Morris Minor Owners Club

That's right - you would have to pull the pedal up to measure the free movement....

I've ordered a spring and I'll fit it when it arrives. Will she be alright to drive or should I wait until I put the spring on?

It will wear the release bearing faster but as you have been driving it like this for a while a few more miles won't make much difference.....

Thanks. Is it possible to fit new clutch parts without removing the engine? You can tell I don't know anything about clutch's!

No, either engine and or gearbox has to come out the car....

I'd swear I've seen instructions somewhere for doing it while it is in the car ... as to why on earth anyone would want to make their life so difficult I've no idea, I'm pretty sure it will work out quicker to do with the engine out.

Personally I prefer to take both engine and gearbox out at the same time as I find it easier to line the gearbox up with the driveshaft than the engine up against the gearbox, but each to their own.

If I had a 4 post ramp I would just drop the gearbox.... but without a lift I pull the engine

Do any of the members have their own garages and do moggy repairs?

Not commercially as far as I am aware - other than Jonathon the owner of JLH minors

Where are they based, Matt?

Southam, Near Leamington Spa

His work is generally regarded as being very good

katie tom roys at battersby junction near middlesbrough is the nearest commercial garage (That I know of )to you.If you want me to have a look and listen to yours give me a ring and get the car down to me I'll be more than happy to tell you want wants doing.Been at it for 40 years or more and have dealt with just about everything an old or new car can throw at you.

Matt wrote:Southam, Near Leamington Spa

His work is generally regarded as being very good

It's a shame he's so far away.

I fitted the new spring today and the pedal now goes right up just like the brake pedal.

I measured the free play and there is one and a half inches. I test drove her and the gears go in alright but the biting point is still really low even though I adjusted the nuts nearly as far as they would go.

Does this mean the clutch needs replacing or does the clutch need new parts?

Would I be able to put some washers under the nuts on the rod to try and adjust the clutch more?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I would'nt worry about it katie,its when the problem is the other way round, like it only bites right at the top and starts to slip,if the gears engage without problem,then its more than probably ok Are you comparing it with a modern car with hydraulic clutch,they automatically take up any free play and feel totally different from the minor mechanical linkage.All taking up of the free play does is to eliminate wear in the linkages and alow full operation of the clutch,and to make sure that it dosen't slip there should always be free play. Once you feel the clutch at the pedal you are now moving the clutch plate ,no adjusting of the linkage will move the biting point from where it is.One way of telling if a clutch friction plate is worn is to see where the biting point is,the further up the more worn,because it takes the clutch to move further before the worn parts come into contact ,so the other way round ,like you have,indicates to me that there is little wear in the internal bits of the clutch.The clutch on mine has about 2 inch of free play and disengages and bites about two thirds of the way down and up,I don't have to move it off very far untill I can feel the clutch start to bite so Yours is probably O K as far as I can say.

Thanks Kennatt for your advice and kind offer. I'll have another test drive tomorrow and see what it's like and maybe you could have a look sometime?

Is there any other way to raise the biting point that I could try or would it be an engine out job?

Thanks so much for the help!

the only adjustment is on the linkage rod,sounds like yours is ok.

Every moving part of the clutch linkage is prone to wear due to the nasty environment it lives in.
Probably the worst bits are the 2 flat strips and the pins that go in them.
If the holes are elongated and the pins look more like crankshafts that is some of it.
Take a look at where the cross shaft goes into the chassis there is a metal bush supported in rubber that can wear all the way through but still work after a fashion.
If the shaft appears central it is probably OK.

Sorry for being a bit thick but if I tighten the nuts on the rod will that raise the biting point and reduce free play? Can someone explain this to me as I find this very confusing?

How would I raise the biting point if the adjusting nuts are fully tightened?

I can't think of how to describe it, but you have X amount of travel between clutch pedal up and down.
Wear in the linkage changes how much of this gets transferred to the clutch itself.
If you go from a car where all the linkage is badly worn to one with all new bits your left foot can feel the difference.
When it's all working well you can't tell that it's no hydraulic.
Take a look at the linkage being operated slowly and if its worn one part will start moving but there will be a delay before the next part moves.
With the return spring off try operating the clutch "in reverse" from underneath.
This will show up if there is any wear.