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 MGF Technical - Clutch Failing / Adjustment??

Hi all,

Took the car out to work after two weeks sitting on the drive. Quite difficult to select gear and change gears. Coming home tonight, even worse. The clutch is not fully disengaging. With my foot off the pedal and in any gear there is no slip. With my foot to the floor (clutch) and still moving the revs drop to about half, confirming it is not fully disengaging.

Is there any adjustment? Cable stretching? Something else?

Thanks in advance.
Richard P

Check that the hydraulic fluid resevoir under the bonnet is full. There is no cable to streatch.
Neil Courtney

Richard how old is your F ? Im going somewhere with this trust me.
Ben

Neil,

Checked earlier and it's half full.

Ben,

VVC 97 67000 ish?
Richard P

Its probably your fluid level(fingers crossed)did you spend ages looking for your clutch cable like I did?
If the problem is more serious send me an email for a top tip.
Ben

> VVC 97 67000 ish?

Just an idea.
I remember, there had been a problem with clutch damper at early VVC (early means until late 1999..)

Check archives with keyword GVP901084
Dieter K.

Ben, what's so secret that you can't publish your "top tip" for everyone.
My car had the same problem and I had to replace clutch and slave cylinder .
Andrew Regens

Richard,

the hyraulic level in the master cylinder is not critical. As long as it's about half full it should be OK. Toping up the level will do nothing to fix your problem.

What you need to check is if there is air in the clutch system.
When you depress the clutch pedal only a slight amount of fluid is actually used to pressure up the system.
The air in the hydraulic system will compress with ease and so the slave piston will not travel much and so the clutch arm will not move much as well.
Result = clutch does not disenguage.

You need to bleed the clutch system of air.

I have the instructions from my workshop manual if you need.

cheers,
Branko.
Branko

Thanx for the comments guys. Just about drove it into work again, now it won't disengage at all. So over 3 x 18 miles it's gone from hard to impossible. Dropping it to my garage for bleeding and a check, hopefully I will know some more by lunch. Have taken these comments and the archive comments with me.

Ben,
You email!
Richard P

Just had the garage on the phone, leaking master AND slave units! :(

Oh well, it could have been a lot worse!

Thanks again everybody
Richard P

Richard,

Yes, thats actually good news compared to being told you need to replace the clutch components.
(I recently replaced mine and it was a bit of work indeed.)

Some places will just replace the seals.

Some other places will "hone" out the clutch master/slave cylinders and put in new seals.

But some will order new master/slave units.

(All will bleed the system after they are done.)

It would be interesting to see which way they go with this.

Good Luck.
Branko.


Branko

Im glad it was nothing serious, I asked you to email me as I dont know your Email address.
I was going to suggest that you got an AA PLC ( parts and labour cover)policy. Its only £50/£100 for a years cover and it covers you for £500/£1000 worth of work. If your clutch had gone it would cost you around £500 to be fixed, but only £50+£25 excess if you bought AA PLC.
Cheers Ben.
Ben

Just got her back.

New master and slave units. £160 all in, not too bad.

Thanks again.

Richard P

This thread was discussed between 29/03/2005 and 31/03/2005

MG MGF Technical index

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