Crunch - gearbox

Post by **tingo** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:25 pm

Hi, I could use some advice please.

I started my car for the first time in four weeks tonight. Never left it so long before so I was pleased that the engine jumped into life at the second turn.

When I tried to put it in reverse gear there was a major crunch as if I had forgotten to press the clutch. I checked that the pedal was on the floor and tried all the gears again crunching each time. I decided to cross my fingers and force it into reverse, which worked and the car drove fine after that, as if nothing had happened.

I always leave the car parked in gear, I guess that the clutch plates had seized together? I've only got a vague idea of how the cluch works from looking at pictures and reading the manual. I'm looking forward

to changing it next year!

Is there a better way of getting going when that happens? Have I been lucky not to do damage? Or is that just the way that minors work?

Post by **alzax3** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:52 pm

That's what happens when a thin film of rust glues the driven plate to the flywheel/pressure plate. When it's not been stuck for long it will usually shock off by the method you used, (or better still starting with the car in gear) If it's been much longer it may require dismantling. Leaving the car parked in gear doesn't make any difference to the problem happening. I had a Lancia once that used to do it if you ran through a big puddle then parked for a few hours!

Post by **tingo** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:04 pm

Thank you Alzax. It makes sense to try to start it in gear, I hadn't thought of that.

I guess if you do that when it is heavily rusted then the engine just fails to turn, rather than stripping teeth off the gears?

Post by **alzax3** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 7:23 pm

I guess it would all depend, if the battery and starter were good the car will lurch forwards (or backwards) it's not going to harm the gear teeth much, but might strain the starter or it's ring gear.
I have a vintage tractor that's more civilised: there's a 4 by 6 inch plate under the flywheel that when removed let's you get at the clutch - if someone presses the pedal you can just tap the driven plate with a piece of softwood and free it up no problem!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:33 pm

Quite often - if it's like that - just letting the engine idle until it reaches working tempearture frees off the clutch as the heat soaks through. Worth a try - slightly less brutal! Better still - just make a point of moving the car every week or so.

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:03 pm

alzax3 wrote:.... I had a Lancia once that used to do it if you ran through a big puddle then parked for a few hours!

Most Lancias vanished into a pile of rusty dust if you drove them through anything like a puddle, then left them overnight

Post by **PSL184** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:20 pm

I had an Alfa Sud like that - Parked it up one night when it was raining - came out in the morning to a pile of rust and rotting matter - Even the seat material rotted on that thing !!!!

Post by **RogerRust** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:51 am

I had a AH sprite that was prone to the clutch sticking.

I used to put it in gear with the brake and clutch pedal down hard then turn the starter. It usually freed it up.

Post by **alzax3** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:55 am

My Lancia's front suspension towers both decided that they wanted to be (a lot) closer to each other as I backed it out of the drive one morning - having completely seperated from the inner wings...... that was the end of that! Nice engine though (basically Fiat twin cam with pretty 'Lancia' lettering on the rocker covers) which went on to live in a kit car.