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 MGA - clutch replacement

My mga clutch disc is worn out but not down to the rivets. The pressure plate looks good. Do I need to replace the clutch or can I get away with replacing the disc only?
Fred H

I would recommend that you replace everything (i.e. pressure plate disc and release bearing). Rebuilding with part worn (even if good looking) components only means less miles before you have to pull the engine again!

Neil McGurk

Hello Fred, I just changed the friction plate when I did mine, works fine but I have only done about 2,500 miles since! It does seem to be common practice to change both parts regardless, but maybe that is weighing the cost of the cover unit against labour costs that would be incurred if the unit were to fail prematurely. If you do your own work and are prepared to take that chance I see no reason for not re-using the existing cover unit providing it was working ok beforehand, and has no broken springs or wear in the levers and the pressure and release bearing plates are smooth with no scoring. I would, however, always change the clutch release bearing as a matter of course. Just my opinion, maybe others will disagree!
Lindsay.
P.S. I like working on the MGA anyway!
Lindsay Sampford

I have just changed the clutch plate, pressure plate, thrust bearing, spigot bearing bush, release arm bush and linkage pins (the works) along with an overhauled g'box.

I found an interesting thing when I took my old pressure plate and another spare (a friend lent me) to the clutch specialist for overhaul. All pressure plates are not the same - both were Borg and Beck (Leamington Spa) but one had thicker clutch levers than the other - thicker material and slightly wider. Clutch shop recommended using the stronger levers as thinner units have been known to break so they said.
Has anyone any comment on this? I didn't see any mention on Barney's site about this - maybe it is only an Australian upgrade (we need stronger stuff when you are down under!)

Regards
Mike
Mike Ellsmore

The face of the pressure plate where it touches the disc is subject to wear, heat distortion and hot spots even more than the flywheel surface. You can resurface a flywheel but a pressure plate would need rebuilt. To not change all 4 pieces is just false economy. Do it once, do it right or do it again. As Mike states there are even more parts to change than the 4 normally considered. The bolt and bushing the arm pivots on wear a lot also and are inside the bell housing. If it wears and requires pulling the engine out DO IT now!!
R J Brown

Mike

I once received a cover with the thicker levers - they rubbed against the release arm when the clutch was fully depressed. Took a lot of figuring out as to what was causing it (it effectively seemed to be overthrowing the clutch)
dominic clancy

This thread was discussed between 07/07/2009 and 08/07/2009

MG MGA index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.