MGB: Clutch Problems

My 1978 B has been in winter storage in my unheated garage - as I have had it for 16 years now. When I started it last week, the clutch did not release properly and it is difficult , nearly impossible, to engage the gears. The pedal feels soft. Any ideas what the problem may be?? (Aside from low hydraulics)

Nothing aside from hydraulics. It's probably air in the system, this causes the clutch to not release completely, and the gears just don't like to mesh in that situation.

May even be that the O-rings are toast in either the master or the slave or both! Try bleeding first, but I'll bet it is more!

At 16 to 22 years it very well can be hydraulic seals or components, but I like to always try the simplest thing first. If bleeding the air out does the trick,change the fluid. Do this by pumping at least a half pint of fluid through the system. Changing fliud is easier than bleeding air so long as you don't let the M/C run out of fluid and introduce more air.

Some times after a car has sat for a period of time the clutch disc will get stuck to the flywheel. When you are under the car have someone push the clutch pedal in and you watch the push rod on the slave. If it moves about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. Your hydrolics are ok. Then you know you have a stuck disc. If that's what you find let us know and we can tell you how to deal with it without having to turn a wrench. If your push rod doesn't move do the bleeding think first. You can poke a small hole in the rubber boot of the slave and if fluid comes out you have found your leak. If your master cyl is leaking there will be brake fluid on the back of the clutch pedal, and on the floor.

It's a good thing your'e always here to fill in the final details Tom. Joe's got EVERTHING he need to know now.

Ain't that true!! I wouldn't have thought of thaut when you do it every day you see a lot of different situations!! Thanks Tom!

Thats really weird!! That was not my complete satement. I carried on to say that when you work on these things everyday it is amazing what you know! Thanks Tom! I pushed the back button and my whole post was there, but when posted only half of it showed. Weird huh??

Ain't technology grand?

Kelly Bell
72 B

joe, same thing happened on my '77 last year. Ended up replacing MC as it had a pit rusted in the bore that was deep enough to allow fluid transfer past the seals. Bought new MC, rebuilt the slave & replaced the hose. Bleeding the whole system is kind of tricky....see old posts regarding Mity-Vac.
Good luck!

Thanks Gary - I've received some excellent advice from the folks on this site. I've been driving a B for more than 20 years (while trying to do my own maintenance with one or two exceptions) and I feel like I've finally found a place to get answers when I run into trouble. Thanks to all for the help - I've got the clutch working again now but Tom's technique above sounds interersting.

Cheers.
Joe

OK, I'll ask. How do you get it free?

Takes a lot of typing to explain the routine. If someone needs it I will do it. Other wise I'm going to pass.

Tom, why not type it out once, and then save it as a text file.. then that text file you could upload to your YAHOO BRIEFCASE, and then not worry about having to type it again.. just direct people to the briefcase , or maybe just send it to SKYE, and let him post it as webpage on the DIY section on the front.. ?

just an idea / suggestion..

maybe Tony Barnhill would not mind either making it a webpage on his website

I just pull them with another car. Stop and put the one being pulled in second or first gear, hold clutch pedal down, and stop and start 'till she pops loose. There are other ways, but I've never had to do more than one pull free one. After I break one loose and get under power I always slip the hell out of the clutch for one good standing start to burn the crap off and clean it up. Not kind, but effective.

I was thinking drive the one with the stuck plate and abuse it till it gave in. We have a lot more room out here for that kind of thing than other places. I'm always willing to try new methods though, especially if they don't cuase so much stress.
I took a 66 passenger bus into the pasture with the lugnuts off the rt. rear and did the slalom until the outboard wheel fell off. It had been rusted on. Sometimes those are the best ways.

Oftentimes, you can break it loose with the starter. Just set the parking brake (or keep your foot on the brake) and put it in gear, press the clutch down & crank it over. It works most of the time, if it isn't stuck too bad. Then, as JDW said, slip the he** out of it to clean it off.