Free play on Clutch Linkage

[David53]

Hello. Haven't posted for a while - the car has been behaving itself very well!

Was doing some routine maintainance and adjusted the clutch free play which had stretched out to just under 2 inches. On trying to get a nice tight 3/4" free play at the pedal I have found it difficult as there is so much free play in the linkage itself. This means that the pedal moves nearly an inch before the linkage takes up the slack. After tightening up the two roundhead nuts which lock onto the clutch lever the pedal also sits a little low compared to the brake and can be pulled back manually about 3/4". The hole in the plate that attaches to the clutch pedal is a little widened after 50 years of use. I have replaced the clevis pin on the pedal to plate link with a larger bolt and nylock nut to take up some slack but there is still quite a bit of looseness there.

I have fitted a new linkage kit a while back, which was for a later car - the 803cc had a rod system and the later cars have a plate system. The pedal is also different, as the early cars have a seperate shaft and pedal, while later cars have shaft and pedal combined. Mine still has original pedal

Might it help to fit a fully later system, ie: later type clutch pedal to suit the more modern linkage? If so, is it a straight swap to fit the later pedal with shaft? Any advice would be welcome! Thanks.

[David53]

Ah problem solved! It's amazing what comes to mind over a cuppa.

I had incorrectly fitted TWO of the spherical nuts onto the threaded linkage shaft - one in front and one behind the clutch lever and tightened them. This was making the whole linkage too stiff and not allowing it to fall back freely under the force of the return spring. I checked my parts book and sure enough, there should be one only, in front of the lever, with a locknut to secure. Got my hands dirty again and swapped them around and now clutch pedal springs back nicely. There is still a bit of slack due to the wear in the pedal but at least I have been able to accurately adust the free play to around 3/4 inch.

[bmcecosse]

Well done! I was thinking as I read your first post - 'surely not two domed nuts'..........