still no clutch.....boohoo

[zimmy]

well ,i bleed the clutch using the inner tube pressure method.....
at first nothing was going through, then i get a stopped
up sink kinda sound and the fluid rolled through.....
job done?.....nope...
so , it appears its something more maybe....
could it possibly be my master cylinder is leaking etc..?
its only a year old...........zimmmmy

 

[SilentUnicorn]

zimmy if your clutch master is leaking, it will be running down the pedal and puddling on the drivers floor. Did you bench bleed the master? is your slave leaking? have you replaced the plastic/rubber hose?

mark

 

[piman]

Hello Zimmy,

I'm not sure what you mean by the inner tube method?, but I'm guessing that it pressurises the system? Unless you have a reservoir when pressurising it's quite easy to lose the fluid in the reservoir and so have to start again. Whether the master or slave leaks, you should still be able to bleed and get an operating clutch, it will just lose fluid.
A simple bleed procedure if you have an assistant is:-
top up the reservoir, open the bleed valve, and have your assistant push the pedal to the floor and hold it there. You may or may not get fluid with one go, repeat until you get fluid with every pump. (Keep an eye on the reservoir level, it's easily emptied and you've wasted your time.)
Once you get fluid, change the technique to keeping the bleed valve closed, get you assistant to pump until you see the slave operating, hold to the floor and the open the bleed valve, if only fluid comes out, fine, the job should be done, if not, close the bleed and repeat until you have a good pedal.
Incidentally, I have bled clutches just by opening the bleed valve and letting gravity bleed the system.

Alec
PS, in probably 40 years of working on old cars I have never bench bled a master cylinder.

 

[zimmy]

i tried the pedal this morning...
i could get in gear but i wouldnt
wanna drive it...i need more pedal still...
i dont believe anything leaks...it was
all new last summer, master to slave....
im not seeing any leaks anyhow....
could a longer shaft on the slave be a fix,
or would that not be advisable?......zimmy

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Did you replace the pushrod? Maybe it has "ovaled".

 

[piman]

Hello Zimmy,

you can get it into gear, why do you say you need more clutch, does it grate going into first or reverse?
A longer pushrod may give you more if there is a lot of free play at the slave end. Some cars, like my Triumph, have alternative bore slave cylinders and a larger bore slave gives a lighter clutch but less travel. Certainly wear in the pedal push rod will affect it, especially if you have extra carpets in the car.

Alec

 

[zimmy]

seems like when the car warms up it
starts to slip.....
it doesnt feel like it used to.....z

 

[jlaird]

The clutch is slipping when the pedel is out? When you push the pedel in does it fully release?

I'm haveing a difficult time understanding the problem.

 

[piman]

Hello Zimmy,

you say the clutch is slipping, i.e. with the clutch released the engine revs rise as you accelerate but the car doesn't pick up speed?

If so the first check is for freeplay of the slave pushrod, about 1\8" or so, if you have none that is the problem.
If you have freeplay then it is not a hydraulic problem.

Alec

 

[bugimike]

With the slipping problem described (but not too clearly!), you may have some oil/fluid on the clutch!!??

 

[jlaird]

With the slipping problem described (but not too clearly!), you may have some oil/fluid on the clutch!!??

In a nutshell. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/iagree.gif

 

[zimmy]

no, the car moves fine......
but it trys to move with the clutch depressed.......
its barely going into gear, i dont want any grinding,
and its not safe to drive like it is......z

 

[SilentUnicorn]

My buddy has a 74 as well, we went thru this last spring. Finally after looking at both clutch arms, i made the determination that those things aint that strong and will bend easily. Tweaked the one on the car, ever so gently until i had coaxed some of the slop out of it, worked great. Believe me it was a last resort in my book. My buddy spoke to some older guy in town he knows that used to race them, said "Thats what we used to do". I quit worrying about it after that...


mark

 

[SilentUnicorn]

that and i welded a small nut on the end of the push rod and ground it off nice and pretty.....hehe



mark

 

[jlaird]

Zimmy, you need a longer push rod. remove what you got, easy job. Add 1/4 inch to it, file or grind the end smooth and try that.

I am assuming that you have not adjusted the length of the rod that goes into the master clutch cylinder.

Any welding shop or machine shop can/will do that for cheep.

Your last post made your problem clear.

 

[zimmy]

ill give it a try.....
it should work assuming theres no "real" problem....z

 

[piman]

Hello Zimmy,

From your later response you have what is called 'drag', not slip, the two are opposite in meaning.

As I said in my earlier post,
"If so the first check is for freeplay of the slave pushrod, about 1\8" or so, if you have none that is the problem."

I repeat, check the free play, it now sounds as if yours is excessive, and then adjust to achieve about 1\8" clearance. By the way it is essential that there is some free play. Also be sure that the slave cylinder is correctly positioned, i.e. not fitted on the wrong side of its mounting. (Not sure about your Midget but this is possible on some cars.)

Alec

 

[DrEntropy]

Also check the pedal at the M/C end where the clevis pin goes thru, for ovality. I've seen many with only 1/16" of material left to do the job. Pedal free-play is excessive with this condition, M/C is not engaged until the pedal is half-way to th' board.

 

[zimmy]

ill be checkin all that todat hopefully ...thx guys...z

 

[zimmy]

i extended the slave push arm...didnt help at all....hmmmm.