• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Clutch Linkage Woes

Share this page

H

healeygal

Jedi Warrior
Offline
On the way home from Tahoe to Southern California last Monday (a great time was had by all!), my co-pilot and I noticed it was getting harder and harder to get the car into second gear (which is what we use to take off from a stop) and into reverse. This morning, I went out for a ride and by the time I got back, the car wouldn't go into first or reverse even after putting it in into a synchro gear then trying first or reverse, and second gear was not all that easy, either. The clutch is about a year old, has about 5,000 miles on it.

I was planning on having the car towed to the mechanic on Monday, but upon telling a friend about it, he stopped by, thought the linkage might need an adjustment and offered to have a look. On inspecting the linkage, he found the threaded end was BENT! The first 3/4 of an inch was straight, but then it took off at an angle! According to the catalog, there is a bend in the middle, but the threaded end is supposed to be straight. He's guessing that as it got more and more bent, the clutch got more and more out of adjustment, thus harder and harder to get into gear. He took it off, pounded it straight and replaced it so that the clutch is working in all gears again - that should get me to the mechanic without having to use an auto club tow. I've never heard of anyone else having this problem before; wouldn't you know the first time I did, it would be on my car!

Sharon
BN1 with 4-speed transmission
 
HI Sharon, on a recent club meet a club members rod actually broke. Fortunately there were no less than three new ones among the club members.However, I believe there is a beefed up version of these rods available,you might inquire.-FWIW---Keoke
 
Hi Sharon,
It is actually a very common problem. It's a wonder that the original parts worked at all. I rebuilt & reinforced pieces of mine until I just gave up.

There is an uprated linkage bar available but it doesn't help much.

Go here & order the "Uprated Clutch Linkage Kit" part # CLK for BN1 - BN2. Not cheap at about 90 pounds UK.
I think Norman Nock may also have the kit. Might be cheaper or not?
https://www.cape-international.com/

This kit includes all new linkage with ball joint bearings & is very sturdy. So much better than the original there is no comparison. Ease of clutch operation & precision are much better.
D
 
Hi Keoke and Dave,

Thanks for the information and link. I'd never heard of people having problems before, but I guess it is pretty common if three club members were carrying spares! I'll definitely look into the upgraded kit - sounds like it's worth the extra money. I feel real lucky the problem happened after we got home from Tahoe rather than on the way. We had crossed over to the coast and were taking Highway 1 between Big Sur and the Hearst Castle - not much room to find a level spot, pull over to the side of the road and jack up the car!

Sharon
BN1
 
Hi Sharon,
I changed over to an improved clutch linkage a couple of years ago before the Lake Tahoe drive, from the guy at Morrisservice in Oregon(?)
come look at it...
 
Hi Lou,

Tech session?

Sorry you missed out on the caravan to Tahoe, although I nearly died going through the desert in one day. Next time, it's two days up Highway 101 and across, or I'm staying home!

By the way, what shade of red is your car?

Sharon
BN1 thinking about a paint job
 
Sounds like the fix is under way. Do you ,or anyone else for that matter, no if the same linkage kit is available for BN2 models? A friend of mine owns a '56 BN2 and has been having problems getting out of gears, third particularly. I did notice, looking under the car, that a wiring harness had crept between the brake and clutch pedal return pads that strike the footwell. I tied it up, and he said it wasn't sticking in third gear anymore. I always wondered about that fix, didn't seem like that 1/2 to 5/8 inch would matter.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Do you ,or anyone else for that matter, no if the same linkage kit is available for BN2 models? I always wondered about that fix, didn't seem like that 1/2 to 5/8 inch would matter.

[/ QUOTE ]
The kit fits both the BN1 & BN2. With the linkage & pivots in new condition 5/8" shouldn't matter. With the usual flexible & worn parts, every little bit matters.

Slightly aside, with worn original style linkage, things are often adjusted so tightly in an attempt to get the clutch to release, that there is no free play & the throw out bearing is in constant contact with the clutch. A sure way to drastically shorten the life of the throw out bearing.
D
 
Back
Top