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MG MGB Technical - Bleeding of clutch


I recently submitted a thread about my clutch engaging just off the floor, and wondered how to bring it up a couple of inches. Someone responded that if the clutch might needed to be bled. How is this done? I'm hoping this will eliminate the grinding going into 2nd and 3rd gear. Also down shifting from 4th to 3rd, and 3rd to 2nd. I can shift from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd without grinding, occasionally. Help me. Thanks,------Phil Oh, I have a 78b.
Phil

Phil:

There's a bleed nipple on the clutch slave cylinder. Bleed the system like you would the brakes. Also verify the condition of your clutch master and slave cylinders. I had the same problem - turned out that the diaphragm spring on the clutch collapsed.

Hope you have a happier ending...

RMcD
Rodney McDonald

Before you do any work you may want to crawl under the car with a ruler and measure the amount of slave travel as someone else pushes the clutch pedal. The distance should be one half inch. If less it could be air in the system that needs to be bled or it could be, as someone else suggested, worn linkages. The linkages can be checked from under the hood of your ’78 by removing the screws that hold the cover plate on the bracket for the clutch and brake master cylinders. The other place is the connection of the clutch fork sticking out from the transmission and the rod from the clutch slave cylinder. After looking at these you will see how too much play would allow your pedal to be too close to the floor before the hydraulics come into play.

To expand on Rodney’s reply, the usual procedure is to have someone pump the pedal a few times then hold it down and tell the other person under the car so he can crack open the bleeder screw. The bleeder must be closed again before the pedal operator releases the clutch pedal. This process must be repeated several times and the master cylinder must not be allowed to run dry or the whole process will have to be repeated.
George Champion

This thread was discussed on 15/05/2002

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