Morris Minor Owners Club

I have three Minor handbooks, and all show differing amounts of free play at the clutch pedal.
The Olyslager manual shows 5/32 inch free play at the clutch pedal. Pearsons states freeplay should be 3/4 inch. Haynes gives free play at the pedal as 1 3/8 min.
To paraphase Goldilocks one seems too little and one seems too much. what should the correct free play be for a 1964 Minor at the clutch pedal.

Thanks.

948cc = 3/4"
1098cc = 1.25" - 1.5" so 1 3/8 is bang in the middle.
Sorry, don't know the very early cars, but I'm sure that someone will be along shortly.

I wouldn't stress about it, there has to be some, nothing would be damaged or not work if there was half an inch.

The free play can be plus or minus a bit to allow for any wear in the linkage. As long as you can engage first and reverse without crunching and you have a bit of free play at the top so the thrust bearing is clear of the clutch then it is ok

My 1098cc made a horrible grating noise when the clutch was fully depressed before I altered the free play from half inch to one and a half inches.

My 1098cc made a horrible grating noise when the clutch was fully depressed before I altered the free play from half inch to one and a half inches.

darn - you beat me to it!

Roughly speaking, about an inch on all cars! The lever/bearing in the clutch housing are different between types and that gives a different 'preffered' setting. The only real issue is the 1098 which (if you are unlucky) can overtravel the bearing into the clutch cover (nasty grating noise and creates a bit of torque) if you don't have enough slack in the linkages.

And if you do not modify the manual linkage when fitting a Midget diaphram clutch you end up with a very short travel on the pedal and a very heavy clutch

As in so many other things with Minors, they aren't all the same.
However, you don't have to push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor for the clutch to operate, or grind, if it's over throwing, generally speaking.