Morris Minor Owners Club

Well those who have been reading my posts may remember I asked if there was a problem with my 1st gear...

think it must be the clutch - noticed the empty travel is suddenly huge with just a little take up at the end

at the same time noticed brake reservoir (addition to the car) almost empty - filled that but guess its not a combined reservoir as hasnt made a difference

now cant select 1st or reverse, and hard to get into 2nd

think it might be time to pass the car to a serious mechanic to fix the clutch! might do it at same time as new gearbox goes in

Unless someone has fitted a hydraulic clutch conversion, the fluid resevoir is never going to have even the slightest inkling of a chance to make any difference!

The clutch linkage is all rods and levers, I wonder if the pivot between box and chassis bush has lost a bush? That would introduce a hell of a lot of slop all of a sudden I think.

Might be worth popping the gearbox cover (unless you find crawling under the car easier) and taking a good look at the various bits

Inspect the linkage urgently to find what has gone wrong. Worn out clutch shows as reduced pedal travel - so your's is probably a linkage problem although could also be carbon thrust problem. You also need to consider why the hydraulic fluid is going down - is it leaking somewhere? which is worrying with brakes !! Time to pop the drums off and have a look see.

Well this is a case of synchronicity as my clutch failed on me this morning too. It was getting difficult on the way home last night so I tried quickly adjusting it (in the rain) when I got home. Start the car this morning and the pedal goes straight to the floor. Hmm. Thought it was just the rubber bush on the relay shaft (which I replaced only a few months ago) and adjusting it would get me going until I replaced it but now I'm not so sure.

So much fun getting the Minor across the drive, partly pushing, partly abusing the starter motor to get to the garage to get the Sprite out instead. Nice weather for little sports cars too. Not!

Try adjusting the clutch- you do this from underneath the car, one nut and a lock nut on the actuating rod.

Thx - I was just about to ask that - if I get underneath and try adjusting the clutch using the nuts on the connecting rod bit (excuse my highly advanced terminology *grin*) will that help or will it just help burn out the clutch if something else is wrong?

And if I do that, which way along the rod do I want to go? Make it longer (move the nuts towards the front of the car) or make it shorter (towards the back?) I would attach a photo but some little monkey stole my camera!

THX again

You want to make it shorter

been trying to work it out, lying on a tarpaulin under the car in the rain - familiar feeling anyone?

Aye - but look to see why it is suddenly changed from the last time you used the car - has something jumped out of place - spring come off - there must be something different !

well, might put it to fairly rapid change but not sudden - i just thought there was a problem with first gear developing over the last week or so... and it wasnt until it became really bad that it occurred to me that the clutch had way to much travel! *learning to become more observant of the little clues!*

Whilst checking the clutch linkage under the car examine closely the domed
housing which is bolted to the side of the chassis member and holds a large
rubber bush and a phosphor bronze bush. One end of the pivot fits into this
housing and, if chronic wear has taken place, the pivot can wear right through
the rubber bush then rub on the metal housing until it collapses causing a
sudden increase in pedal free travel.

I think you may find a couple of manuals are in order to assist you as well.

But not the Haynes one if you can avoid it - the official BMC workshop manual is much better (though not perfect).

been trying to work it out, lying on a tarpaulin under the car in the rain - familiar feeling anyone?

I prefer to have the tarpaulin above me, not under me wheh it's raining... Other than that, the advice on linkages is mosty likely to help. A worn clutch will slip - not drag! Even a completely worn clutch can be adjusted to open fully.

If the linkages are all ok, there is a very slim chance that the clutch cover has started to dissassemble itself. I had that on a friend's car last year - caused by a manufacturing defect in a 'genuine' clutch cover (I've still got the parts to prove it). A spring pivot had unscrewed so that it was permanently clamping the disk.

Glad to hear badfelafel got his clutch adjusted OK. Here's the answer as to why my pedal was on the floor: it had broken off the shaft! Yep, the weld had broken so the pedal just turned on a static shaft and even fell off it completely after I'd taken the gearbox cover off (31 screws). Easy bit of welding to fix it though and the shaft didn't seem particularly worn by the bushes so I felt justified in not getting a brand new one. That and the fact that I could get the car mobile again in about two hours. Bit of grease, slide it back in, reconnect the linkage, 31 screws again and readjust it. Sorted.

Did I mention there are 31 screws holding the gearbox cover on?

There seems to be less clutch judder now so I guess that weld had been cracked for a while.

(btw., it's 5/8" for the dome nut and 1/2" for the locking nut)

2hrs is good going none of the screws were too difficult then.

Well, it was more like 2 1/2 hrs really. The cover's been off before so there's grease on the screws so most were OK. To be honest there's probably old engine oil on some of them.