clutch

[peetee59]

I do have a another small problem(i hope).When i drove the car back from scotland,when i depress the clutch completely to the floor the gears crunch,(the owner i bought the car from told me this) He had no problem with it,i took his word and still do.When you depress the clutch so far down you can engage all gears without fault.This is not to my liking,i would rather do as i have done for 41 years,depress the clutch to the deck and all through the gears.Can someone tell me how to adjust it so it is to my liking?????????
Pete

[bmcecosse]

Screw a wood block to the floor under the pedal ! Or - you can just twiddle the adjustment under the car to increase the 'free play' in the pedal movement,

[simmitc]

Although a wooden block does stop the pedal depressing too far, and has been used by more than one person, it's worth pointing out that we can't make it as a serious suggestion: the block could come loose and then be very dangerous - what if it jammed under the brake pedal when you needed to stop? A properly adjusted clutch will work just as you want. A good starting point is 3/4 inche freeplay for 948cc and 1.25 inch for 1098cc.

[peetee59]

I am not really very mechanical,using a block of wood is something i would not even consider,HOW DO I ADJUST THE CLUTCH PLEASE

[bmcecosse]

I said to SCREW the wood block to the floor - it would not then come loose. Clutch adjustment is fully shown in the Workshop Manual - and is in any case obvious when you go under and see the threaded rod that operates the clutch arm sticking out of the gearbox....... I can't see why you can't just NOT press the clutch down too far...... I only push it as far as necessary! Simples !

[simmitc]

The free play that I mentioned is measured using a simple ruler through the arc prescribed by the top of the pedal. Kneel outside the car, with the driver's door open, lean in, and position the ruler so that it is braced against the floor and adjacent to the top of the pedal, with the clutch pedal in its "at rest" position. Note the measurement. With a finger, push the pedal down until resistance is felt. Note the measurement. The difference between the two measurements is the free play, and should be as quoted in my previous post. If you need to alter the amount of free play, then you need to look under the car on the driver's side...

The clutch pedal acts on two flat bars that connect to a relay shaft. The shaft is mounted between the side of the gearbox and the inside of the chassis leg, and has two cranked "legs". One leg is connected to the flat plates from the pedal, the other has a rod that runs forwards to the clutch operating arm that sticks out of the side of the bell housing. There should be a return spring between the end of the arm and the engine backplate. If the spring is missing, then replace it before trying to make the adjustment. Also check for wear in the plates, clevis pins, shaft, rod and arm; and replace as necessary.

The rod between the relay shaft and operating arm is threaded at the front. There should be a specially shaped but that locates in the arm, plus a locking nut. Release the locking nut, and then adjust the other nut - screw it further on to reduce free play, and further out to increase free play. Repeat the measuring and adjusting until all is correct, and then tighten the lock nut against the adjusting nut.

If you need to raise the car to gain access, then ensure that it is properly supported before you venture underneath. Lightly lubricate all moving parts to help with smooth operation and reduce wear.

As noted above, this operation is described in virtually all manuals, and is usually well illustrated with diagrams showing the nut to adjust, and often how to measure the free play.

[peetee59]

Thankyou so much for that info,i do have a manual so i can use it as a reference.I just dont like the way the clutch is operating at this time.I like it so you depress to the deck and then lift and get the biting point.I need to sort this out and then i can start on the body work ,and respray,which is my field,mechanics is sort of limited for me,however i can follow instructions,and help like yours is so appreciated,i thankyou again.
Pete