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T-Series Clutch Spin

BirdofPrey

Freshman Member
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I have a '79 mgb that has clutch spin. I think that I am going to buy a rebuild kit for the slave and master cylinders, along with a braided hose for the system. Does any of this sound like it will help?
 
No I mean "spin" as described by the haynes manuel.
 
No I mean "spin" as described by the haynes manual.
 
neither do I
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Aloha All,

Clutch spin as defined by Haynes "is a condition which occurs when there is a leak in the clutch hydraulic actuating mechanism, there is an obstruction in the clutch either on the primary gear splines or in the operating lever itself, or the oil may have partially burnt off the clutch linings and have left a resinous deposit which is causing the clutch disc to stick to the pressure plate or flywheel." The manual goes on to say, "if clutch spin is suspected, the condition can be confirmed by extreme difficulty in engeging first gear from rest, difficulty in changing gear, and very sudden take up of the clutch drive at the fully depressed end of the clutch pedal travel as the clutch is released."

I think the first approach to the problem is to check the clutch hydraulics and make sure there are no leaks and the slave is operating properly. If this doesn't fix the problem, it would seem the gearbox needs to be removed to check the clutch disc and thrust bearing.

Safety Fast,
Dave
 
If you take off in your car, get in third gear, cruise for at least a minute (I say this because of below note) without touching the clutch pedal and nail the gas, if the engine revs, but car doesn't go with it, you either have an improperly adjusted clutch pedal -no freeplay- an inch of movement before you feel the pressure build under your foot, or more likely, a bad clutch,-pull the tranny.

If you have the reving problem immediately after taking off, or shifting, and no other time, the hose is probably swollen internally, and not letting the fluid back to the master soon enough, causing a slip.

If the clutch chatters, or catches and releases rapidly on hard acceleration(similar feeling to wheel hop from your old nova) Could either be physically damaged clutch, or from oil saturation from a leaking seal.

If it grinds when you try to put it in gear, or lurch on you when in gear but clutch engaged, it is most likely a hydraulic problem. On brits, most often the slave cylinder. If you want a really cheap fix, you need a 1 1/4" cup seal. Old NAPA part #666(creepy eh?)

I have no clue what clutch spin means, sorry.
 
I have had two different B's with bad hoses as described above. At a light, could just slide your foot off the pedal, wait a few seconds and pretty soon the car would drive away smooth as glass. But don't try to hurry it along!. Your problem depends on specifically when the slipage occurs. Bob
 
I'm new here but would appreciate hearing back from BirdofPrey as to the fix. I have the same problem with my TR-6. Clutch is noisy, not hard to shift, but disengages near floor and suddenly as described in repair manual.
 
The car is leaking fluid, not sure where about it leaks. I am guessing either slave or clutch hose. It is hard or nearly impossible to shift into first at times, like there is no pressure in the system. Also clutch pick up is very close to the floor. So, I made an order for a master and slave cylinder rebuild kit and a new hose.
 
Aloha Bird of Prey,

Most British cars mark their territory so to speak. If you are losing brake fluid from the reservoir, that should confirm the fluid is probably coming from the hydraulic system. Rebuilding the clutch slave cylinder and replacing the hose will probably correct the leak and is also the easiest of the repairs to possible causes of clutch spin. You may also want to disassemble the clutch master cylinder and repair it as necessary. If this doesn't fix the problem, clutch replacement is next step.

Safety Fast,
Dave
 
To tr3&tr6, if you see this

What I described goes for any car, with some specifics tossed in for Brits. 6's have another issue that can be a problem. The slave pushes a lever on the end of a rod that runs across the tranny. In the middle of the rod is the fork that pushes on the release bearing that in turn pushes on the pressure plate. The fork is held to the rod by a threaded in pin. The pin sometimes starts to break, and the fork is allowed to rotate backwards on the rod when you push in the clutch, it sticks in that position, effectively reducing the distant the fork can push the bearing in, and voilla, the clutch is like an on-off switch right on the floor, or never seems to fully work, and you grind lots of gear.

To test that, unhook the clutch slave from the lever into the trans, and pull it in the opposite way from how the slave pushes. Don't be afraid to pull on it, it's steel in there, unless you are strongman contender. If you feel the fork hit, and it gives under pressure,(the level will jump another 1/4 inch or so) and gives again if you move it the other way, you probably have that problem.

Check what has been said about hydraulics first, you have to pull the tranny to fix the pin problem.

Sorry to put all this here guys, not sure how to find an email address for someone.
 
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by tr3&tr6:
I'm new here but would appreciate hearing back from BirdofPrey as to the fix. I have the same problem with my TR-6. Clutch is noisy, not hard to shift, but disengages near floor and suddenly as described in repair manual.<hr></blockquote>

Welcome to the best forum on the net!
Good to have more Triumph guys joining. Do post often and put some pictures of your cars on the Members Rides page.
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Clint is absolutely right. I had a Midget that had clutch "spin" or "grab." I had to push the pedal to the floor to shift. Eventually, even stomping the pedal wasn't enough and I was grinding gears when shifting. I replaced the clutch, and the problem persisted. Finally, my father noticed the cause. The friction pin that the cluch fork/arm pivots on had slipped out far enough to let the pivot end of the clutch fork/arm move. The pin is about two inches long, it goes through the bell housing, through the clutch arm, and back through the bell housing. It's held in place, (Not very well obviously) by friction sleeves. Our solution was to have a new pin made, a inch longer than the original, and drill holes at each end so we could insert cotter pins. Once everything was installed, the clutch worked fine.

[ 04-04-2003: Message edited by: Andre the Giant ]</p>
 
Well I finally fixed the car I hope. I rebuilt the slave cylinder, replaced the clutch hose and the pipe that runs from the brake master cylinder to the clutch hose ( because I broke it). So far it seems to be ok. I will see in the morning though.
 
As usual!! Nothing strange about these British cars!! Everybody just thinks it must be 'British car specific' problem!! In my experience, mechanics are mechanics!! If our cars are doing something weird, it will be no different than a Chevy or a Ford!! Where it gets differnt is the carburation and better quality brakes!! In my opinion, that is about it!! Oh yah, Mr Lucas???
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