Morris Minor Owners Club

Lifting off the clutch pedal has suddenly started to produce a grinding noise - sounds like a bag of bolts and a jerky acceleration. There's been no clutch slipping and the clutch was changed only 20 years ago. Could it be the release bearing giving up? Also, I've suddenly got an intermittent lack of power, like the petrol suddenly running out- could thus be connected or just a coincidence?

What does the gearstick do at that time? Could be clutch release bearing but also could be a loose gearbox.

I doubt your two problems are connected but one never can tell, for sure, at a distance. Depends if it occurs at, or close to, the same time as clutch operation. Is it both at power on and overrun (the noise, not the acceleration on overrun)?

20 years is not much of a measure for clutch life. How many miles? 10, or a 100, thousand miles?

Points taken. I expect I do about 3000 miles, or a bit more, a year. The gear stick doesn't do anything funny. The noise is just at the biting point and there's a feeling through the pedal that things aren't quite working as they should. Moving away is snatchy. The sudden lack of power is when the engine's loaded and seems to be worse when cold but doesn't happen at the same time as changing gears. I was wondering if it's possible that the cluthplates are momentarily binding. Loose gearbox? I changed that with a friend's help 16 years ago and haven't looked at the bolts mating engine and gearbox since. ( but did unexpectedly find that sudden engine cutting when coming to a stop a few weeks ago was down to loose manifold bolts, so I know these things do come undone.)

By your own estimation you have done approx. 60,000 miles on the clutch fitted over the last 20 years!
You have done well!
Clutch parts do not last for ever.
I suspect therefore that the clutch release bearing and possibly the driven plate is worn out.
A worn out clutch does not necessarily slip.
Expect and budget for replacing the flywheel, pressure plate, driven/centre plate and clutch release bearing.
Vehicles not in regular use and stored/garaged in damp conditions suffer from damp corrosion on bare metal surfaces much more than those vehicles in regular use.
The flywheel and pressure plate bare steel rubbing surfaces even though contained within the bell housing will become contaminated with damp and will sustain corrosion on their surfaces which will encourage more rapid wear than usual.