What a day!!!!!!

Post by **Welung666** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 9:04 pm

After a very dodgy start to the day I thought the day couldn't get any worse, that was until I was rushing home to get changed for work! Pulled off from some traffic lights, dipped the clutch heading for 2nd gear and CLUNK followed by the clutch pedal hitting the floor!!! I manged to get the 3 miles home by nudging it out of gear, switching the engine off and re-starting in 1st then using the revs to nudge it into 2nd and so on. Jumped underneath quickly when I got back to find the bend part and about an inch of the clutch adjuster rod missing! Nice clean break too! The day didn't get much better after that either... I really should write my memoirs

Post by **bmcecosse** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:22 pm

Yes - they do wear through - worth checking from time to time. Well done getting it home !

Post by **Welung666** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:40 pm

I would have expected it to go on the bend where the linkages are but it was at least an inch further up comparing it to the one on the traveller and an almost flat break. I'll have it running again tomorrow

Post by **bigginger** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:53 pm

Hmmm - yeah, they usually seem to go at the bend at the pedal end.Fun driving without a clutch, innit

Post by **Welung666** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:01 pm

Yeah great fun

I was actually surprised how smoothly the gear changes were. I remember driving my old metro home years ago with no clutch and it almost got abandoned.

Post by **bigginger** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 11:08 pm

They are astonishingly crunch free even without a clutch...

Post by **Peetee** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:14 am

Fun driving without a clutch, innit

I've done that. The clutch went on my Polo only ten miles from home in Southampton. I was on my way on holiday and determined to get there that day so I drove it over 200 miles to Penzance like that! Fortumately I didn't meet any significant queues and I tried to keep it in 4th and keep as much momentum through the roundabouts as possible which was do-able but the rear compartment looked a bit of a state where my bike had been slammed one way and the other!

Post by **dunketh** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 10:09 am

At least its a linkage fault - no need to pull the box out.

Starting in first is no fun. You can almost drive it on the starter - like the film 'Ice Cold in Alex'.

Post by **Welung666** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:11 pm

Well all sorted now

A 10 minute dig in a box of spares and found a near perfect adjuster rod

I'll have to buy me a kit and replace the lot as the bushes look a little past there best and the 2 plates connecting the clutch pedal to the rocker arm have eg shaped holes

Post by **chickenjohn** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 1:13 pm

I think its well worth stripping and overhauling the Minors clutch linkage at least every 10 years! 5 if it does a lot of stop/ start motoring and good idea to grease everything every 6 months or so at least.

Post by **MarkyB** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:47 pm

You should carry a few plastic cable ties, ideal fix for this problem. Quick any easy, very effective.
They made the clutch on my old van so nice and light to operate I wasn't in any hurry to replace them with the metal rod.