Gear change getting worse.
Discussion
For the last two months or so the gear change has been getting gradually stiffer and stiffer, especially in 1st, 2nd and 3rd. I almost have to force it into gear; there is no sound of crunching or grinding, just need to push quite hard to get the gear lever into place.
This morning on the drive to work 4th began to feel the same and it crunched every time when trying to get into reverse.
It had a new clutch a year ago so I guess it's not that. The 'bite' point on the clutch seems to be getting shorter too, I only have to raise my foot a short way before it starts to pull away.
Short of going straight to a garage, is there anything I can look for?
Cheers,
Steve
This morning on the drive to work 4th began to feel the same and it crunched every time when trying to get into reverse.
It had a new clutch a year ago so I guess it's not that. The 'bite' point on the clutch seems to be getting shorter too, I only have to raise my foot a short way before it starts to pull away.
Short of going straight to a garage, is there anything I can look for?
Cheers,
Steve
Check oil level in box, also check clutch slave cylinder for full travel. If it is not fully moving the fulcrum arm then it could be either the slave or master cylinder at fault. I would also bleed clutch system as air in the pipe could also potentially reduce the travel as it compresses when the pedal is depressed reducing the travel of the slave cylinder piston and hence clutch falcrum arm.
HTH
Mark
HTH
Mark
Hi Steve,
I've had the exact same problem as you, once shortly after I bought the car and again a week ago after the engine went back in.
If the symptoms are grinding when putting it into reverse, having to ram first and second gear very hard to get it to engage and generally getting difficult to change gear.
Good news! Both times this has happened and both time solved by bleeding the clutch. If you've never bled the clutch on the S be warned, it's a pain because the bleed nipple on the slave is difficult to access with a spanner (Well mine is anyway) and the system will probably need repeat bleeding.
When I bled mine last week, we did it 6 times while it was jacked up and it still had tiny air pockets in the system. Eventually I bought a air pressure bleeding kit, which did the whole system in 5 seconds flat. Works lovely now so try bleeding it first.
HTH
Adrian
I've had the exact same problem as you, once shortly after I bought the car and again a week ago after the engine went back in.
If the symptoms are grinding when putting it into reverse, having to ram first and second gear very hard to get it to engage and generally getting difficult to change gear.
Good news! Both times this has happened and both time solved by bleeding the clutch. If you've never bled the clutch on the S be warned, it's a pain because the bleed nipple on the slave is difficult to access with a spanner (Well mine is anyway) and the system will probably need repeat bleeding.
When I bled mine last week, we did it 6 times while it was jacked up and it still had tiny air pockets in the system. Eventually I bought a air pressure bleeding kit, which did the whole system in 5 seconds flat. Works lovely now so try bleeding it first.
HTH
Adrian
SteveOS3 said:
That's exactly the same one I used. Only problem is it doesn't contain the correct cap to fit onto your master cylinder. I used my proper cap, drilled a hole the right size and fitted the pipe and seal onto it. Apparently you can order different cap types with the system but I was short on time.Take's 5 minutes to do, just read the instructions and your away.
Barkychoc said:
Or Gunsons easy bleed is identical from Halfords, make sure you read the instructions I think you have to let the tyre down a bit first unless you like a shower in brake fluid!
Yeah, I think the max is 20 psi, I wish I'd read the instructions properly on my first attempt!I have used the gunson type before but have gone to the simpler 2 man method using a non return valve tube on the bleed nipple (<£5 from Halfords). This way you can do it slowly but don't get the air draw back of using a standard draining tube.
I have also heard of someone on here using a vacuum pump (KeTVRin I think?) to draw the fluid through. Again this is really a two man operation but I don't like the pressure method personnally, due to the risk of a shower of brake fluid and also the fact that it leaves any reservoir wedged with fluid that you then have to remove, which is usually messy even if you use a syringe arrangement)
I have also heard of someone on here using a vacuum pump (KeTVRin I think?) to draw the fluid through. Again this is really a two man operation but I don't like the pressure method personnally, due to the risk of a shower of brake fluid and also the fact that it leaves any reservoir wedged with fluid that you then have to remove, which is usually messy even if you use a syringe arrangement)
Just popped out and got the Gunsons Ezibleed but forgot to pick up fluid!! Over-ecxited at the thought of fixing the problem. I've taken note of the excess tyre pressure tip and will get to work on the weekend;
I've promised my wife that she can have a drive as a treat for Mother's Day, I'll drive out to the country pub, she can drive back, seems fair to me
I've promised my wife that she can have a drive as a treat for Mother's Day, I'll drive out to the country pub, she can drive back, seems fair to me
Changed my clutch pipe the other week. Bled the system with an Ezi Bleed non return valve jobby a non pressure version and got my sister to pump the clutch pedal vigorously. Bled within a few minutes and everything is OK not sure why you need a pressure system to do it unless the cylinders have degraded or the pipe has muck in it. The hydraulic system is very simple so unsure why all the hassle!!!
