Smithfire67 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Morning My 59 TR3A has seen fit to develop a clutch problem. Trying to pull away there is virtually no forward momentum even at 2k rpm and the clutch pedal almost completely up. Having initially thought it was the slave cylinder, I got my partner to sit in the car and depress the clutch pedal whist I observed the movement from the slave.....looked pretty healthy to me, moving the rod backwards about 2 and a half inches. Does this sound like complete clutch failure/bell housing off territory? Many thanks Clive Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Have you got an overdrive box? Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lebro Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Have you got any free movement of the slave cylinder rod with pedal fully up ? There should be. Bob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 2 Author Report Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, stuart said: Have you got an overdrive box? Stuart. Yep has overdrive Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 2 Author Report Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, Lebro said: Have you got any free movement of the slave cylinder rod with pedal fully up ? There should be. Bob Do you mean in and out Bob?....I'll have to check. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, Smithfire67 said: Morning My 59 TR3A has seen fit to develop a clutch problem. Trying to pull away there is virtually no forward momentum even at 2k rpm and the clutch pedal almost completely up. Having initially thought it was the slave cylinder, I got my partner to sit in the car and depress the clutch pedal whist I observed the movement from the slave.....looked pretty healthy to me, moving the rod backwards about 2 and a half inches. Does this sound like complete clutch failure/bell housing off territory? Many thanks Clive What have you been fixing since the car worked perfectly? I’d start by looking at what you may have touched or adjusted. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 2 Author Report Share Posted April 2 9 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said: What have you been fixing since the car worked perfectly? I’d start by looking at what you may have touched or adjusted. The only related thing I have done is top up the clutch/brake fluid by about an inch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 1 minute ago, Smithfire67 said: The only related thing I have done is top up the clutch/brake fluid by about an inch. That rules out improvements by owner. is it you that is operating the clutch? I had an issue where a driver of an automatic pulled the gearstick until resistance was felt and released the brake, the clutch was not being used at all, hence not in gear. Back to the suggestion Bob made. Check there is free play on the clutch slave push rod in accordance with the service instructions. Is the overdrive de selected as in OFF. Are you trying to go forward or reverse? Try forward only, the overdrive may be sticking. Have tried rolling the car forward and backwards by a yard in each direction? Does the car move at all when the clutch is released? If not, push it forward or backward by a foot so a different tooth in the axle crown wheel is engaged with the pinion.. If it now drives but goes thump/clonk the axle needs looking inside. When it moves are there any abnormal noises? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 27 minutes ago, Smithfire67 said: Yep has overdrive Drastic and unusual but it is possible to lose final drive with a broken O/D clutch. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 2 Author Report Share Posted April 2 6 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said: That rules out improvements by owner. is it you that is operating the clutch? I had an issue where a driver of an automatic pulled the gearstick until resistance was felt and released the brake, the clutch was not being used at all, hence not in gear. Back to the suggestion Bob made. Check there is free play on the clutch slave push rod in accordance with the service instructions. Is the overdrive de selected as in OFF. Are you trying to go forward or reverse? Try forward only, the overdrive may be sticking. Have tried rolling the car forward and backwards by a yard in each direction? Does the car move at all when the clutch is released? If not, push it forward or backward by a foot so a different tooth in the axle crown wheel is engaged with the pinion.. If it now drives but goes thump/clonk the axle needs looking inside. When it moves are there any abnormal noises? The only movement was about 5 inches forward with clutch nearly all the way up....pushed it back into shed in neutral. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 6 minutes ago, Smithfire67 said: The only movement was about 5 inches forward with clutch nearly all the way up....pushed it back into shed in neutral. When you say clutch "Nearly" all the way up what happens with it all the way up? Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 (edited) 11 minutes ago, stuart said: When you say clutch "Nearly" all the way up what happens with it all the way up? Stuart. Yes, good point by Stuart. Clive, start the car engage a gear leave tge hand brake /parking brake on and take your foot completely off the clutch pedal. Do not rev the engine at all. The car engine should stall. Now do the same with the brake off ensuring the car will not hit anything as you release the clutch completely and move your left foot to rest on the dip switch. Car should proceed in the direction of the forward or reverse gear that is engaged. ie first or reverse. Be sure you are actually in First and not third. Edited April 2 by BlueTR3A-5EKT Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 2 Author Report Share Posted April 2 28 minutes ago, BlueTR3A-5EKT said: Yes, good point by Stuart. Clive, start the car engage a gear leave tge hand brake /parking brake on and take your foot completely off the clutch pedal. Do not rev the engine at all. The car engine should stall. Now do the same with the brake off ensuring the car will not hit anything as you release the clutch completely and move your left foot to rest on the dip switch. Car should proceed in the direction of the forward or reverse gear that is engaged. ie first or reverse. Be sure you are actually in First and not third. I'll try this approach on Friday when I've got a bit of time.....what is your inclination? Many thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 1 hour ago, Smithfire67 said: I'll try this approach on Friday when I've got a bit of time.....what is your inclination? Many thanks When you post your findings then we maybe able have a better guess. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Vincent Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 I'd be worried that the pin in the clutch operating arm has sheared. Rgds Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 2 Author Report Share Posted April 2 10 minutes ago, Ian Vincent said: I'd be worried that the pin in the clutch operating arm has sheared. Rgds Ian Is that the one on the outside of the bell housing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Vincent Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 3 minutes ago, Smithfire67 said: Is that the one on the outside of the bell housing? Nope, the one inside. But check all the things suggested by the others before you start removing the gearbox. Rgds Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 37 minutes ago, Ian Vincent said: I'd be worried that the pin in the clutch operating arm has sheared. Rgds Ian If it had then he wouldnt be able to get it in gear in the first place. This is no drive through. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 Of course the other thing is it could be one of those six rivet clutch plates finally surfacing after these years. They sheared the centre out so no drive. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted April 2 Report Share Posted April 2 (edited) I can offer photos of the only 3 rivet clutch plate At the thread also: 2 x 8 rivet discs Edited April 2 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 3 Author Report Share Posted April 3 Bloody Hell! What was the failure mode on those little buggers? Clive Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 3 Report Share Posted April 3 39 minutes ago, Smithfire67 said: Bloody Hell! What was the failure mode on those little buggers? Clive Many years ago there was a batch of clutch plates where the centre portion of the plate was only held in with I think 6 rivets (Not on the thread that Marco linked to but another time) these would part company and leave you with no drive at all. One of our members got stuck in Greece due to it IIRC. I thought that we had seen the last of them as it was quite a few years ago but it maybe thats what you have. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Smithfire67 Posted April 3 Author Report Share Posted April 3 Gulp. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted April 3 Report Share Posted April 3 The „3 rivets clutch“ was on my mate Wolfgang‘s TR6 and it did not fail. Shure because he loves more to own this car than to drive it. He installed it by his own 25 (?) years ago and we noticed this when he changed the clutch cover from B&B new design to a NOS Laycock. Luckily this was without consequences for him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted April 3 Report Share Posted April 3 1 hour ago, Z320 said: The „3 rivets clutch“ was on my mate Wolfgang‘s TR6 and it did not fail. Shure because he loves more to own this car than to drive it. He installed it by his own 25 (?) years ago and we noticed this when he changed the clutch cover from B&B new design to a NOS Laycock. Luckily this was without consequences for him. Thats a totally different style to the problem ones, they had the outer rim with the lining material as a separate piece only held to the centre boss by six rivets. The one your referring to doesnt have that as its a one piece main inner plate but the centre boss is held on by three rivets. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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