Morris Minor Owners Club

Not doing the Aristotle bit yet, but skimming the flywheel wouldn't have a significant bearing on the matter- from your comments you seem about 5mm adrift in the release area- that would be SERIOUS skimming! Usually only take about a tenth of that off to clean up the flywheel!

If it worked well with another gearbox - the difference must surely be in the linkage on the gearbox ? If you have that box to hand -swap operating arm over ??

Hello Dennis,

having followed this thread with interest, my original question about the external linkage has had no response from you?

However, I'm now coming round to the thought that the centre plate is back to front. This puts the raised section against the flywheel and as the diameter of that section is larger than the recess in the flywheel, this puts the lining face further from the flywheel than it should be and as you bolt up the clutch this depresses the thrust ring further than normal.

If the actuating (external) linkage is OK then it has to be the centre plate. A flywheel skim will have little effect on the adjustment, even at 5mm as it will only affect the adjustment by that 5mm multiplied by the leverage ration of the thrust bearing arm, even at 2:1 that would only be 10mm on the adjuster, not a large amount.

Alec

are you talking about the driven plate here? i have re assembled mine, and the plate actually has written in the centre "flywheel side" so you would have to be jolly silly to put it in the wrong way!

in a previous thread about this i asked about what a correct linkage should look like- is it the same for all cars (except mm) or were rods put in different ways? i know the clutch fork is different, but other than the change to the "plate type" mechanism, where there any changes. the bmc workshop manual that is normally so imformative is a little obscure in this section

Hello Marcus,

it may be marked but mistakes can still be made.

I can't advise on the difference between various models, and having converted to hydraulic on my wife's car I can't look at the linkage. I suggest that you try different ways of assembly, if this is an option? Is your problem the same exactly as Dennis, where he says he's used up all the adjustment thread? If so a way around this to see if the clutch will operate is to add a spacer before the adjusting nut, even two or three oversize nuts would do for a trial?

Alec

my problem is that i can't withdraw the clutch to withdraw properly, as i catches on the linkage, when its the right way round. if i change the adjusting rod to the wrong way round, it works, but doesn't pull straight. if you look in the bmc workshop manual in section EE under point 2 and 3 and the linkages are displayed in either way round- is there a reason for this?

Greetings from downunder ;

1: Hold the pressure plate with the flywheel side up and place the clutch plate on top
2: Then look across the flats of the pressure plate you should only be able to see the top layer of friction material.

If you can see the bottom friction layer or the steel center of the clutch plate, then the pressure plate is over engaging when it is clamped up to the flywheel, which is the reason that you have lost adjustment in the arm.

To fixed this you need to pack out the pressure plate with stainless steel washers between it and the flywheel.

Regards Mark

i may (he says hopefully) worked out the problem. all i have to do is try it tommorrow. i received a parcel from my new favourite supplier, east sussex minors, containing the late type plate mechanism. it looks to be on first glance to be about 3/4 or 1 inch longer between centres than the earlier plate type mechanism. i was told that length was no different, but tommorrow will tell. are they meant different, or is it a classic misnaming of series MM stuff being given the series 2 name by some of the more well known suppliers? (like the bonnet ornamentation)

anyway, wish me luck.

Have you been using an arm for a Spridget hydraulic operated clutch ?

Hello Dennis,

are you any further forward? What about Mark's point? If that is the problem the cover has been adjusted incorrectly, but I don't think there's many people who would play with those these days?
I don't like the washer(s) as a spacer idea, much better to get yours adjusted or get a new cover?

Alec

the plate type mechanism worked- it is sufficiently longer than the rod that i had previously been using. so provisionally, problem solved (for me at least). horrah!

could this be the source of your problem dennis? could it be that the old gearbox was 948, and the new one a 1098?

Hi All
I’m afraid I have not done anything further, was instructed to do some DIY in my daughters house, I’m always glad to help but there is a tinge of frustration when dragged away from my project.
Thanks for all your answers there is a lot of head scratching here.

Getting back to my clutch problem, the consensus seems that:
1.-The clutch is fitted correctly.

2.-The clutch lever is the right one.

3.-Its normal for the thrust plate to be pulled in the when the housing is tightened.

4.-The 2 cm travel of the clutch lever before the thrust bearing engages is correct.

This leaves the linkage as Alec asked in a previous post (sorry I did not answer-was intending to).
The linkage was used with my previous box so should be the same, but with the previous box I’m sure the I did not have the 2 cm ‘slack’ before the thrust bearing engaged, maybe the problem was in the previous box.

The only difference between this box and the previous one is that it has the 803 remote gear lever, should have mentioned car is a 1954 series 2 cheese grater, but this does not affect the bell housing or clutch in any way both 1098.
I think the best way forward is to fit the engine/gearbox into the car again will probably do that Tuesday evening, will keep you posted.

Well done Markus glad to hear you have solved your problem, I suppose I could add more thread on the adjustment link rod.
Cheers

Dennis

my car is a series 2, and i needed to use the plate type pedal to relay linkage. the 948/803 rod is much shorter (or was in my case) and this appears to have solved the problem. i now have a 1098 engine and gearbox. for what it costs would it be worth fitting the plate mechanism to make sure it isn't this?

I think I may have some old linkage plate in my box of rubish will have to have a rumage.

Cheers

Dennis

The old 803 box is very different! No wonder the clutch doesn't work with the 1098 box. Wish you had told us this at the start!!!

I presume you are referring to Markus, in my case I have a 1098 ribbed gearbox with an 803 end so maintaining the original look with the 1098 improved reliability. It previously had a standard 1098 box.
I’m doing my apprenticeship here and finding it immensely enjoyable if somewhat frustrating when things don’t quite work out, which is nearly all the time

Oooh - right, sorry - so in effect it's a 1098 box as far as the clutch is concerned - on a 1098 engine, with a 1098 flywheel and clutch and a 1098 backplate ! It should work!!