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MG MGB Technical - Loose Clutch Release Plate

Hi, have experienced clutch pedal judder when clutch bites. Have engine out for other things so made a note to look. Suspected clutch release bearing or spigot bearing. Both will be changed, but the ring on the cover plate (manual calls it a release plate) where the clutch release bearing contacts is loose in the cover and shows marks in line with 'chattering' - so my question - does anyone know if this plate should be rigidly fixed or loose? The clutch is only 1k miles old. Can't remember make but will disassemble tomorrow.

Many thanks Andrew
Andrew Walton

Hello Andrew, can you tell us what was the make of the replacement clutch kit. Did the clutch judder straight away when it was replaced. There are some poor quality clutch available, I would always use Borg & Beck.

regards John
john wright

Someone on the midget BBS recently had vibration with a new B&B clutch.

They had it balanced and it came back with a lot of holes drilled in it, as it was obviously a long way out.

He did post a photo of it, but had to remove it as the suppliers were threatening legal action!
Dave O'Neill 2

I can't remember the details but someone somewhere posted something (OK, not a lot of help ...) recently along similar lines. If the release plate was loose that could account for juddering, but then juddering could equally have caused the parts to move relative to each other and leave witness marks. I found after a new clutch I got judder during low rpm manouvering compared to before, slightly higher rpms didn't do it so that is what I use. Others have said it's higher rpms that causes it. These cars are all different now, so you have to find what works best for you.
Paul Hunt

Thanks all,

Remove cover plate and it is a Borg & Beck. Witness chatter marks, loose release plate, release plate not square to fingers. Starts of cracks in release plate. SO - bought a new cover plate.Will also replace release bearing. Hope all is quiet now !!!

Engine to go back in tomorrow.

Assume cover plate should be balanced and so can go on any of the 3 ways to align pins and bolts??
Andrew Walton

"Assume cover plate should be balanced "

It 'should' be. Whether it is, or not, is another matter.
Dave O'Neill 2

A nice problem you get these days is the release bearings are made slightly too wide for the U on the fork. Even if it goes in, they're often very tight resulting in the parts binding when they expand due to heat. Once they've expanded they can get 'set' slightly off true and you get uneven pressure on the plate. Juddering, squealing, binding, ruins the cover and the pressure plate in very few miles.

If the bearing (plus its retaining clips) are tight in the U of the release fork, remove the fork and file off the sides of the U to make the fit nice and free to move. Loose, but not too floppy (might rattle).
Roadwarrior

This thread was discussed between 05/03/2015 and 06/03/2015

MG MGB Technical index

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