26 replies to this topic

[RossKnight]

Might want to sit down, this is going to be a long one (that's what he said) oops.

 

But yeh, I'm not good with words, I ramble on a lot, I'll try and keep it brief.

 

Basics..

 

1992 Mini City 998cc Manual

 

The car has been sat for almost a year now undercover at my fathers work. He started it once a week or so, and I think he might of drove it a few times. But for a good few months now, I went to drive it, and the clutch pedal was completely solid, imagine a clutch pedal on Viagra.. there was no getting it down at all.

 

I tried levering the clutch arm on the assembly, nothing.. I then took the slave cylinder off, which was a complete pain in the ass for me, couldn't get a socket on anywhere, no ratchet spanners, so I was stuck moving a spanner about 1mm at a time. But yeh, I got that off, didn't really know what I was doing, I pushed something on the cylinder which made a funny squelch noise which made me laugh, and then I put it back on...

 

I thought I'd have a go at bleeding it, not sure why, but seemed like a logical idea for some reason, undid the nipple, and the pedal went straight down, I got excited, almost did a little love wee, but like most things... it was short lived and I pumped it through a bit, and when the nipple was done up, the pedal is now solid again.

 

All I noticed is that the thing that I've crudely marked out on Microsoft Paint, on someone elses photo

 

 

Is that the arm on mine does not move up freely, it moves about a centimeter at most, and is also not in that position, mine appears to be much lower down. but it's solid, it won't move up.

 

I pushed it into gear, and in all gears, I can still move the car by hand backwards and forwards, so I'm guessing the clutch is stuck on.

 

Also, just to confuse you more, when the engine was running, I pushed it into reverse, again, no using the clutch pedal, and the engine stalled?
Not a vicious stall at all, the engine literally cut out, and had trouble starting it for a few minutes.

 

 

Any help will be massively appreciated

[RossKnight]

Also, I recorded this so you can see what happens when the clutch pedal is pressed.

 

 

I've since tightened up the bottom bolt to stop it moving, but yeh, it won't budge.

[mike.]

I assume when you said you took the slave off and it made a squelching noise, that that was the internal piston moving - Meaning thats not seized.

 

Try spraying some penetrating fluid around the arm and pumping the clutch again, it looks like its the arm that has seized.

 

Try levering the arm against something solid to try and get it moving as well. Once its freed up, you can thoroughly grease everything to keep it free.

[KernowCooper]

Your clutch by the looks of the clutch lever into the alloy casing is most likely siezed where the steel pushrod works inside the alloy housing in todays termination the "Wok" spray some WD40 around the pivot point and into the lower shaft and let it soak in and try and tap the 2 large overthrow nuts with a big copper/nylon hammer.

Edited by KernowCooper, 25 June 2013 - 03:46 PM.

[RossKnight]

I assume when you said you took the slave off and it made a squelching noise, that that was the internal piston moving - Meaning thats not seized.

 

Try spraying some penetrating fluid around the arm and pumping the clutch again, it looks like its the arm that has seized.

 

Try levering the arm against something solid to try and get it moving as well. Once its freed up, you can thoroughly grease everything to keep it free.

Yeh, that's kinda what I assumed when it moved freely, I just assumed it wasn't seized, which is why I put it back on

 

Okay, that's what I thought too, I'll get on that tomorrow, was really hard to lever the arm with my bar, because of the silly plastic air intake on the inner wing, but I'll try again tomorrow.

 

Your clutch by the looks of the clutch lever into the alloy casing is most likely siezed where the steel pushrod works inside the alloy housing in todays termination the "Wok" spray some WD40 around the pivot point and into the lower shaft and let it soak in and try and tap the 2 large overthrow nuts with a big copper/nylon hammer.

 

Brilliant, I'll give that a whirl tomorrow.

 

Thanks to both

[mike.]

Yeah the problem is most likely because its a steel arm, pivoting in an alloy housing. So it corrodes solid very easily if its left to sit for a while. Try and get some proper penetrating oil like Plus gas and soak it in it. Give it some knocks with a mallet and then try levering and pumping the clutch. 

[RossKnight]

Today, I undid the nipple, got my dad to press on the pedal, and it was solid. So I put a bar to the clutch arm, and levered it up, and then he said the pedal went softer, and as he pressed it, the arm moved a bit.

 

But as soon as I took the bar our, the clutch arm slowly went into the same position, and the pedal was solid again.

 

I took the slave cylinder off, and thought the clutch arm would be free now, but it's still stuck solid, I put a bar in, and couldn't move it, WD40 had been soaking on it all morning too.

 

This is how I left it, it still doesn't move..

 

 

I pushed it into all gears again, and it still rolls backwards and forwards

[KernowCooper]

Yes classic case of the clutch metal release bearing shaft that pushes the release bearing has corroded in the alloy housing, soak it in wd 40 and let it stand and keep tapping it with a copper/nylon hammer to shock it, once free keep lubing it and with slave cylinder on work clutch whilst applying lube in the pivot to run down into the shaft, worst case you could end up removing the clutch cover and driving the shaft out, beware though as it will have the clutch diaphram pressure on it!

 

It goes in all the gears because the clutch is fully lifted just as if you had your foot on the clutch pedal full depressed.

Edited by KernowCooper, 26 June 2013 - 02:14 PM.

[RossKnight]

Brilliant, thanks.

 

How much should the arm actually be moving by the way?

[KernowCooper]

It will move upwards approx 2 1/2- 3" measured at the top of the lever where the rod attaches for the slave cylinder (Never measured it?) and there will be a gap appear where the large overthrow nuts are on the end of the shaft and the flat boss on the alloy housing, tapping it will help it free off. hit the 2 large nuts not the casing.

 

You might find something like Plus Gas will work faster than WD40 if its seized solid.

Edited by KernowCooper, 26 June 2013 - 03:32 PM.

[RossKnight]

Oooh, I sort of understand now, so I'm right in thinking that overthrow and locknut bolts on the plunger shaft well move out as the clutch lever/arm travels up?

 

So earlier when I tried to lever the arm free, using the overthrow nut as a fulcrum for my steel bar wasn't very helpful..

[KernowCooper]

Yes mate when the shaft frees off in the alloy housing the gap will appear between the overthrow nuts and the casing keep soaking it is plus gas. wd40 or whatever you use and keep tapping it to shock the siezed shaft, the clutch diaphram presssure is pushing on it as well so once it goes work it forth and back.

[RossKnight]

Almost threw a 6 ft long iron post at the mini just a minute ago

 

stupid thing still won't budge, sprayed **** loads of wd40 on it and will leave it a day or something..

 

 

Might get drastic and borrow a crane for this method.

 

[KernowCooper]

Leaving it soak in is the key, but plus gas will be better if you can get some of that and the shock with the hammer, if it wont move after soaking 24hr+ then its a cover off job strip and drive it out. several here have had the same problem and managed after soaking it to free it off

[RossKnight]

I'll see how the WD40 gets on before I buy some plusgas

 

Ah, I really don't want to be taking the cover off, is it even possible with the engine in?