Clutch Weirdness

[leedsj]

My +2S 5 speed clutch went hard coming out a turn yesterday- now firm as can be. Weird thing is still managed to match the revs and get into 3rd to return the couple miles home. Any ideas?Doesn't seem like normal clutch failure?

[alaric]

Hi. If the engine's still engaged my guess is the actuating lever in the bell housing is bent or has come away from its mountings. If not then a fluid blockage but it doesn't sound like that does it. If you can push the slave cylinder pushrod back into the slave cylinder then the master and slave are prob fine I would suggest. I have a number of pics of the internals of the bell housing if of any use.

Sean.

[peterako]

Two other thoughts....(from experience).

1. If you can still disengage the clutch with the pedal and pedal is disengaging right from the start of it's travel, check that the return spring is still on the slave cylinder.
2. If the clutch is just not disengaging....check that it has not become oil soaked , this can happen when the rear crank or sump seals fail. You'll also see a bit/pool? of oil under the bell housing.

First is easily fixed (new spring or re-attach spring.

Second...engine out

Best of luck,
Peter

[rgh0]

If the clutch takes a lot of force to operate and does not disengage on maximum possible pedal travel then you may have had something break such as a pressure plate finger or a clutch plate spring and the broken piece is jammed in between the pressure plate and its housing so it cant easily move.

cheers
Rohan

[leedsj]

If the clutch takes a lot of force to operate and does not disengage on maximum possible pedal travel then you may have had something break such as a pressure plate finger or a clutch plate spring and the broken piece is jammed in between the pressure plate and its housing so it cant easily move.

cheers
Rohan

All sound plausible. I've loosened the nut holding the copper piping to the clutch fluid reservoir and that freed up the pedal (spewing clutch fluid about, obviously!) so it is certainly at the plate / clutch end of things. Broken pressure plate diaphragm spring fingers sound like a sensible diagnostic. Is this a replacement of the entire pressure plate? I've not been 'in' the clutch mechanism yet, so a bit weary - and don't know what it SHOULD look like, other than what is detailed in the workshop manual

Is it going to be an engine / gearbox out job to replace? I'm wondering whether it's time to pop my clutch virginity, or tow it down to the garage...

james

[paddy]

Unless it is obvious what the problem is from looking externally at the slave cylinder/clutch fork, it'll require the engine and/or gearbox to come out.

If the pressure plate is damaged, I think it would be pretty obvious because it will look asymmetrical somehow, especially if, say, one of the fingers was dislodged.

The pressure plate is not repairable, so if there is any problem with it, just replace it, together with the clutch plate itself and release bearing.

The flywheel is unlikely to be a problem, assuming the clutch was working fine before it broke, but check it for run-out and scoring as a matter of course.

Paddy