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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Clutch slave modification

I am about to fix the clutch slave cylinder back on my car, and knowing what a pain the top bolt can be was wondering if anyone has actually cut the slot out for the top bolt mounting. If so, has it caused any problems? i.e weakening the body, not holding tight etc.
Cheers.
B Slater


I think MOST people here have done that particular mod! the real mystery is why they come out of the factory without the hole slotted.

Also, shorten the bolt and put a dog point on it. Will make your life easier.

The only more irritating bolt I ever came across was the one on the bottom of the mini radiator. a pain every single time. And of course on the Mini, the rad was in and out all the time...

so, in summary. Do it, you won't regret it.
MarkH1

got to agree with mark....I would add, bring a pillow because once you get that done, you still got to sit on top of your head with your neck cocked 90 degrees cramed agianst the floor and the seat trying to bleed the stupid thing

No experiance with the mini bolt, But I do have experiance putting the window regulator and door latch mechanisim back into the door panal with those tiny screws....(shudder the thought)


Prop
Prop***The End in 2012

Make bleeding easier by putting a remote bleed on the cylinder.
A rear brake flexible hose is the right length although you can use a copper brake pipe. Screw this in to the bleed nipple hole on the slave. At t' other end fit a rear axle brass three way union. Blank off one part of the union with bolt and washer and place bleed nipple in remaining hole. Attach to a bracket fixed to the top bellhousing bolts. Now you can bleed from under the bonnet in close proximity to the master cylinder. No more squeezing into restricted footwells or being a contortionist under the car. If using an easibleed dont have the tyre, that you connect it to, pressure too high.
Alan.
Alan Anstead

Can't it be bled before it's fitted? Hold it in your hand under the car with the bleed nipple uppermost, get someone to operate the pedal, and fit it to the bell housing once you know it's air free.

I've not done this on a spridget, but I have done it on a discovery and it worked a treat.

Ant
Ant Allen

If you don't want to spend the £20 making a remote bleeder the job becomes easier if you make the hole in the footwell larger. You can make a big hole and fix a steel plate over it with self tapping screws. Alternatively, you can improve access by.....

http://www.spritespot.com/gallery/view_photo.php?set_albumName=toomanyspridgets&id=ebay3

I've used all 3 methods. Thinkautomotive sell the necessary parts to make an 18 inch long braided hose with aeroquip ends that can be fed into the engine bay or into the footwell by the pedals. One end has a flat and takes a washer whilst the other has a bleed nipple like the thin ones on the rear slave cylinders.
rob multi-sheds thomas

£20 making a remote bleeder?

I spent £2.25 on part number BCA4002 from Leacey's (connector - brake pipe) and with a handy unused length of copper pipe made this

replaced directly the bleed nipple with the pipe and added the bleed nipple into the said connector at the top

perhaps I'm cheating by using bits and bobs I have hanging around...


Bill sdgpm

I retained the remote bleeder when I fitted the concentric clutch set-up, and it can be seen in the final layout here


Bill sdgpm

Bill,

Excuse my ignorance. Am I correct in thinking you've used the following:

- UNC brake pipe fitting into the clutch slave
- Length of brake pipe (flared at either end)
- A back-to-back cnnector
- Another UNC on the pipe into one side of the connector
- A bleed nipple (the original?) in the top of the connector
- A fabricated bracket from the connector onto a bellhousing bolt.

Most of that I have in stock :o)

Ant
Ant Allen

perzzackerley what I used!

As I say I only bought the connector specially, the bleed nipple fits the connector and the bracket was a bit of bent steel. Might have been made from the bendy tin strips with holes in that come with every car radio, to brace the back of the set

so so easy to bleed the thing now

just like it says on the tin...or would if I sold them, perhaps I should!

(but the concentric cluch slave contributes to that too)
Bill sdgpm

What's concentric about your clutch slave?
Ant Allen

This is!

