MG Car Repair: Clutch judder, rear main oil seal, clutch plate

Question
Hi Barrie,
I'm new to the MG world and have just bought a 69 GT which I've had checked by a local restorer who confirms that structurally it is fairly sound - obviously having sills and floorpans done in the past. We're working out a schedule probably for next Autumn / Winter for attending to a few rust spots and a probable re-spray so that I can run it in the summer and gradually improve / service the mechanicals in the meantime. But the most pressing issue seems to be a fair bit of (I think) clutch judder when moving off in 1st (the whole car seems to shake until I change to 2nd). The previous owner said she overcame this by not lifting the clutch fully and changing quickly into 2nd gear. The car seems to drive quite well apart from this (although the brakes are bit soft with long travel which I need to do as well) and changing gear is otherwise fine. Any thoughts re a plan of attack please re the clutch before we resort to a possible engine & gearbox 'out' session? Thanks, Gary.

Answer
Hi Gary.  Yes, this could be oil on the clutch plate, but before taking the engine out, have a look at all the rubber mounts.  There is one each side of the engine, plus a few more underneath the gearbox.  They do perish with age, and they get a lot of oil on them.  It is possible to extract the engine leaving the gearbox in the car, and I have managed to change a clutch without the engine ever touching the ground!  If it is oil on the clutch, you may have to replace the rear main oil seal which often leaks.

The soft pedal on the brakes is a safety item.  You need to fix that as soon as possible.  It cannot wait till the autumn.  I would drain the brake fluid, fill up with fresh fluid, and bleed the system.  Also, check the rear brake adjusters - they can give a long pedal if not set correctly.  If it is still not right, suspect the handbrake cable and/or the pivot attached to the diff housing on the rear axle.  Either of these can partially sieze.