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Re: MGB Clutch

To: Larry A Hoy <mgb.roadster@juno.com>,
Subject: Re: MGB Clutch
From: Trevor Boicey <tboicey@brit.ca>
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 1997 01:15:59 -0400
Larry A Hoy wrote:
> It seems as though my clutch engages slowly, that is, the pedal doesn't
> return very quickly (did check the return spring, it is still there).

  Check the flex hose that connects to the slave cylinder. It
can go one-way valve just like the infamous brake hoses.

  The symptom is just that, the return spring is only so strong
and the line is restricted so it takes a long time for the
spring to empty the slave cylinder.

  Friend had a TR3 that had that symptom. People get really
antsy because it took a few seconds to get off the line
at a stop sign. Inevitably some musclehead was behind honking
the horn as the pedal slowly rose and the car started
to creep.

  We just cleaned out the flex hose with a stiff wire,
which makes little rubber bits come out the other end,
and it has worked since. I wouldn't recommend this with
brake lines, but clutch failure isn't quite so
disasterous and those flex lines aren't cheap.

  For a quick test, get a helper under the car. While
the pedal is slowly coming back, open the bleeder
valve and see if it spits out fluid and returns right
away.

  Also remove the cylinder end of the flex line, aim
it at a container, and see if there is any resistance
to pushing fluid through it with the pedal. It should
be almost none, the failed TR3 you still had to push
semi-hard to push fluid through the line to
nowhere. Evidently the clutch slave spring wasn't
strong enough to push back.

-- 
Trevor Boicey
Ottawa, Canada
tboicey@brit.ca
http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/

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