clutch setup question

[Chrisrich]

I'm looking at the illustration in the manual showing the clutch slave pushrod adjuster set pretty close to the middle of the rod. On my car, I'm all the way at the end.

Can I assume this geometry is a result of worn clutch plates, and that I've got a clutch replacement job headed my way? If I back off the adjuster, I lose clutch actuation pretty darn fast. The clutch is the only thing I've not updated since I bought the car 3 years ago. I have no idea how long its been in the car.

Chris

[Jason1]

Hi

No replies so I will put in my opinion, others may disagree.

The adjustment will account for any wear from the slave cylinder to the friction plate so the position of the nut along the adjuster does not necessary mean that the friction plate is almost worn out. For example there could be wear in the release arm where the push rod sits or the rod or arm could be slightly bent or the release bearing face worn? If you look at a new friction plate and compare it to a worn out one there is not a huge difference, try measuring the friction material from the top of the rivet to the friction face, it is not very much.

So no need to panic

Jason

[ill_will]

Could the actuator arm be bent? Just a thought...

Good luck,

will

[cbguerrajr]

i recently installed a new clutch disk, release bearing, slave cylinder, master cylinder, hydarulic line.
the actuator arm appeard to be ok, so was not replaced.
i'm having the exact same problems as you, i'm at the very end of the adjustment and the clutch barely releases.
initially i though it was air in the system, went crazy trying to bleed it a hundred times.
now i'm considering trying to get a longer (adjustable?)pushrod. i think dave bean sells them.
peter egan had a funny artice on road&track about this very thing and his elan project. it's possible that there are small differences in the slave cylinders...
cg

[Chrisrich]

Will, I don't believe the actuator arm is bent, but I guess this could be a possibility.

CG, I think the question has to be: how much movement are we getting at the pushrod? I'm only getting a hair over 1/4". Jon mentioned he thought it should be closer to a full inch. If I had 1/2", I'd be in great shape. I'd be curious to know where you're at.

I ordered an aeroquip line for the master/slave connection that will come today.

[SADLOTUS]

I've had my car 30 years and had two or three clutches in that time. The rod has always been at the end or near the end of its thread in all that time. Never been any prob.

....just my 10cents

[oldelanman]

CG, I think the question has to be: how much movement are we getting at the pushrod? I'm only getting a hair over 1/4". Jon mentioned he thought it should be closer to a full inch. If I had 1/2", I'd be in great shape. I'd be curious to know where you're at.

Hi Chris,
My adjuster nut is bang in the middle of the pushrod thread and I have a total travel of 17mm. I calculate the max possible travel, in my car at least, is around 19mm.

With no carpet fitted I have a total clutch pedal travel of 115mm to the point where it hits the floor. 9mm is used to take up the master cylinder pushrod clearance so total usable travel is 106mm. Clutch pedal ratio is 4:1 so max master cylinder piston travel is 26.5mm.
Hydraulic ratio is 0.714 so max possible slave cylinder piston travel is around 19mm. Assuming the clearance has been set correctly 2mm of this travel will be used before the clutch starts to release.

If you have carpet and underfelt fitted and/or air in the system the slave cylinder pushrod travel will be reduced.

Regards,

[cbguerrajr]

hi chris,
my pushrod travels about 1", but only the last micron of travel starts disengaging the clutch, that's why i'm thinking of a longer pushrod...
you may have air in the line; it's not easy to bleed effectively. to do it by myself, i hooked up a hose at the bleeding nipple and made that hose go UP and then into a can or bottle. that worked for me.
getting your elan ready for the first caffeine and carburetors?
CG (carlos )

[Chrisrich]

Carlos, I had a feeling that was you....

You're getting an inch of travel? Is your adjuster already out at the end?
That sounds interesting....

[Chrisrich]

Success.
I replace the red nylon line with one from Aeroquip (RD Enterprises supplied).
I also swapped the input/bleeder lines, so I could get a better angle on the bleeder, and raised it slightly above the input.
Did the bleeding with the holder above the reservoir.
Then pumped 60 or 80 times, and have a nice strong pedal.
I can't measure the movement of the pushrod (no kids around today). The friction point seems to come on right around mid-throw on the foot pedal, not right off the floor, as it was.
Perhaps a pinhole in the nylon line? Poor bleeding job? Not sure.

What a great car.

[billwill]

Just air in the system I expect. You would REALLY know if there was a pinhole at those pressures.