QuestionQUESTION: Hi Howard: I restored a 1970 MG Midget from the floor. It had been abandoned for years and years. I repaired the motor and it is working fine, apparently. THe thing is that I haven't been able to run it since the clutch isn't working at all. I bought a clutch kit from Northwestimportparts.com including new master and salve cylinders. THe clutch isn't working not even with the car turned off. What can the problem be? Thanks alot for you help, Santiago.
ANSWER: Hi Santiago,
You are going to have to explain what you mean by "the clutch isn't working". Do you mean it does not release when you step on the pedal or do you mean it doesn't engage and slips. What does the clutch pedal feel like when you depress it? Is there any free play in the pedal?
Howard
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QUESTION: Hi Howard: When the car is turned off, and let's say it is in 1st gear, I can depress the clutch pedal and the car won't move when pushed (the wheels don't move at all). When it is turned on (I have to turn it on on neutral) and I depress the clutch, none of the gears will engage and it makes a terrible sound when I try to put it on any gear. (My english is not the best so that's the only way I can explain), maybe that's what you mean with not engaging. Most of the time there's a free play in the pedal, it was bled and let all the air out and it got stronger to be depressed, but it returns to be free again. I hope you can understand. Sorry for the lousy english. Thanks alot, Santiago
AnswerThat is a good explanation and I see what you are having trouble with.
When you push the pedal to the floor you should feel about one inch of free travel in the pedal and then it should be hard to push all the way to the floor. This is how a normal clutch pedal should feel.
When the pedal is up the clutch is engaged and has locked the engine to the transmission and when you push the pedal to the floor the clutch is disengaged and the engine is not connected to the transmission no matter what gear is selected.
Your clutch is engaged all the time and is locked to the transmission all the time. The method to diagnose the problem is to push the clutch pedal down with your hand. The first one inch (no more) should be easy to push and you should feel little to no resistance. After the one inch travel of the pedal it should get very hard to push by hand and feel the same all the way to the floor.
This is how it should be but form what you tell me yours is not like this and yours is easy to push.
The most common cause is air still in the system. A clutch system is much harder to bleed the air out then a brake system. The reason is that the clutch line is larger than a brake and when you bleed a bubble of air down the line and close the bleeder and pump the peddle again the air bubble just raises in the line all by itself.
There are a couple of methods that work ok when you have a difficult one to get bled. First one is easy, just open the filler cap and confirm that the reservoir is full and leave the cap loose. Go down to the bleeder valve and confirm that the bleeder valve it up higher than the line going into the slave cylinder and open the bleeder and put a can or jar under to catch the dripping fluid. (Don't touch the clutch pedal) let it drip until you see the reservoir is half empty. (be very careful not to let reservoir to get too low) When it is down about half way close the bleeder valve and fill the reservoir and close the cap. Then go check the pedal for how it feels. If it is correct as I described above then you should be able to drive the car.
If that didn't work and you still have a floppy pedal do this, Loosen the filler cap again and open the bleeder valve and let it drain half of the reservoir down and close the bleeder valve and remove the slave cylinder (leave the line attached to the slave cylinder) and when you get it out force the clutch rod into the slave cylinder (if you have the type that the rod stays in the slave cylinder) (if you have the type that the rod stays in the bell housing, use a Phillips screw driver to force the slave cylinder piston back into it's bore as far as it will go. Now, fill the reservoir and put the cap on loose and hold a light pressure on your screw driver to hold the piston down lightly and have someone else push the clutch pedal down by hand slowly and you should feel the screwdriver come out of the slave cylinder a little. When they get the pedal to the floor note if the slave piston is all the way out to the edge of the cylinder. If not have them push very slowly on the peddle again until it is at the edge and stop there and put the slave cylinder into the bell housing and put the pinch bolt back in. Now your clutch pedal should feel as I described above.
Let me know,
Howard
