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Noisy clutch release bearing


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1962 TR4 - Think the diagnosis is correct, trouble is I'm in Spain. Anyone got an idea whether this will get me 600+ miles home. But like asking how long is a piece of string but would be grateful for ideas/experience

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And the release bearing will cause problems because...? Only if you use it !

Take it out for a drive, going up the box rev to speed as normal...no clutch... come off the throttle (the gearbox normally needs about 1000 revs less than you are using going up) and feel the gearstick into the gear required...absurdly easy. It almost engages itself.

Coming down the box a little more challenging same rule of thumb as above except a few more revs because you are coming down the box. With a TR the engine it is that torquey that you only need to make a couple of changes from 4th to 1st, about 1500 revs extra will do the job. Yes, whilst you get used to judging the revs and effort required to seek out the gear positions you'll get a few missed changes, but I drove a clutchless TR from Frejus to Nottingham through summer traffic backups and I didn't feel challenged. No damage to the gearbox.

Mick Richards 

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Hi

I drove over 1500 miles in my TR4 back from Lisbon earlier in May with a noisy release bearing. In addition to what is said above I would add try to use a route which minimises that amount of gear changes, which really means using motorways.

Dave 

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Just as Mickey said and described, don't use the clutch except maybe for starting if you have to stop - I've driven hundred of miles in my past without a clutch and you soon get the hang of clutchless gearchanges - you also have to look ahead and anticipate gaps in the traffic etc.

Good luck but irrespective of not using the clutch, I reckon it should be OK to make it home

cheers Rich

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To avoid using the clutch when starting from stationary on the road, stop the engine, select 1st gear, and when ready to move, just press the accelerator slightly and turn the ignition key to start the engine.

If on level ground, this will work using 2nd gear because the standard (unmodified) TR engine is very torquey.

At a T-junction, you need to key the ignition so as to start the engine when there's a gap in the traffic - can take a while if traffic approaching from both directions!

When the pin sheared on my TR2's operating lever in the 1960s, I managed to drive some 15 miles home in busy south London traffic using this technique.

Ian Cornish

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Thanks guys, I've driven clutches before but not over long distance. Does the bearing have a risk of breaking apart or just become increasingly noisy

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Thread drift - sorry :

Talking of which - I was driving our Fiat Seicento yesterday, when the clutch cable broke (pedal went straight to the floor). Managed to get to my destination, & then later to drive it home again. I was so lucky on the way home, after starting it in 1st, & moving up the gears to 3rd, I did not have to stop at any of the 4 or 5 junctions / roundabouts.     Changing the cable for a new one was a different story, a nightmare on those cars, to get to the inboard end of the cable you have to move the entire dashboard out of the way. took around 3 hours to even get to a point where I could see the end of the cable. As it turned out the flexible part of the cable was fine, it was the hook shaped metal end which had snapped off.   Not a job I wish to repeat.

Bob

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/3/2022 at 3:04 PM, John Mellor said:

1962 TR4 - Think the diagnosis is correct, trouble is I'm in Spain. Anyone got an idea whether this will get me 600+ miles home. But like asking how long is a piece of string but would be grateful for ideas/experience

Hi John,  just curious, did you get home OK.

Ralph

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Hi Ralph, won't be driving home until mid October. It's stored July and August during which time I'm back in the UK

Regards

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  • 2 months later...

Update on this! Became aware of intermittent growl in 2nd and 3rd, it only lasts a few seconds but to my limited knowledge seems like the layshaft issue. No metal particles on magnetic drain plug when changed gearbox oil just before setting out for Spain - time will tell. Managed to persuade AA that it's not suitable for local repair and it's been shipped back on recovery.

So, release bearing will be changed anyway. Due to be sent to Pete Cox whom everyone seems to regard as gearbox guru.

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4 hours ago, John Mellor said:

Update on this! Became aware of intermittent growl in 2nd and 3rd, it only lasts a few seconds but to my limited knowledge seems like the layshaft issue. No metal particles on magnetic drain plug when changed gearbox oil just before setting out for Spain - time will tell. Managed to persuade AA that it's not suitable for local repair and it's been shipped back on recovery.

So, release bearing will be changed anyway. Due to be sent to Pete Cox whom everyone seems to regard as gearbox guru.

Hi John,

His son Tom now runs that part of the business.

 

Roger

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Yes Roger I spoke to him. Guess old habits die hard and it is still Pete Cox in my brain cells having dealings with him circa 1972

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