Freeing the clutch

[mazzo]

Any ideas how to free the clutch on a car that's been sitting for 4 years?

Tried starting it with clutch down in reverse, 1st and 4th, but no joy.

Banged it into reverse with the engine running on tick over and clutch down - but no joy?

[Vivanuts Glenn]

What I have tried before and it has worked is start the car in neutral leave it running for about 20 mins.

Turn off then put it in second gear withouth using the clutch and turn over the ignition enough to make the car run down the road

after a couple of goes it should free off

Good luck

[pbottomley]

Best way i have ever had, is to get a block of wood (4x2) about 3 foot long and wedge it on the clutch pedal and back to the seat base, that presses the pedal down.

Leave it a while (day or so) and pop at some point the clutch finally released!

Having said that these cars had been standing 9 years and 14 years, and the clutch had to be changed anyways as the friction disc left half of itself on the flywheel!

[mazzo]

Thanks guys.

Paul - you made me laugh with the outcome. I'm nervous now!!

Will give both a try and keep my fingers crossed. I don't need the additional hassle of changing the clutch with all the other stuff I'm struggling with.

Glenn, if I can I'll try the msn thing. Not done it before - do I have to have a hotmail account?

[pbottomley]

Another way, is to leave it in gear, with the block of wood as I said earlier, and let the handbrake off. Go round the front of the car and gently push it back and forth, rocking the car almost, that way the rear wheels turning against the force of the engine, should again free the clutch off.

Hint Dont do it on a hill!!!!

[griffonmark]

HI

My car was stood for over 10 years until i bought it and the clutch was stuck solid. I started the engine in neutral and let the engine get warm. I then started it in 1st gear and drove it around the block. It was still stuck so I started it in reverse. Did this 2 or 3 times alternating between 1st and reverse and in reverse it twanged free. I would suggest you then give the clutch a bit of abuse to get rid of any sticky stuff. It helps to start if you get a mate to push.

Regards

Mark

[droopsnoot]

I've tried most of these methods on the Sportshatch, as it only needed to be left from September to March for the clutch to stick. Yet the Firenza never has a problem - must just be a difference in the composition of the friction material.

I've recently been told that the best way is to just leave the car running and warming up, maybe for an hour or so (so make sure the cooling system is up to scratch). After a time the difference in expansion rates in the various components will lead to a big 'clonk' and you'll find the clutch is freed off. This is why running it for twenty minutes helps, because the expansion has already started.

Now when I put the hatch away for the winter (well, it's been dormant now for nine years) I wedge the pedal down with a small block of wood between it and the pedal box, so the clutch plate is not touching the flywheel. I asked a friend whose quite knowledgeable whether this wouldn't cause the clutch to fail prematurely and he felt that it wouldn't. Only time will tell of course, and if I ever get it running again I'll find out.

[lisbon_road]

Gave up trying to get mine free, especially with a new engine and wanted to be gentle so changed the clutch - didn't take that long and the plate was horrible when removed.