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'59 TR3A Sudden Clutch Master Cylinder Failure


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Hello old friends!  It's been quite a while but I've been spending more time enjoying my cars, and grandchildren.:)

Because of the sudden and unpredictable nature of this failure I was compelled to report this incident.

My '59 TR3A recently had a clutch master cylinder failure. Basically, it came apart internally while my mechanic was delivering the car after annual maintenance. He was forced to shift by speed matching to get it back to his shop. This car has approx. 5K miles since the restoration was completed in June 2012. The MC that failed is an after market unit that I bought in 2011, and it looks just like the originals. However, when we searched a replacement MC , we noticed that the casting was redesigned, with a totally different shape. So, I'll be looking for a NOS or rebuildable master.

Now, we are concerned about the brake master cylinder, which is the same design, and will be forced to replace both with the new design. 

This really bothers me. After a 12 year restoration during which Brian and I were meticulous about originality, its a shame to be forced to use this bastard design. However, a sudden clutch failure,  one can usually recover from, but not necessarily the loss of brakes. 

The worst part of this event was the unpredictable and sudden nature of it. Hey, look, it might be a fluke, but reproduction parts quality has been declining for years. So please allow me to be pessimistic!  No one on this side of the pond offers a replacement master cylinder that looks like the original.  

We did have a possible lead for an authentic part from a company in the UK,  MEV Spares, but after inquiry found out that its the same rubbish offered by the other firms. 

Following are some photos and the words of my mechanic, Brian, as he reported the details.


Made it back to the workshop by starting in gear and carefully timing the gearchange for clutch less shifts. Everything underneath looks OK but took the pushrod off and MC piston is stuck deep in the bore. Non-return valve should cause this to hold fluid in the slave and keep the clutch itself disengaged, but obviously that's not the case. 

 

image.png.d3cfb83e36ff34d0c9c02b29c43a0887.png


Internal pushrod for the non-return valve failed.  Popped out of retainer cup (see where retainer metal is torn by my fingertip) and pushrod bent over on itself.  Didn't we have problems with these cylinders when the car was going together? smartphone.

image.png.4bcc0b9b96ed673dfef1bdcb7a0d6b72.png

Oy-vey!  New cylinder is quite a bit different from what we got back in '11/'12.  Going to remove the old one and get a better look at the condition of the bore.

 

image.png.d545a7bc633ed5f4decae2bb45c61d0d.png

 

Bore on the old cylinder is in pretty poor condition.  I know the clutch is used more frequently than the brake, but I'm wondering what the brake MC looks like and is it destined to bend the link rod like this one did?

 

 

image.png.52b9692d3d195cf1cf738cc8d35822af.png

 

 

So, has anyone had or heard of a failure like this one and do you have either a  NOS or rebuildable master cylinder for a 1959 TR3A.

 

Cheers,  Frank.

Edited by angelfj
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On 6/21/2019 at 3:03 PM, angelfj said:

Hello old friends!  It's been quite a while but I've been spending more time enjoying my cars, and grandchildren.:)

Because of the sudden and unpredictable nature of this failure I was compelled to report this incident.

My '59 TR3A recently had a clutch master cylinder failure. Basically, it came apart internally while my mechanic was delivering the car after annual maintenance. He was forced to shift by speed matching to get it back to his shop. This car has approx. 5K miles since the restoration was completed in June 2012. The MC that failed is an after market unit that I bought in 2011, and it looks just like the originals. However, when we searched a replacement MC , we noticed that the casting was redesigned, with a totally different shape. So, I'll be looking for a NOS or rebuildable master.

Now, we are concerned about the brake master cylinder, which is the same design, and will be forced to replace both with the new design. 

This really bothers me. After a 12 year restoration during which Brian and I were meticulous about originality, its a shame to be forced to use this bastard design. However, a sudden clutch failure,  one can usually recover from, but not necessarily the loss of brakes. 

The worst part of this event was the unpredictable and sudden nature of it. Hey, look, it might be a fluke, but reproduction parts quality has been declining for years. So please allow me to be pessimistic!  No one on this side of the pond offers a replacement master cylinder that looks like the original.  

We did have a possible lead for an authentic part from a company in the UK,  MEV Spares, but after inquiry found out that its the same rubbish offered by the other firms. 

Following are some photos and the words of my mechanic, Brian, as he reported the details.


Made it back to the workshop by starting in gear and carefully timing the gearchange for clutch less shifts. Everything underneath looks OK but took the pushrod off and MC piston is stuck deep in the bore. Non-return valve should cause this to hold fluid in the slave and keep the clutch itself disengaged, but obviously that's not the case. 

 

image.png.d3cfb83e36ff34d0c9c02b29c43a0887.png


Internal pushrod for the non-return valve failed.  Popped out of retainer cup (see where retainer metal is torn by my fingertip) and pushrod bent over on itself.  Didn't we have problems with these cylinders when the car was going together? smartphone.

image.png.4bcc0b9b96ed673dfef1bdcb7a0d6b72.png

Oy-vey!  New cylinder is quite a bit different from what we got back in '11/'12.  Going to remove the old one and get a better look at the condition of the bore.

 

image.png.d545a7bc633ed5f4decae2bb45c61d0d.png

 

Bore on the old cylinder is in pretty poor condition.  I know the clutch is used more frequently than the brake, but I'm wondering what the brake MC looks like and is it destined to bend the link rod like this one did?

 

 

image.png.52b9692d3d195cf1cf738cc8d35822af.png

 

 

So, has anyone had or heard of a failure like this one and do you have either a  NOS or rebuildable master cylinder for a 1959 TR3A.

 

Cheers,  Frank.

Yes.  I have seen this issue before

 

PM me please

 

Peter W

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