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MG MGA - Stuck Clutch

It seems my clutch might be stuck to the flywheel. But how do I know that my master clyinder is not working properly or the clutch is actually stuck? If the master clyinder has given up and I try and treat the problem as a stuck clutch I'm afraid to do damage. I dicovered this problem after I sotred my car for the season.
Lawrence

Hey Lawrence
This is just a guess. Have someone apply the clutch while you gently rock the car fore and aft. When this happened to my old BMW I had to drop the tranny and clutch out. Good luck. Mark
MLS Somers

Lawrence - Have a helper depress the clutch pedal while watching the slave cylinder/throw out fork. If you get about 1/2 - 3/4 inch movement of the fork, then the master and slave cylinders are good. Warm the engine up so it starts easily, shut the engine down, engage first or reverse as needed and with the clutch pedal depressed start the engine. drive the car, accelerating and decelerating hard, the stuck clutch plate will soon break free. An alternative is to put the rear axle on jack stands and start the engine with first gear engaged, reve the engine up witht he clutch pedal depressed and hit the brakes hard, release, hit the brakes again, release, etc.
Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

David's advice to free the plate is pretty good. You ought to be able to tell if the hydraulic system is working correctly by watching the slave as described by Mark, or a pretty good indication is by the feel of the pedal. If the hydraulics are not working it should feel pretty light.
Bob (robert)

Thanks for the advise just as soon as it warms up a bit I'm going to get after this problem.
lawrence

Hi Lawrence. "when it warms up a bit." You must mean July then. ;-) lol Glenn in Ontario, Canada
Glenn

Lawrence,

David has left a vital piece of information away from his otherwise perfect advise.
Make sure you have an open road in front of you when you start the engine in first gear.
Otherwise a splendid idea which I employed myself many times. It works.

Cheers,Bas
Bas

Bas - Either open road or, in my case with our Magnette, a circular driveway, after first reversing out of the garage. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Lawrence, I've had stuck clutches that I broke loose in a different way. First as the others said, make sure your slave cylinder is working then jack the rear of the car up and sit on secure stands. Make sure no one is in front of the car. Start the car, in gear, with the clutch pedal depressed. Accelerate to about 2500 - 3000 revs then stomp on the brake pedal. Sometimes it takes a few tries but, they always come loose. I know this sounds barbaric but, it works.
Good luck, John
john

This thread was discussed between 13/02/2005 and 18/02/2005

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