13 replies to this topic

[Danny-T]

Have just got my 92 Cooper started after being out of action for best part of 4 years.

Unfortunately, the clutch pedal is locked solid and I can't depress it at all. I've not looked at anything further than the fact the pedal wont move (been too busy fighting rust and other ailments!) but if anyone can suggest order of things to check that would be very much appreciated.

Many Thanks!

[mini_kel]

Have just got my 92 Cooper started after being out of action for best part of 4 years.

Unfortunately, the clutch pedal is locked solid and I can't depress it at all. I've not looked at anything further than the fact the pedal wont move (been too busy fighting rust and other ailments!) but if anyone can suggest order of things to check that would be very much appreciated.

Many Thanks!

Give all the moving components a spray with WD40 leave for an hour or so and try again,Once depressed it might ruin the seals in the master cylinder and/or slave cylinder u will have to inspect them to see if there are any leaks.

[Jammy]

Sounds like the clutch plunger is stuck, quite a common problem with engines that have been laid up a while. Try and lever it free.

[insamoufonyx]

all rusted up i expect, spray everything to do with it in wd40 but but not the clutch plates then slam the pedal down as hard as you can, will probably be a loud cracking noise when you do it, thats a good noise meaning what ever was ceased has come free and all the rust broken off

thats my guesse anyway

[jayare]

Try unbolting the clutch slave cylinder from the mounting bracket & see if the hydraulics work by gently pressing the pedal - remember there's shouldn't be any resistance to the slave cylinder so go easy or you'll push the piston in the slave too far. If the hydraulics are all working then it could be the lever arm and plunger seized or it could be the clutch plate stuck on the primary gear splines. You might be able to free it off with WD40 & brute force but a better way would be to remove the clutch cover, take the arm and plunger out (not as easy as it sounds!), check all the parts for wear, replacing as required - probably worth replacing the clutch arm pivot pin and the clutch release bearing while it's out. Lubricate well with copper grease, reassemble and refit.

JR

[Broomer]

all rusted up i expect, spray everything to do with it in wd40 but but not the clutch plates then slam the pedal down as hard as you can, will probably be a loud cracking noise when you do it, thats a good noise meaning what ever was ceased has come free and all the rust broken off

thats my guesse anyway

dont slam on the pedal you fool, seen it done on a landrover once and the piston from the slave cylinder came flying out of the bell housing.

[syholl]

As mentioned above by Jammy, its quite common for the plunger mechanism to get stuck in. The clutch pedal returns to the top anyway, resulting in a rock hard pedal, as you are trying to push in something that is already fully engaged.

Slamming down on the pedal as hard as you can is a very bad idea, and will result in the weakest point breaking. This may be the clutch master or slave cylinder, or you may even bend the clutch pedal, as i once did....!!!

[taffy1967]

Pressing down as hard as you can on the clutch pedal will probably just move the pedal out of alignment and little else.

Spraying a bit of WD40 at the slave cylinder arm and then gently tapping the arm from the left to the right with a hammer should get things working again. Here's a picture of the slave cylinder that probably needs the attention and the arm that requires tapping to the right: -



My Mini was laid up for the best part of 3 years and I was lucky that my clutch still worked. Yet my niece once left her Mini for a few weeks whilst she went on holiday and that jammed up after a mere few days!

Edited by taffy1967, 20 October 2007 - 12:11 PM.

[Danny-T]

Thanks for all the suggestions, will take a look at tomorrow and report back

[Ethel]

The absence of a gap between the clutch cover and throw out stop nut would indicate if the clutch is seized while depressed - not very likely.

[megla_mini]

I had a similiar issue, I drowned the plunger and arm in wd40 left it for a while (had a nice cup of tea) and then using a crow bar managed to wiggle the arm up and down. worked a treat. once it has become unstuck (im well good at the technical language) grease the plunger. Mine now works a treat.

[Sprocket]

The absence of a gap between the clutch cover and throw out stop nut would indicate if the clutch is seized while depressed - not very likely.

Actualy VERY likely!! See picture above

This is the reason the clutch pedal has gone hard, the slave cylinder has not returned but the master has, pressing the clutch pedal again causes more fluid to be pushed into a slave cylinder that can no longer move, so the pedl then goes hard.

Get a big lever, and lever the top of the clutch arm towards the engine, then give the gap between the big nut and the housing a good oiling. Job done!!

[syholl]

Yep, it is VERY likely.... I've seen this on quite a few occasions.

My sisters MPi Mini has done it on at least 4 occasions. The first couple of times we just sprayed some WD40 down there and released it with a long bar. (it isn't easy to access on an MPi as the ECU is in the way) The WD40 works for a while, but will eventually wash away, causing it to happen again, so make sure you get some decent grease in there once its free...

[Jammy]

I'm sure there is a specific grease you should use on the clutch plunger, one that will burn off if it works its way on to the clutch friction plates.