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Tips

79 midget 1500 clutch?

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gregsdrums

Senior Member
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It had been sitting in a dirt floor barn for 5 yrs. so I knew I had my work cut out. After many hrs. I'm finally at the point of starting it. Runs like a swiss clock, only problem - no clutch. Rebuilt master and slave, new line, bled the line, pedal was not great but could get in gear with some force.Feels like the rod on the slave needs to be longer. Even with engine shut off, car in gear, clutch engaged, you can't push it. Is it possible it has the wrong clutch? Would appreciate any suggestions...
 
You'll need to bleed the clutch, possibly more than once. The hose makes an arch that makes it higher than the master or the slave cylinder, and if you bleed it "by the book", you'll never get the air pocket out from that arch in the hose. Try stomping hard and fast on the clutch a few times, releasing it quickly, then bleed it again. There's only about 11/16" of travel at the slave cylinder pushrod when it's working.

If it was sitting for so long, could the clutch be rusty? Beyond that, if the pivot pin on the clutch arm is broken, that would do it. The bushing in the arm may be worn, that could do it.
 
It's possible that the clutch is frozen to the flywheel. If however, it is bleeding that is required, the above answer is correct - it is a brute to bleed. What I did was remove the Master Cylinder - it's hard to get the bolts out but can be done with a thin walled socket - I used a 1/4" drive. - then rock the MC while holding it higher than the hose, and, pushing in the rod - less than a minute later I was done.
 
Dollars to donuts you have some more bleeding to do. Search the forum for clutch bleeding and you will find several voodoo remedies for the impossible to bleed clutch.
 
I hear ya on the bleeding guys, so I borrowed the MIGHTYVAC bleeder that hooks up to the air compressor and now have as good a pedal as my 76 has. I'm thinking the suggestion about being frozen and trying to shock it will be the next step. Wonder if starting it in second gear and jamming the e-brake hard would work? Thanks again for all the suggestions...
 
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