Clutch pedal jammed - Help please

[SteveS2]

Hi
The clutch pedal is jammed on my S2 and will not depress. I have checked the Master cylinder by pressing the pedal down with the bleed valve open, that works ok. So it could be the Slave cylinder or the cluch plate. Having crawled underneath I'm not sure which position the actuator should be in? The actuator on mine is towards the engine, does that mean that the spring has not pushed the slave cylinder back into position? indicating a failed valve? I have have looked in the Steve Heath manual and the bit I'm looking for clarity on is not described very well. Any guidance would be really helpful not that it's going anywhere as its on stands having the chassis painted.
Thanks Steve

[GreenV8S]

The slave cylinder pushes backwards (towards the rear of the car) to release the clutch. The clutch release fork has a pivot in the middle which translates this to a forwards movement on the far end to release the clutch.

[SteveS2]

Thanks
It sounds like the fork is in the right place then! I assume the next stage is to release the fork from the rod to see if the slave works without the clutch attached. That does not look easy either, how does the rod attach to the fork, I have undone the locking nut but turning the front nut does not appear to do anything?
Steve

[mep12345]

The reply from Green V8S has me confused, but this may be a V8 v V6 thing. On my S3, with the Type 9 box and V6 cologne as fitted to the S2 as well the slave cylinder pushes forwards to release the clutch. See the gearbox removal section of www.gbsportscar.com where there is a clear picture of the arrangement. The nuts on the front of the slave push rod are for adjustment of the clearance to the clutch release arm only and this push rod assembly is basically a bolt with two nuts on it which sits in a cup on the slave cylinder (behind the rubber cover). To remove undo the two slave cylinder securing bolts - the top one is a bugger with the body in place and pull the slave cylinder backwards. This will pop the rubber boot off and free the "bolt".

In sum with the clutch pedal released the clutch arm should be fully to the rear of the car and is pushed forward by the slave cylinder push rod to release the clutch by applying pressure to the clutch drive plate fingers and allowing the drive plate to release the clutch friction plate. (a picture is also on the site of the internals of the gearbox bell housing which shows the pivot (fulcrum) arm and clutch release bearing.

Hope this helps

Mark

[SteveS2]

Looks like I will be removing the slave cylinder then, I'm just hoping that it is that componant and not the Clutch itself. A job for next weekend I think
Thanks guys

[Barkychoc]

I've had a look in the bible and the clutch fork pivot is on the same side as the slave cylinder on the V8 - whereas on the V6 the pivot is nn the far side of the clutch from the slave cylinder - so you're right the 2 cars have slave cylinders that push in the opposite direction.

IMHO the V6 arrangement is better - the V8 suffers from broken clutch forks at the pivot point - which will be due to the short leverage / lots of force required with the V8 arrangement.

There's lower forces going on with the V6 setup.

Sorry doesn't help your stuck pedal does it?

Could it be the old clutch rusted up / plate stuck to flywheel / pressure plate syndrome again?

Chris

[mep12345]

SteveS2 said:

Looks like I will be removing the slave cylinder then, I'm just hoping that it is that componant and not the Clutch itself. A job for next weekend I think
Thanks guys

I'm led to believe that if it is a clutch problem you're into an engine out job, as I believe only the S3/S4 allows gearbox removal without engine removal due to the bolted section of the chassis (see my pictures)

Good luck

Mark

[Mr Plow]

The same happened to me a short while ago.

I was worried that it might be the clutch plate or something similar. Lucky it was the slave cylinder. I ended up taking out the starter motor to give me some more room.

Don't make the mistake I did, on refitting the slave cylinder I managed to drop one of the bolts through the hole left my the starter motor and into the bell housing. What was going to be a fairly straight forward job, ended up in the engine coming out anyway. If you do this make sure you put a rag or something in the hold you have left!!

I have an S3 not sure that the gearbox can come out without the engine coming out as well?

[mep12345]

Mr Plow said:

I have an S3 not sure that the gearbox can come out without the engine coming out as well?

See the pictures on my site - full instructions on removal are there, it goes back in next weekend.

Also I don't understand why starter motor removal would give more room. My starter motor is on the opposite side of the gearbox to the slave cylinder (slave on off-side, starter motor on near side)

Mark

Edited by mep12345 on Sunday 15th June 20:39

[Mr Plow]

mep12345 said:

Mr Plow said:

I have an S3 not sure that the gearbox can come out without the engine coming out as well?

