QuestionQUESTION: Hi, I have a 1978 MG Midget and I'm having issues with the gear box. It will slip into gear easily if the engine isn't running but as soon as it is, the gears grind and it wont go into any gear. The clutch is fine. I'm a bit stuck for ideas on how to fix it. Thanks :-)
ANSWER: Hi Angie. This sounds to me as though the clutch is not fully releasing. You say the clutch is fine - how are you so certain? Where is it biting?
I suggest that you perform the following test sequence:
1) Make sure the engine is not running and the handbrake is firmly applied.
2) press the clutch pedal to the floor,
3) put the car into 1st gear,
4) start the engine.
Does the engine start OK? If it sounds laboured, stop and report back to me.
If everything seems OK, slowly release the clutch pedal. As soon as the engine starts to labour, freeze your clutch foot and stop the engine. You have found the biting point of the clutch. How far down is your clutch pedal? It should be about half way to the floor. If it bites nearer to the floor, then the clutch release mechanism is faulty. It may be no more than an air bubble in the clutch hydraulics, but it may be something more serious.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi, Thank you very much for coming back to me.
I tried starting the car in 1st gear with the clutch all the way in but it jumped when I started the engine as if the clutch was out and wouldnt start.
Many Thanks
Angie
AnswerHi Angie. That confirms my suspicions. Your clutch is not operating. I would start by checking the fluid level in the clutch master cylinder. If the cylinder is empty, the hydraulics have failed. Nine times out of ten it is either a failed slave cylinder seal or a failed flexible hose to the slave cylinder. Replacement can be done `in situ' so long as you have good access to the underneath of the car. A mechanic should be able to do the job in less than an hour.
