TR4/4A Slave rod seems too long but is not

[Popeye]

Hi all,

I’m fitting my clutch slave cylinder this morning, and my actuating rod is about an inch too long.

Some Internet sleuthing suggests the rod is the correct length, about five and three-quarter inches base to hole.

Please look at the attached photos. It seems if I put the support bracket on the opposite side of the gearbox (engine side), I get my extra inch. But that just doesn’t feel right, and the manual suggests I have the bracket in the right position.

If I push the actuating rod into the slave until it bottoms, the end of the rod is about an inch past the clutch shaft. The new and old slave are the same size. I miss placed original actuating rod… and can’t compare!

Am I overlooking something simple?

 

[charleyf]

The options are 1- bracket forward of the flange.
2- bracket rear of the flange.
3-slave cylinder forward of the bracket.
4-slave cylinder rear side of the bracket.
My opinion is that what works is the way to go.
Charley

 

[Popeye]

I think I solved my own problem.

I found the original rod. It seems, despite my favorite vendor selling the same part for the TR6 and TR4A, the 4A a uses an adjustable rod. It is a little bit shorter!

I’ll order the appropriate replacement; mine is a bit beat up and corroded.

 

[Popeye]

The options are 1- bracket forward of the flange.
2- bracket rear of the flange.
3-slave cylinder forward of the bracket.
4-slave cylinder rear side of the bracket.
My opinion is that what works is the way to go.
Charley

Thank you - I was leaning that way until I found the original bits

 

[sp53]

Just curious Mike does a tr4 use a return spring. Back in the day I had 71 spitfire that had no adjustment thread on the rod and for new installation they actually had a small piece you would could put on the end of the rod for the first 100 miles are so ----so that the clutch slave would have enough length to disengage and then you took the piece off after the newness of the clutch wore off. These were mostly used on rebuilt clutches because of their imperfections on the surfaces.

steve

 

[Popeye]

Hi Steve. The TR4 uses a return spring, while the TR4A has a spring inside the slave - and no return spring (other than a spring on the pedal).

Update to my story: even the adjustable rod was too long (in its shortest position). I ended up cutting the TR6 fixed rod to length. Not terribly happy that the “right” parts don’t work. The transmission and clutch are both new, but the dimensions match the original. Not sure if I have a “fatter” (“thicker”?) throwout bearing, causing the engagement point to shift - but half an inch seems a lot.

I will reconfirm once I have put hydraulic fluid and bled the clutch.

 

[sp53]

Yeh once stuff starts spinning around in the bellhousing and you are putting demands on the hydraulic system when you push the pedal down, the system will be different.

The problem with tr3s is the return spring can act like a steel rod once the spring is stretched to it max and the clutch will not disengage. The source of the problem is they made 2 different slave cylinders for the tr3 and the tr3A that are different in length.

I Would go to TRF for those springs and rods, but they might all be selling the same parts from the same vender, but TRF has more details and springs.

steve

 

[Popeye]

I Would go to TRF for those springs and rods, but they might all be selling the same parts from the same vender, but TRF has more details and springs.

Thanks - that are definitely my “vendor of choice”. Nothing against the rest, and parts probably come from the same suppliers. But TRF seems to care a bit more about the Triumph community.