Morris Minor Owners Club

A while ago I asked for advice in a slipping clutch adjustment.Did a bit of adjusting thinking all is well but went out today after doing another job and it is the same.The clutch has been out and put back in a couple of months ago.It was OK before that.Is it possible to get more advice on the adjustment and what I should be doing.A diagram showing what should move where would be a help as well if possible please.

If you adjusted it too much and the adjustment is too tight the clutch will slip.Or there may be oil on the friction linings from a leak, or the linings may just be worn out. If you can't get it to work through adjustment, you will probably need to get the engine out to examine things.

You should check that the pedal travels about an inch before you feel any pressure, there is a specific measurement but I can’t recall it off hand, however you must have free travel. As mentioned could be oil on linings, if the clutch was worn you would have noticed when it was out. I assume you or the person who did the work installed the assembly correctly, you may find you have to check that ultimately.

Thanks will adjust both ways as unsure which way to go but I guess it will prove what needs doing next ta

The workshop manual specifies 1 and 3/8" to 1 and 1/2" (35-38mm) pedal free play for the 1098cc. 3/4" (20mm) for the 803cc.
Mine is adjusted to about 1 and 1/4" and seems to work just fine (1098cc).

3/4" free play in the pedal for the 948cc model as well as the 803cc.

Thanks very much

I went to adjust the clutch travel today on my 1969 Traveller. It had too much free play for some reason.

Managed to effect the adjustment with out too much trouble and then started the engine, pushes down on the clutch and it went to the floor as if nothing was there!

On investigation it turned out that where the lever arm of the foot pedal had been welded to the shaft, it had snapped off! I surmise that it had been hanging on for a while and gradually freeing itself which is why I need to make the adjustment.

Tomorrow I will try to weld it back on myself.

Good luck. Twice (with two different Minors) I have had the clutch pedal hit the floor like that. In both cases (unlike your experience) it was the clutch link rod that had snapped. The first time, a friendly mechanic who lived in the same street as my welded it back together. The second time, I had to buy a new one as I had moved house - and he had retired anyway!

Thanks for the extra advice.Will be sure to check around just in case.Belt and braces.

Tja - it never rains but it pours.

The welding went quite well but I think I got the angles wrong as to where the lever arm should be set. It may be possible to work something with the adjustment rod but I think I will have to remove it, cut it out and redo it .

In the neutral state, I think that the lever arm as well as the relay shaft should hang down absolute vertically - I got it wrong - they dont.

Never cease to be amazed at my own incompetence.

Removed the clutch pedal which involves firstly slackening off the exhaust which is otherwise in the way (LHD)

Ground off the weld I did before - it was quite good actually - then reset the shaft to position the lever arm in its correct position, sqared it up and rewelded it again. This seemed to work, so reinstalled it through the chassis rail using lots of grease, connected everything up , adjusted the clutch free travel. All good.

The LHD system has the pedal bolted on after the clutch arm enters the cockpit area. This is quite useful as you can set the pedal to any angle to suit. Did this and then tried the brake to see if it was ok - it was not. The clutch spindle which is supposed to go through the brake pedal plus a distance piece inside the chassis rail had missed both completely. Pretty obvious really - except to me. The brake pedal was dangling in mid air inside the chassis rail and the distance piece had rolled off somewhere. Had to pull up the carpet, remove the cover plate, remove the clutch arm again and try to reinsert it, lining up the brake and distance piece which I recovered using a long magnet.

There was a spring in the chassis rail. What is that for? Ah yes to hold the brake pedal back.

I will fix that tomorrow when in a better mood.
.

Oh dear, how bleddy frustrating! Well.....good luck again,nearly there!

I think we all know the feeling when after all the frustration, it finally works. The brake pedal spring ( which is the wrong one - it looks like a drum brake spring) I was able to fit by pulling it through from underneath using garden wire, the other end already having been attached to the brake mechanism.
Test drive was fine and maybe, just maybe the clutch operated much better than before - famous last words?

I am reminded by the comment from Henning Wehn " Unlike Britain, in Germany we don't swear at all. The reason being , things work".

I do not think my neighbours would share this opinion , based on the last couple of days.