Saab Clutch slave inside the bellhousing of my type 9 greabox


Bill sdgpm

Ant,
If you look at Bill's photo you will see that the lines go inside the bell housing to the slave, which lives in there and is concentric around the gearbox input shaft.
Similar to mine:

Guy


Guy Weller

And for our next double act ...Tarrah


Guy Weller

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobyanscombe/3225179706/

or

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobyanscombe/3225179888/

Toby Anscombe

Ah ok. I managed to miss the leap to the 5 speed world. One minute I had a slave cylinder on my screen, and the next, there it was, gone!

Ant Allen

call me stupid but what does a concentric clutch system give you?
Rob McGeown

I was just about to ask the same thing Rob.
Glyn '72 midget

Bill,
My release is a simple push on fit and doesn't seem that secure. Is that correct? Thanks.
John Collinson

Here's mine btw - lovely colour coordinated hoses but the fiffings themsenves are too long and foul on the bellhousing so it won't fit! Change of fittings coming up, either that or another hole in the bellhousing.


John Collinson

It removes the clutch fork and mechanisms (wear), gives a smoother operation (apart from Bills!) with less effort and mitigates any bearing wear that occurs.
Toby Anscombe

So...I dont get it...
Rob McGeown

Right - dodgy clutch fork mech can cause issues with not releasing the clutch properly due to lack of movement.

Smoother operation - CSC is pure hydraulic rather than a mix of hydraulic and mechanical so it should be an easier and smoother pedal.

Clutch fork has a limited amount of travel, if the bearing wears too much then there might not be enough travel to disengage the clutch. CSC is almost self adjusting in nature - the fingers of the diaphram will push the CSC back as far as it needs to go to release, hence less movement is required.

Toby Anscombe

I think I get it now...

The standard leaver exerts an accentric load on the bearings whereas a concentric slave cylinder exerts an even load. It also removes the wobbley linkages.

Bill, which Saab is yours from?
Glyn '72 midget

Rob,
Fewer parts to wear and/or break. Roller release. self-retracting.
David "what's not to like?" Lieb
David Lieb

OTOH, it might be real interesting to rebuild...
David "what Saab?" Lieb
David Lieb

SAAB900

but the 9000 is similar

John the roller release on mine is a weird "push on not very secure feeling" doodah

but why not, where can it go?

the one on my poor old 9000 (now gone for crushing dammit) was 179,000 miles old

If those colour co-ordinated things offend you, get rid!

So to paraphrase what Glyn says not only does the fork operating system operate eccentrically it also breaks diaphragms when in use on Spridgets, due I think to the geometry involved in using the short throw BMC fork

Ford forks have the bearing mounted on a spring loaded doodah that allows the bearing to remain generally more central in use

As the BMC fork moves in its "arc of travel" it travels across the diaphragm fingers and exerts offcentre pressure on them. Mine broke two diaphragms in service, one within two months of fitting.

So I changed it for CSC.

David L, very easy to rebuild the inner portion has a rubber "O" ring to seal it. Thus one moving part and one single seal, something like an uncomplicated disc piston

And the release bearing just clips on to the moveable inner, with a bellows to seal dust out.


Bill sdgpm

And, for some reason mine bleeds by gravity, or syphoning or magic. Apart from the very first time when I used an easibleed to make sure that the slave was filling properly. Now I simply open the bonnet. crack open the bleed nipple and allow some fluid to run through and retighten. That's it. I don't even need an AA to press the clutch pedal!
Guy Weller

I'm about to make a remote bleeder for my midget. I was thinking of placing it at the base of the shift lever so I could sit in the driver's seat to bleed the clutch. Anyone foresee probs with this?
Mike Allen

brake fluid splooshing around inside the cockpit.

you know how it is, the rubber hose drops right off the nipple as you are loosening/tightening the thing.

Fluid on carpet seems to be capable of damaging the pile, whenever I've had leaksdown out of the pedal box.
Bill sdgpm

This thread was discussed between 12/02/2009 and 13/02/2009

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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