Triumph Repair: 1973TR-6, clutch hydraulics, clutch mechanism

Question
Car set for 20 years I got engine running and "road ready" to test drive; the clutch will not disengage. I. E. with engine running cannot put in gear. But if engine at stand still-not running can put in gear, start the engine (in gear), now car moving/running, but cannot disengage engine from transmission by depressing the clutch pedal.External clutch mechanism and clutch hydraulics are rebuilt and in order.The clutch plate seems to be stuck on fly wheel mating plate (possibly rust/corrosion/age of sitting not used???). Looks like I have to pull the transmission???
Need advice. Thanks, Gus B

Answer
Hi Gus,
This was a common problem on British cars and bikes when they sat up for a long time. I learned a method of braking a clutch loose when working in bike shops in the late 50s and later when I was working on cars I tried it and was able to get about 50% of them to brake loose with this method. It takes a little skill and can be dangerous if you are not careful.
I would warm the engine up first and shut it down. Set the car on a long straight road with little to no side roads and very little traffic. Put the car in 1st gear and start the engine. The car will usually start and lurch forward. Speed up to an RPM that you would normally shift to 2nd and level off so there is no load accelerating or deceleration and pull the shift lever into neutral and ease off on the throttle and try to set the RPM to an RPM that would be appropriate for 2nd gear at that speed and pull the shift lever into 2nd. If you do it correctly it will not grind the gears, just slightly drag the speed down or lurch forward a little. Then speed up again and level off the RPM and push the shift lever into neutral again and again set the RPM appropriate to 3rd gear and repeat the same process until you are in 4th gear. Once in 4th set the RPM at about 3500 RPM and hold the clutch pedal to the floor and work the throttle hard on and off. After several on/off applications if it don't brake loose it probably won't and you need to remove the clutch to get it to brake loose.

The reason you need to use 4th gear is because the max load on a clutch is in high gear and the reason you use 3500 RPM is because that is the max torque on most old British cars.

Good luck and be careful.
Howard