MG-Cars.net

Welcome to our resource for MG Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Midget cluch problem

Hi Guys

Came to get my MG midget back on the road for summer after its winter rest and....

Get in, start her up and pressed the clutch peddle to the floor and it stayed there....

Checked over and found the slave cylinder p...ing fluid out. Replaced it, flexi hose and as the master cylinder looked as in bad condition as the slave, replaced that too. Fill up with new fluid and bleed.....

Good peddle but no clutch - looked like the slave not moving the fork on the gear box enough, or had i got a stuck clutch.....

jack up off its rear wheels and start in gear and clutch peddle to the floor and brakes hard on but no joy.....

back to the hydraulics - re-bleed and yet more air....

This time its sorted.... No its not. Re-bleed again and yet again more air??? No leaks !!!!

Question.... is it possible to have a leak on the hydraulics without it leaking. I.E maybe air been draw into the system every time you press the peddle?

Its driving me mad. Help appreciated.

Many Thanks David
d scaife

David. As has been mentioned on this BBS before, Midget clutches can be difficult to bleed, so disconnect the slave cylinder piston from the fork and push it all the way into the cylinder and secure it with some strong wire before you bleed it, otherwise you won't get all the air out. If your budget will run to an Eezibleed they are very good for this type of problem.

Bernie.
b higginson

Hi Bernie

Thanks for that, i have an Eezibleed system, but some times fine better the old way.

Anyway is it best the leave the slave in situ and strap back the piston or drop the slave off its mounts? Or could this lead to more air?

Thanks David
d scaife

In situ should be fine.
Dave O'Neill 2

If you still have the stock set up...remember that long line of tubing running under the battry is a place where air likes to hide out, maybe jack up the side of the car where the master sits that way you can create a more sloped angle instead of a flat area for the air to sit and collect at the top of


but thats probably more so for the american cars

prop
Prop

Prop we don't have that pipe arrangement because our pedals are on the correct side of the car ;-)
David Smith

Back again and thanks for all help, but still no joy.

I have tried back the piston and re-bleed using the manual system, easybleed and also the draper vacuum system and put through the system now 4L of fresh not re-used fluid and can not get rid of the air. it just keeps coming through with the fluid all the time!

Again back to my original question last night - can air be draw in as am bleeding due to a leak, but no fluid leak? All is dry and no visible signs of a fluid leak or level drop?

It would appear to me that some how air is been introduced?

Help please
d scaife

I did this today with my clutch. I used the ez-bleed. Hooked it to the slave cylinder bleeder and just pulled all (vaccuum) of the air and then fluid out easily. While the vacuum was applied I helped it along by gently pushing up and down the pedal (and watch the fluid reservoir and keep adding it before it gets to the bottom).

This worked perfectly.

Too bad I have not had such luck with my brakes (see other thread).

Rebecca
R Harvey

Hi David

I owned a sunbeam alpine coupe years ago, it had been still for a few years and the clutch was stuck solid, it had a good pedal too but it crunched terribly and i couldn't get it in gear so i got my dasd to bring his car and tow me, i had removed the lt wires from the coil so that it didn't start up, i put it in 3rd gear and kept depressing the pedal and releasing, it came free and was fine when i reinstated the coil wires!!

John..

PS, i also had a mk4 Cortinma that was parked on my drive for a few years, each time i started it the clutch was siezed, i used to rev it up and as the revs dropped i used to ram it into third, this worked successfully three times, on the fourth it killed the gearbox!!!
j b biggs

To answer your question, air can certainly be drawn in without necessarily having a fluid leak. The culprit with symptoms like this is usually the secondary seal on the master cylinder. However, I note you have renewed the master cylinder, and if you are not pumping with the pedal then this is unlikely to be the source.



Paul Walbran

In the past someone in these pages mentioned that the master cylinder can trap air even after bleeding. They suggested bench bleeding the master cylinder.

I used a length of the old ridgid tube curled back into the reservoir (put the open end of the tube under the fluid)clamp it in your work bench and pump back and fourth 10, 100, 1000 times.

I have no idea if this is realy required but it was no bother.
T Wainwright

If you can get an assistant try slightly slackening the pipe union at the master cylinder end, then wrap rag round it to catch fluid and get assistant to depress pedal and hold it down while you tighten the union again. Then try bleeding normally. I have known this to work in the past on both brakes and clutch when new master cylinders have been fitted especially if there are tight bends in the pipe near the master cylinder which is often the case.

Trev
T Mason

Hi

did my clutch a couple of years ago tried and tried to it the manual way with no luck bought an eze bleed system and 5 minutes later clutch working normally.

Stuart
Stuart Atkinson

I remember being told an old trick was to have the new fluid feed from as high as possible

Lay ups usually cause problems so driving the car regularly will keep it in better condition and find faults faster - some of the best driving days are in the winter
N Atkins

This thread was discussed between 29/05/2010 and 04/06/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.