T-Series 1973 MG Midget, Where to Start with a clutch issue

[earlgrey]

I just started up the Midget and bam right up after the winter. Ok not right up but it eventually fired and was ready to go. Excited I push in the clutch and it flies straight to the floor. It does not engage and there is no resistence. It does pop back up but seems to be disengaged from the gears. I have not really done more on this car then change the battery and fuses. But I want to be more hands on. I have all the books but not sure where to start looking for the problem.

Any suggestions of what I can do to diagnose the problem with out towing it to a mechanic?

Thanks
Ari

 

[aerog]

That has a hydraulic clutch doesn't it? Check the fluid level and bleed the clutch hydraulic system. I had a Honda that would do that every so often, pumping the clutch would bring it back (which isn't exactly a fix but...hey, I was a kid).

 

[davester]

Yup, almost certainly a leaking master or slave cylinder. Is the reservoir low? Bleed it first to see if that fixes the problem temporarily, but you'll still need to replace the bad cylinder. I'm not sure about the setup on your Midget, but I recall having a nightmarish time bleeding the clutch on either my B or my '65 Sprite (can't remember which one). An Eezibleed or similar will make it vastly easier.


If the master is leaking there should be brake fluid on your carpet. If you're lucky, it's only the slave. The slave is relatively easy to rebuild as I recall but if the bore is so corroded that it can't be honed you should replace it. It might actually be cheaper to buy a new slave than to buy a cylinder hone and rebuild kit.

 

[JPSmit]

Ari, welcome, first off, from here on in you probably want to post on the Spridget (Sprite + Midget) board. These MGB folk are awfully nice but sometimes just don't understand us wee'uns.

As the two previous posts suggest, check your fluid first. Under the hood, in front of the driver's dash area, it's the smaller reservoir and will take DOT3 (almost certainly) If it is low, top up and see what happens though you are likely looking at a rebuild then - which is not hard.

My actual guess is that the clutch has frozen to the flywheel. There are a number of solutions - 1. try to start it in gear., 2. Try to roll it in gear., 3. jack up the rear end, get it revving in gear good and fast and kick it off the jack. I haven't tried any of these but, I actually do think that is what you have.

Keep the questions coming!

 

[earlgrey]

OOPS my mistake, thought I was posting in the correct forum! Thanks for the info. I will start working on it today. There is fluid, none on the carpet, but in the resevoir. However it is low so I will try that first and see about bleading it. The stuck flywheel I can try to. The thing is so light I will just roll it back the driveway a bit and give that I try.

Will let you all know!

Thanks
Ari

 

[davester]

I would never risk putting DOT 3 in a brit hydraulic system. Although there is a fair chance that it will work, there is also a chance that you have english DOT 3-averse rubber parts in your system and DOT 3 will totally eff it up. DOT 4 is the correct fluid and it is cheap.

 

[JPSmit]

I have DOT5 so I don't know all the other combinations

 

[earlgrey]

Yeah I had DOT4 on hand from the rebuild a few years back. I topped of the reservoir. Then I tried JPSmits first suggestion before the night caught up to me. It moved but the clutch would still not engage and was moving up and down with little or no resistance. I will try to roll it in gear tomorrow. i don't think I have the heart to try number 3. To many visions of the end of that Ferari in Ferris Buehlers day off....

I got an eezibleed like system today and will try bleeding the system tomorrow. If that does not work I guess the next step would be taking off the slave and checking it?

also moving this over to the sprite/midget thread.

Thanks
Ari

 

[dreamer1uk]

Hi,

Did you get the clutch issue solved?