Also I don't understand why starter motor removal would give more room. My starter motor is on the opposite side of the gearbox to the slave cylinder (slave on off-side, starter motor on near side)

Mark

Edited by mep12345 on Sunday 15th June 20:39

Now you've started me thinking, am I going crazy

I have put up the picture below, not that great, but shows in the bellhousing the hole for the starter motor and the Slave cylinder. Must have different bellhousins or gearboxes, maybe why you managed to get yours out?

(If the picture doesn't work, don't be surprised, I'm not that great at posting pictures)

[greymrj]

Yes, definitely a different layout to mine. Happened to have a picture of mine before the engine was reinstalled, shows the clutch slave on the offside, and which way it pushes. Mine is a 2.8 S1.
http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa102/greymrj/1...

The clutch slave on mine had also seized (it had been standing for a long time), luckily all it needed was muck/rust removed from inside the outer cover. I took the cylinder out, cleaned inside the end, then blasting out (carefully!) with an airline inserted into the hole for the pipe, cleaned it thoroughly, checked the seals (I appear to have been lucky as they are OK) and rebuilt it and put it back (with the bleed nipple loosened off first, and installed with the bleed nipple above the pipe).

[clarenceboddiger]

Sounds Familiar,
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[greymrj]

It would appear Ken that we have had exactly the same experience with clutch cylinders and very similar experiences with sons as well!!!!

[clarenceboddiger]

greymrj said:

It would appear Ken that we have had exactly the same experience with clutch cylinders and very similar experiences with sons as well!!!!

Im glad its not only me then, aahh Bless Em

[mep12345]

Mr Plow said:

mep12345 said:

Mr Plow said:

I have an S3 not sure that the gearbox can come out without the engine coming out as well?

Also I don't understand why starter motor removal would give more room. My starter motor is on the opposite side of the gearbox to the slave cylinder (slave on off-side, starter motor on near side)

Mark

Edited by mep12345 on Sunday 15th June 20:39

Now you've started me thinking, am I going crazy

I have put up the picture below, not that great, but shows in the bellhousing the hole for the starter motor and the Slave cylinder. Must have different bellhousins or gearboxes, maybe why you managed to get yours out?

(If the picture doesn't work, don't be surprised, I'm not that great at posting pictures)

Yep mine is same as Greymrj's layout

Mark

[SteveS2]

Slave cylinder off and the fork has moved back a bit which I'm hoping means that the clutch has released but I'm guessing I won't know for sure until I put on the new slave. Better look on the TVR parts WEB site to see how much a new one is going to set me back. Anyway I can get back to sanding the chassis now, joy!, I so want to get to the S meet next year.
Thanks for your help guys
Steve

[Dave_M]

Hi Steve, sorry you can't make it this weekend, but at least it sounds like you're getting things sorted.

Dave

[mep12345]

SteveS2 said:

Slave cylinder off and the fork has moved back a bit which I'm hoping means that the clutch has released but I'm guessing I won't know for sure until I put on the new slave. Better look on the TVR parts WEB site to see how much a new one is going to set me back. Anyway I can get back to sanding the chassis now, joy!, I so want to get to the S meet next year.
Thanks for your help guys
Steve

I used some wooden wedges and a hammer handle between the chassis riser and the fulcrum arm to activate the clutch and spin the propshaft/engine whilst the body was off over the winter. Depending on how far off your body is for sanding the chassis you may be able to do the same and this will tell you if the clutch has seized or it is the slave cylinder. i.e. put car in gear and try to turn prop (it won't), then wedge clutch fork to disengaged position (fwd) and the prop should turn. I did this to ensure clutch didn't seize to flywheel which I am told is a real possibility when laid up.

Mark

[clarenceboddiger]

mep12345 said:

i.e. put car in gear and try to turn prop (it won't), then wedge clutch fork to disengaged position (fwd) and the prop should turn. I did this to ensure clutch didn't seize to flywheel which I am told is a real possibility when laid up.Mark

I wouldn't leave it like this for too long though as I beleive you could tire the springs on the cluth cover, ie the "fingers" and end up with a slipping clutch

[mep12345]

clarenceboddiger said:

mep12345 said:

i.e. put car in gear and try to turn prop (it won't), then wedge clutch fork to disengaged position (fwd) and the prop should turn. I did this to ensure clutch didn't seize to flywheel which I am told is a real possibility when laid up.Mark

I wouldn't leave it like this for too long though as I beleive you could tire the springs on the cluth cover, ie the "fingers" and end up with a slipping clutch

Sorry should have made it clearer and I totally agree with you. What I meant was "work" the clutch in this way, always leave the clutch in the releaseed position when left standing. Basically I operated the clutch like this half a dozen times each week when it was laid up.

Mark