Glenn,
Sounds like a gone throwout bearing. If it was hydraulic, you wouldn't get
the engine dying out when you step on the pedal. The softness could be too
much distance between the fork and the pressure plate indicating a worn TO
bearing. These can wear out pretty quick if you ride the pedal or don't
have enough freeplay.
Does the engine lug occur at just the end or the pedal travel?
Have someone operate the clutch metal and observe how much travel you have
on the rod at the slave cylinder/cluch fork. If the travel seems reasonable
then you have a mechanical problem with the clutch or TO bearing.
The other possibility is a blocked hydraulic line. The rubber hoses
sometimes deteriorate internally and won't release pressure. This could
cause you to overdrive the clutch. Given that you have trouble shifting
gears, I don't thnk that's it though, just something to keep in mind when
checking the system.
Gerard
At 6:40 PM -0600 2/22/01, Glenn Cummins wrote:
>First of all, a thousand apologies for bombing the list with the blank
>e-mails on Tuesday. Hopefully, everything is working now. That said... I'll
>continue.
>
>After four short months of being a Midget owner, I've experienced my first
>big headache. And so, I'm turning to your collective wisdom for a diagnosis.
>I'll try to be brief.
>
>Coming home from work Saturday night, it suddenly became VERY difficult to
>shift gears. I did make it home (about a quarter mile). Sadly, the car
>hasn't moved since. It will shift through all five gears just fine when the
>engine isn't running, but with the engine cranked, I can't even come close
>to getting it into gear. The clutch pedal is very soft, and when it's
>depressed, the engine idle will drop to the point of dying. (I have searched
>the list archives enough to know that the drop in RPMs isn't that unusual,
>but it still can't be good.)
>
>I'm assuming that the clutch has gone out, but I was surprised by how
>suddenly it all happened with no warning signs. There's plenty of fluid in
>the resevoir. No pools of fluid under the car. After checking my Haynes
>manual, you can imagine my enthusiasm in discovering the engine has to be
>pulled to replace the clutch. Any other suggestions on what the problem
>could be or what else I should check first?
>
>Let me add that there is a slight oil leak to aggrivate any clutch problem
>that could have been developing. The PO says he never could trace the source
>of the leak. There is a Ford carb in place of the SU's. Any connection
>there?
>
>I seem to have misplaced my garage (that's code for "I live in an
>apartment"), so all this doesn't bode well for my wallet. Your input is
>greatly appreciated.
>
>Glenn Cummins
>'74 Midget
>www2.netdoor.com/~rglenn/midget
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