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MG MGB Technical - Seized Clutch

Hi All,
I haven't driven my MGB for a month or so and the clutch has seized. I have been doing a bit of reading and see that people suggest getting a tow in gear to release the plates. Other sites suggest wedging the pedal down for a couple of days, or leaving the engine run and then Revving/Braking to try and free them up. Any ideas appreciated, would like to know what you think is the best route.
Thanks!
Conor
Conor

Conor - The method that I used was to run the car in neutral until it was warmed up and easy to start, then put it in first gear, keep the clutch pedal depressed and start the car (pointed in a direction I could drive for a good distance - in my case a circular driveway) and alternately accelerate hard and then let off the gas quickly. After about a minute of this abuse, the clutch came unstuck. At that point, I drove the car for a bit while slipping the clutch to clean off any rust on the clutch disk and the flywheel and pressure plate. The first time the problem occurred, the car had been sitting in an open car port for several months in the winter and took a long time (almost a full minute) to break the clutch loose. Turing subsequent repeats of the problem, when the car has been sitting for much shorter periods of disuse, Just backing the car out of the car port using the above method was sufficient to break the clutch loose. Some people put the back of the car on jack stands and do the same thing only using the brake to slow the wheels. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Conor,

I had the same problem with a large truck some years ago. I freed in a manner similar to Dave, except I didn't have the circular drive. I needed to move the truck about 100 miles over two lane back roads. I locked the clutch pedal to the floor with vice grips, and drove it normally, except for shutting it off at stops. It broke free after about 60 miles.

I had the problem with an old farm tractor, and I tried driving/braking it, and I tried the jacking it up technique that Dave details. In the end I had to take that one apart to free it.

Charley
C R Huff

Coner, are you sure the clutch is seized? Have you checked the hydralics? That would be my first guess after such a short time. If in fact the hydralics are working get the car to a large empty parking lot [a school on sunday] put it in 1st gear then start the car
it will buck and jump but if you tickle the gas pedal it will smooth out, drive in large circles with the clutch pedal depressed, vary the speed and keep moving until you can't stand it any more yet keep on moveing around the school it should break loose.Keep us informed. RIC
RIC LLOYD

Conor, I have a hard time believing the clutch has seized after such a short period. As Ric suggests check the hydraulics, ie the slave cylinder and the clutch master cylinder. Don't give the clutch/gearbox a tough time until you thoroughly check that the hydraulics are doing their job. Barc
Barc Cunningham

Thanks for all the advice. Pretty sure that it's the clutch, I'll check the Hydraulics too. Will not get to play with car until Saturday, I'll let you know how I get on! Conor
Conor Murnane

Barc - "I have a hard time believing the clutch has seized after such a short period." I have had clutches rust to the flywheel in as little as two weeks in high humidity situations (open car port in the Puget Sound region of Western Washington state during the winter). While the problem could well be a hydraulic failure (a check of the slave cylinder movement takes just a few minutes and is worth the time), if the problem is in fact a disk rusted to the flywheel, the methods I described above will rectify it very quickly. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

This thread was discussed between 13/10/2008 and 14/10/2008

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