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Re: TR6 Clutch problems

To: british-cars@autox.team.net, mbrock@gov.nt.ca
Subject: Re: TR6 Clutch problems
From: flarsen@uclink.berkeley.edu (Flemming Larsen)
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 1994 01:23:43 -0700
I'm sure that all the TR6 owners on the list are lining up with "Been
There, Done That" replies to this one. Here's my $.02 worth:

On Sat, 6 Aug 94 14:00:55 MDT Michael Bayrock <mbrock@gov.nt.ca> wrote:

> I have been helping a friend with his TR6 over the past few days.  Last
> week I diagnosed a dead clutch master cylinder - the engine bay around
> the cylinder was surrounded with 'krinkled' paint, the footwell inside
> was damp with fluid, and the clutch, she don't work.

All TR6 clutch master cylinders leak hydraulic fluid. Mine would almost
invariably start leaking right after I bought a new pair of Sperry
Topsiders. Hydraulic fluid does nasty things to Topsiders. I suspect that
Sperry made a special arrangement with Girling, so they could sell more
of their boating shoes to unsuspecting LBC owners.

Solution: Wear rubber boots when you drive your TR6.

> We installed the mc (boy, the top bolt is a b**** to get in!)

Hmm! Don't remember ever having a problem with that. The bolt goes on
from the inside of the car. The nut goes on the master cylinder side.

> Next, I thought that the mc is the wrong size

Early TR6s came with 3/4" diameter master cylinder (marked with 3/4 on
the body, later TR6s came equipped with .70" diameter master cylinders
(marked with 70 on the cylinder), HOWEVER. some PO (previous owner) may
have replaced the original .70" diameter MC with a .75" MC in an attempt
to cure the typical problem of _not enough_ slave cylinder travel.

All clutch slave cylinders were the same diameter, as far as I know.

The fact that the piston/pushrod on your friend's TR6 over-travels,
allowing the piston to come out of the slave cylinder, points to an
entirely different, but not uncommon, TR6 malaise: The dreaded "Broken
Tapered Pin in the Clutch Throwout Bearing Fork" syndrome.

If this pin is broken, the cross shaft will rotate freely inside the
fork and the clutch slave cylinder piston can, and will, come out of
the cylinder when you press down the clutch pedal.

Solution: Pull out both seats from the car, pull out the centre console
(after you remove and discard the AM/FM, speaker panels etc), remove
all the carpeting, remove the transmission cover, disconnect the drive
shaft, disconnect all the wires going to the gearbox, forget which wires
go where, put a jack under the rear of the engine, lift up the engine
just a bit while you loosen the bolts on the rear transmission mount,
remove umpteen zillion nuts and bolts holding the transmission to the
engine, be careful when you remove the bolts that secure the starter, and,
you did remember to disconnect the battery before you started doing this,
didn't you? Proceed removing the transmission from the car, remove 
cross-shaft with broken tapered pin, carefully drill a small hole in the
fork opposite the threaded hole for the tapered pin, drive out broken
piece of tapered pin.

Assemble in reverse order of disassembly.

> Thanks in advance for any help.

You're welcome. Hope this helps!


 -- Flemming Larsen                     flarsen@uclink.berkeley.edu





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