottle of Dot 4 brake fluid as I was going to change the slave cylinder ,so I have plenty of it .

I've also got a jam-jar with a tube and will put an inch of fluid in the bottom of it

I've recently learnt where the master cylinder is ,so I'm good with that

I'll follow the instructions and hopefully that will mean everything is stable without any air in the system and I'm getting nearer to the mini back on the road, plus I'm learning to do stuff myself!

 

Cheers yet again ,much appreciated