Triumph Repair: 77 spitfire 1500 gears grind, Spitfire, clutch

Question
Hi my name is Kyle and starting today my car would be hard to shift when not moving and then right I went to back up a friends driveway and I heard a grinding sound when I shifted into reverse while not moving. Also there is a when I push down the clutch pedal there is a small space where there is no resistance. Is there a way I can tighten my clutch pedal? It also feels like even though the clutch pedal is to the floor it is not totally engaged. please help me thank you.

Answer
Kyle,

The clutch on the Spitfire is hydraulically operated.  In the engine compartment there is a clutch master cylinder, next to the brake master cylinder.  Make sure the fluid is topped up to the line inside the clutch m/c.  Also it's a great time to top up the brakes for safety's sake.

A "soft" or "spongy" clutch usually means there is air in the line between the clutch master and slave.

The clutch slave cylinder is attached to the transmission on the drivers side (assuming LHD car).  There is a fitting for bleeding fluid from the system on the slave cylinder.

In order to access the bleed nipple you can either try from underneath the car (possible but not a fun job) or remove the transmission cover inside the car.  This means pulling at least one of the seats, the dash support and then the trans cover.  

One trick I've learned over the years is to top up the clutch master cylinder and use a piece of 2x4 to hold the clutch pedal against the firewall.  Let the car sit with the pedal pushed down, at least overnight although it's more effective if you can wait several days.  That sometimes will get enough air out of the system to restore proper shifting.


Cheers,

Jim