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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Rover v8 clutch problem

Dear MGB V8 experts, please can i ask for you advice on the following problem:

My MGB V8 (3.9 Rover coupled with a LT77 gearbox) had not been used for several months. A week ago I went to go and see how it ran and get a new MOT on it to use it for this summer. It started up first time but I found that the clutch pedal had excessive movement (air in system?). I bled the slave and all seemed fine until when testing the clutch (engine not running, pumping clutch pedal), I lost all pressure. Upon examination, after removing the dust shield and clutch slave I found that the clutch push rod had come out of the end of the slave (excessive travel). Further examination showed that the reason for the excessive push rod travel was that the clutch actuating arm/fork was at an unusual angle and had come off of its pivot. I was going to try and fiddle with this through the small access under the dust cover to get it back on when I noticed one of the fork pads (that push on the release bearing), loose in the bottom of the bell housing. I guess it had slipped off when the fork was dislodged.

Does anyone have any experience of a similar problem or if they think I can fiddle with it to get the pad back on without having to remove the engine and gearbox from the car, something I really do not want to do? Or if you think the problem is more serious needinf new cluth parts?

Thanks

Richard
R Weston

The clutch *pedal* can't have excessive movement as it is always supposed to go to the floor, unlike the brake ... unless for some reason when it is released the pedal pad is higher than it should be.

If there is a mechanical problem at the slave end in the linkages then you may well be able to push the piston out of the end of the slave with successive pumps, as you seem to have done. Quite honestly I think you would be better off taking the engine out (you can leave the gearbox in) and making sure everything is put back together as it should be, replacing any broken or missing parts, rather than trying to fiddle it through the release arm hole.
Paul Hunt


Thanks Paul, that is what I thought I should do but just wanted to check before the pain of taking the engine out.

The engine and gearbox are both out now (only missed 1 wire!) and new clutch parts ordered from Rimmers for fitting over Easter
R Weston

This thread was discussed between 03/04/2009 and 06/04/2009

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