CLUTCH PROBLEMS

[griffonmark]

My magnum based kitcar has got clutch problems. It was seized solid when I got it, had the cable welded when used as an earth, and had to be pushed through the floor to get a gear. The chap who started building it bodged quite a few things so I thought I'd change the whole lot. What a crappy job. I'm obviously a lot weaker than when I was 18 and used to change these things in an hour but I didn't reckon on it taking a whole day! Anyway, its in now and although the problem is much improved I don't thinks it's right. The pedal has to go to an inch off the floor before the plates seperate. I seem to remember on my old vivas the pedal being level with the brake. I've fitted the correct Borg & Beck complete clutch kit with cable. If I adjust the clutch to raise the pedal it slips. I did notice the clutch pedal is a bit bent and battered, could this be the problem? If so, anyone got an unbattered pedal?

[droopsnoot]

Almost certainly the pedal is causing this. I had a lot of trouble with the clutch on my HPF (which is a lot heavier to start with) which came about because of a cable problem. If it doesn't knacker the pedal, then it goes for the pedal box, or both. I did find a new pedal but it got bent.

Best thing to do is to straighten out the pedal, then make it into a box section by having a plate welded across the open side. Also make sure the pedal box is up to it - I welded a 2mm thick plate on the left side of mine to stop the axle hole spreading. Finally make sure the cable won't pull through the bulkhead - mine has a spreader plate there so that the outer pulls against the plate which spreads the load, rather than the flimsy 'ear' that sticks out of the pedal box itself. New pedal bushes help, too, mine are plastic from the DSG spares guy but others have turned them out of brass or something similar.

[lambaj]

Nothing to add to Droops post on this one - sounds very pedal related. Only 1 thought, your pedal box is from the donar car ???? You might have the wrong pedal ratio if its from say an escort or Tina etc. If you did not build this bit, it may be hard to tell.

Tony

[griffonmark]

[quote="lambaj"]sounds very pedal related. Only 1 thought, your pedal box is from the donar car ???? You might have the wrong pedal ratio if its from say an escort or Tina etc.


Thanks for the tip, but I think it is from the donor magnum, it has the daft floor pedal accelerator. I'll go for the bent pedal which is most likely considering the clutch cable was welded up 15 years ago, I'm sure there have been numerous attempts by big footed tyre kickers to free the clutch before anyone realised the cable was siezed.

Regards

Mark