Morris Minor Owners Club

Looking at the 2nd video I would say that the springs are broken or out of alingement, most probably caused by incorrect fitting.

I would also question the ability of the mechanic who let it out of the garage in that state.... when you collected the car did he vanish after handing over the keys and taking your money?

More than likley it will need a new clutch

The bearing thrust plate, the plate that the thrust bearing pushes against, is held in position by three springs. If you turn the engine over on the handle you should be able to see each spring and see that the thrust plate is not sitting level. Take the spark plugs out so the engine turns over easier.
If the engine and gearbox are not lined up correctly when they are pushed together the springs can be dislodged

" the springs can be dislodged " More like 'smashed out of engagement' - if the gearbox first motion shaft is allowed to bang against the platform - or to rest on it, the damage is done. The engine has to be very carefully aligned with the shaft and then gently slid back and turned over as the shaft engages with the (pre-centred) clutch plate and into the crankshaft spigot bush. I doubt there is much hope - but I suppose you could try to re-engage it on the springs working through the inspection hole........

Well it seems that the general consensus is that the pressure plate has been knocked out of alignment during fitting.

Before I go back to the garage is there any other possible cause for this problem?

I only ask because after the problem with the first clutch I told the mechanics that this could be the cause and they assured me that when they re-fitted the engine with the second clutch they were extra careful and didn’t knock it.

I would simply have them observe what you put on the video you shot and ask THEM for a better explanation!

Be there when the engine/gearbox are split, the fault should be blindingly obvious and don't let them fob you off with its a faulty unit or it was ok when they fitted it

Your points might include:

The best possible explanation for the problem with the pressure plate is that it happened during installation. Either that -- and worse still -- would be that they installed a very clearly bad pressure plate.

I would want -- at minimum -- a new pressure plate when they redo the job.

Be very clear that you know that they botched it. You don't have to be obnoxious about it, just be clear and firm. Tell them about the video you posted, and tell them that several Morris Minor experts concurred on the diagnosis. You should not pay them anything to redo it, and they should make it a priority on their schedule.

I've no idea what you have over there -- but here in California we have the Bureau of Automotive Repair, a government agency that can step in and investigate in matters like this when needed. If you have anything like that -- and the shop is at all uncooperative -- you can use that as a threat. Everyone can have a bad day, but there is a pattern here that's beginning to suggest basic incompetence.

AND: Have the owner of the garage ride with you when you test drive the car following the redo. If anything feels the least bit odd, stop the car and make him/her drive it. Don't drive away from the garage without being satisfied. If they botch it again, you want it to be very clear that it's not something that happened after you picked the car up.

What is the progress? Is it sorted yet?

Hi all,

I have sent the videos to the clutch supplier who very quickly offered to send out yet another replacement clutch.
(I’m not complaining but a little too quickly I thought ….maybe they are just really good with customer service?)

Their only suggestion for a possible cause of the problem was that maybe the clutch fork was bent!
(I don’t see how a bent fork would cause the pressure plate to me misaligned when not in contact with the bearing as shown in the first video tho)

They also confirmed that the first clutch I returned to them was faulty but hadn't checked the second clutch I returned.

I have also spoken to the garage and they are going to take the engine out again but let me have a look once they have it out. We will then fit the original clutch (that worked fine) back in to see if the problem is still there before fitting the forth new clutch!!

All going to plan this should be done before the end of this week. Fingers crossed.....

As long as the clutch forks are located with the nut and bolt and the release bearing is held in position with the securing clips there should be no problem, the forks can't bend, they would snap. Smear a litle grease on the release bearing pivots when you fit it. The only thing that can go wrong is fitting the forks the wrong way round. You soon find out when the release bearing drops off first time you use the clutch. Ask me how I know
If the original clutch is ok then I would fit it with a new drive plate and release bearing

can't believe that any reputable mechanic would let this fault come out of the workshop,or do modern mechs never test the work they have just done.I also suspect,by the quick response of the supplier,that they have had a batch of dodgy pressure plates in stock. Realy very bad workshop practice if you ask me. I wouldn't be using that garage again once the work is sorted out.

I have no issue with the garage/mechanics (yet) they have been working WITH me to get this fixed. Since fitting and finding the problem with the first clutch they have taken the engine out about 6 times and checked the flywheel etc. trying to locate the cause of the problem.

Engine coming out again on Friday so hopefully we can solve the mystery then.

If the problem is due to bad fitting then obviously I will be taking this up with mechanics or the clutch supplier if they are at fault but for now….Innocent until proven….

When the clutch assembly is bolted up to the flywheel - check if the pressure pad is dead flat to the flywheel BEFORE they attempt to install it back on the gearbox.

Another thing to do -- prior to installing the new pressure plate -- is to lay the plate on the ground (flywheel mating section on ground, suitably protected with something) and put your heel on the center of the ring where the throw-out bearing makes contact. Push down as evenly as you can, then let it back up. Do this three or four times through its full range and then check for alignment. What I'm thinking here is that -- given all that's happened -- there may be some sort of defect in the plate so that it looks fine initially, but one of the spring arms collapses when first used (which, of course, is after the car is all bolted up and finished). Best to make sure it works correctly before another engine pull.

This issue with the mechanics is not that they don't keep trying, it's that they let the car out of the shop in the condition you showed on your video. Even a test drive around the block would have revealed that problem. A mechanic should always put a car through it's paces before releasing it -- no matter what's been done. Stuff happens.

Matlock1000 wrote:I have no issue with the garage/mechanics (yet) they have been working WITH me to get this fixed. Since fitting and finding the problem with the first clutch they have taken the engine out about 6 times and checked the flywheel etc. trying to locate the cause of the problem.

Engine coming out again on Friday so hopefully we can solve the mystery then.

If the problem is due to bad fitting then obviously I will be taking this up with mechanics or the clutch supplier if they are at fault but for now….Innocent until proven….

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Maybe one of the contact pins on the throwout lever is either broken off or not correctly fitted

That does not look like a 1098 clutch

This is a 1098 clutch[frame][/frame]

it's not but I put it on to show the basic components and how it works, they're fundamentally the same, what I was getting at was if the throwout lever is only attached on one side correctly and the other side is either off or not in the groove that would cause the pressure plate to disengage unevenly causing such symptoms

mgfw wrote:it's not but I put it on to show the basic components and how it works, they're fundamentally the same, what I was getting at was if the throwout lever is only attached on one side correctly and the other side is either off or not in the groove that would cause the pressure plate to disengage unevenly causing such symptoms

And right you are -- but if they've missed this six times in a row...

That problem should not arise on the 1098 clutch. The clutch release lever pivots in a bracket in the bell housing. It is secured by a bolt threaded into the bracket with a lock nut on the end..
The thrust release bearing (12) pivots in the lever forks and is secured by the retaining clips (13). If the release bearing became detatched from the forks then the clutch would not operate at all.
Most likely problem is that a spring (3), one of three, has broken or become detached, allowing a release lever (8) to become detached from the bearing thrust plate (9).
This can be caused by the gearbox first motion shaft striking the bearing thrust plate whilst attempting to couple the engine and box