Spitfire Spit trans trouble

[Don_R]

Was out for a nice flight in the Spit and the clutch won't disengage.

Pedal pressure feels good, and no appreciable movement from the thrust washers.

My thought is the clutch cover crapped out.


Any other thoughts.

 

[Rhodyspit75]

There is a pivot pin at the opposite end of the throwout arm from the slave cylinder. Is it still there ? There is not much holding them in place and they can fall out.

 

[71MKIV]

 

[Don_R]

Got back from night shift and looked at the trans.

looks as the pin was replaced with a long bolt sometime in the past. So no the pin is still there.

Looks like I need to pull the trans.


Since i have to pull it I might just throw the o/d trans in and do the motor swap in the future.

 

[DrEntropy]

Don... did it fail to disengage during the drive? Or rather when you went to start it up?

How long has it sat static between this run and the last?

 

[tdskip]

Since i have to pull it I might just throw the o/d trans in and do the motor swap in the future.

And so it starts.... LOL.

The O/D makes a huge positive difference in the car, highly recommended upgrade.

 

[Don_R]

Doc,

I don't let it sit much..TOOO much fun to drive. was good over the weekend and on the trip to carlisle and back the weekend before (2hrs each way)

It started on the drive, right afer a high speed run, say 5000r's


Went for first to pull out cause of a traffic light and no disengage.

Had to shut off the car start in gear and power shift back to the house....

 

[DrEntropy]

ack. Yup, P/Plate sounds to have mutinied on ya. :madder:

 

[Rhodyspit75]

I always look for easy answers first. While I agree that it sounds like the pressure plate I would pull that bolt out and see if it is worn and/or too thin to start with. Unless of course you are just looking for an excuse to put the O/D in.

 

[Andrew Mace]

I'm assuming that this was all a very sudden thing? Did you feel any weird vibrations or similar, and/or did you hear any ominous graunches, clanks, outright explosions, etc.? and now, in gear and driving, do you feel any strange vibrations, or does the clutch seem to be properly engaged and properly moving the car along?

I'm just thinking back to several years ago, when my Herald's pressure plate broke during a 1-2 uphill shift. I also was able to start in gear and "power shift" my way home, but I got quite a bit of vibration from what I assume was imbalance caused by the physically broken pressure plate bits....

 

[Don_R]

Andy,

nothing wierd noticed. didn't notice any vibrations or noise from the trans.

sleep time now...workin nights 11-7....will investigate more tommorro after work...

 

[HerronScott]

Hmm is there a common thread here with Spitfire/Herald pressure plates? We had a pressure plate break on my wife's Spitfire as well. It was one that we had replaced not too long before and I chalked it up to cheap parts at the time.

Scott

 

[Andrew Mace]

Hard to say. In the case of my Herald, it was the old coil-spring-style pressure plate, and I think it was fatigue more than anything else. Sadly, though, I think thare are also any number of lesser quality diaphragm-style clutches out there as well.

 

[HerronScott]

Yes, ours was the Mk3 diaphragm-style.

Scott

 

[DrEntropy]

Lately Sachs seems to have a good component set. Wasn't always so for the British cars. IIRC, it was Q-H that had the bogus batch of P/Plates. Can't remember fer sure tho.

 

[HerronScott]

I think it was a Quinton Hazell but for mine it was 25 years ago.

Scott

 

[DrEntropy]

They've since improved from what I've heard.

 

[Don_R]

WELL THERES THE PROBLEM

Transectomy completed.....

 

[Andrew Mace]

That'll do it! :eeek: Not enough to make a big noise, but more than enough to do in the clutch....

Any idea what brand that disc is?

 

[Don_R]

Borg and Beck....
friction material is sbout wore out....time for a change....

I have a AP 20 spline steup for the O/D trans...

all I need is a new trans mount and possible a new cable....have a used one but it looks like the existing cable is long enough...

odd thing i noticed...the cover was bolted on with 3 allen head bolts and 3 hex head bolts...