• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Spitfire Spitfire woes

Share this page

E

edblend

Freshman Member
Offline
I have two cronic problems: Clutch slips on startup when the car is warm and with a passenger. Not always sometimes. Have had the clutch and other replaceable items replaced twice. Had the flywheel refaces etc. And 2, clacking u joints must have replaced all the rear U joints at least three times. CAN ANYONE HELP?
 
The u-joints may still be ok but might require thicker circlips or, at least temporarily, shims underneath (which you can make out of soda cans and use until you locate thicker clips). As for the clutch, is there any evidence of fluid leakage onto the clutch disc (most likely from a failing rear main engine seal), i.e., do you get dripping from the bottom of the bellhousing? Just hypothesizing a bit....
 
Take a look at the hydraulics and also the mechanical workings of the clutch pedal. If either is binding that may cause the throw out not to completely release.
 
We ran into a strange issue with the clutch slave on our '72 Spit. It appears to be an aftermarket replacement. There are (2) slots where the pinch bolt can go through vertically. At first we had it in the "wrong" slot and the clutch started giving us problems after a few thousand miles. We moved the slave so the bolt went through the other slot and all was well.

As for the u-joints, are the noises from u-joints on the half-shafts or on the driveshaft?
 
Back
Top