A quick tip for using the Gunsons Ezibleed is to connect up without fluid in the bottle have a good listen around the master cylinder cap for any air leaks, once you are happy there are no leaks disconnect from the tyre and fill the bottle with brake fluid. Saves a lot of cleaning up.
Tony
Tony
TVRMadPaul said:
Changed my clutch pipe the other week. Bled the system with an Ezi Bleed non return valve jobby a non pressure version and got my sister to pump the clutch pedal vigorously. Bled within a few minutes and everything is OK not sure why you need a pressure system to do it unless the cylinders have degraded or the pipe has muck in it. The hydraulic system is very simple so unsure why all the hassle!!!
When you have no mates the eazibleed kit allows you to bleed it alone!TVRMadPaul said:
Changed my clutch pipe the other week. Bled the system with an Ezi Bleed non return valve jobby a non pressure version and got my sister to pump the clutch pedal vigorously. Bled within a few minutes and everything is OK not sure why you need a pressure system to do it unless the cylinders have degraded or the pipe has muck in it. The hydraulic system is very simple so unsure why all the hassle!!!
My clutch system is very temperamental and the standard method of clutch bleeding does almost nothing. Don't ask me why, it just does.I got the master cylinder cap off, partly destroying it in the process. I was literally flaking and falling apart at the seams. The main body of the cap cleaned up pretty well and is securely back in place now.
Two problems remain though.
The bleed nipple is well and truly seized, as is the pipe fitting. It also seems like they are imperial nuts, my metric spanners don't fit well at all and I'm worried that I may round the heads if I force it. Can anyone confirm that these are imperial?
And finally, I don't know if the attachment here is what I should be seeing or not. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the alignment and the condition of the yellow plastic part.
Giving up for the night now in preparation for any early start tomorrow.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Steve
Two problems remain though.
The bleed nipple is well and truly seized, as is the pipe fitting. It also seems like they are imperial nuts, my metric spanners don't fit well at all and I'm worried that I may round the heads if I force it. Can anyone confirm that these are imperial?
And finally, I don't know if the attachment here is what I should be seeing or not. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the alignment and the condition of the yellow plastic part.
Giving up for the night now in preparation for any early start tomorrow.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Steve
Mine was straight - pictures on my site don't show it well, but I think your alignment appears off. There were two holes in the fulcrum arm on mine perhaps yours is in the other one than mine and has been adjusted to that.
Having said that the operating/adjuster pushrod is little more than a round ended bolt with two adjusting nuts (one of which has a rounded side to fit the fulcrum arm) so it should still operate when out of alignment if adjusted correctly.
wrt bleed nipple size sorry can't help as I used wall drive sockets to open the bleed nipple the first time and these cover both metric and imperial, but have only used metric since then as I only have metric spanners and they seem to work on it now it isn't seized.
Best piccie here
HTH
Mark
Having said that the operating/adjuster pushrod is little more than a round ended bolt with two adjusting nuts (one of which has a rounded side to fit the fulcrum arm) so it should still operate when out of alignment if adjusted correctly.
wrt bleed nipple size sorry can't help as I used wall drive sockets to open the bleed nipple the first time and these cover both metric and imperial, but have only used metric since then as I only have metric spanners and they seem to work on it now it isn't seized.
Best piccie here
HTH
Mark
Thanks Mark, I have an imperial socket set left over from my Dolomite days, I'll dig that out tomorrow and see if I can get a socket on the bleed nipple. Otherwise the local motor factors has a sale on at the moment and imperial spanners sets for a tenner.
The fulcrum arm has one long hole, wider at the top along the angled section above the lock nuts so the head of the bolt will always slip down to its present position.
The fulcrum arm has one long hole, wider at the top along the angled section above the lock nuts so the head of the bolt will always slip down to its present position.
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff