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Technical => Driveline => Topic started by: Postie Bob on February 21, 2013, 09:01:28 PM

Title: Clutch woes
Post by: Postie Bob on February 21, 2013, 09:01:28 PM
Got all the brakes good , now my clutch is givin me grief .
The old girl,s been sitting so long ( about 6-7 yrs ) I think maybe the clutch has stuck somehow.
Seem to be adjusted ok but when I push in the pedal it doesn,t disengage .  I have to shut off the motor, put her in gear , then start her up again to move the vehicle .  I have to turn off the motor again to get it out of gear .
Anyone have a clue as to whats happening inside there ?
I took off the bellhousing cover and there seems to be a fair bit of oil in there . Not good eh .
Most probly be a good idea to pull it all apart just to be sure .
Cheers , Bob.
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Dano on February 23, 2013, 01:36:18 PM
yes Bob, do the righty, drop the box, check it all out, sounds like your pressure plate could have colapsed being so old or your thrust bearing is caught agian in your pressure plate,maybe the throw out fork broken ?  this way you can check your clutch / fly wheel/ pressure plate /and bearing(don't forget the uni joints too don't want a front uni blowing at any speed). Give it a good clean /lube. That way it'll all be nice and smooth when refitted.The time spent fighting the inevitable could have the job done is the way I look at things.good luck Dano
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: rumax on February 23, 2013, 11:45:23 PM
maybe the clutch plate has rusted to the fly wheel. You could do one of the numerous dodges, but I agree with Dano....
Do it once, do it right. It may cost a bit now, but will save in the long run.
Good luck..Russell
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Postie Bob on February 24, 2013, 10:35:27 AM
Thanks for the advise fellas .
Seems like a bit of surgery needed.
When we eventually head off in our li`l Bedebago I need it reliable , dependable , and whateverelseable to just enjoy the ride and not worry if we,ll get where were goin or not  :) .
Cheers, Bob.
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: mezzmo on February 24, 2013, 01:18:12 PM
reliable, dependable.......you do have a beddie dont you? Are you sure these words can be?? associated??  ;D
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Postie Bob on February 24, 2013, 03:35:31 PM
Hmmmm.... You might be right  Mezzmo .
Will have to enrol the wife at the local TAFE  .
Maybe they have a `how to perform miracles` course  there ;D .
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Postie Bob on March 11, 2013, 08:03:46 PM
A `happy chappie` not  >:( .
I removed g/box & bell housing and my clutch looked pretty new . The clutch assembly must have been replaced when the new engine was installed ( less than 500 ks ... but 6yrs ago ) .  All looked good so I bunged it all back together .  I didn,t remove the pressure plate thinking I,ll never get the box back in .  Adjusted it up sweet and the pedal felt like it was working as it should .  The pedal was but the clutch wasn,t  ??? .
With the pedal pushed to the floor the clutch is still not disengaging .  I checked the p/plate finger movement ( with the bottom cover removed ) and it doesn,t look like the throwout bearing is pushing the plate in far enough .  Is it possible that the clutch cable is stretching ??
Any ideas fellas?
Cheers , Bob.
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Marishka on March 11, 2013, 08:21:01 PM
check the 2 outer cable mounting points.
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Warren on March 12, 2013, 09:37:17 AM
Have a look where the throwout arm is situated in the opening, the pivot point can be adjusted to help with the throw.

Warren
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Rogerfied on March 12, 2013, 10:08:45 AM
If vehicle has been sitting for awhile there is a good chance all is OK but the clutch plate will be siezed to the flywheel or pressure plate. Can usually free up with cover removed, alternative if this is the case place chocks in front of all wheels, apply handbrake,foot on brake, select neutral, put foot hard on clutch and use starter motor to free plate.
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: BeerBeddy on March 12, 2013, 12:45:03 PM
Bob, You should have gone all the way with the clutch removal, even if it was for piece of mind.

You say the clutch looks new. Wondering if it has ever been driven with the new clutch coz I also wondered if the clutch plate had been fitted backwards. A common amateur mistake. What happens then is that even though the pressure plate releases the clutch plate, it is still firmly connected to the flywheel because the clutch dampening mechanism is meshing with the flywheel bolts. That's just one thought.

If the gearbox is all back in and operational, select a gear, foot on the clutch, start the motor. Does the vehicle move? Is it trying to move but there are horrible noises coming from it? If there is noise, let the clutch out so the vehicle moves normally, foot fully off the cluth, noise gone? This is a fair way to determine if clutch plate is installed backward.

Next option: Engine off, neutral, get the wife to hold the clutch pedal all the way down. Slip under the beddy with a screw driver and see if you can rotate the pressure plate and then try the clutch plate. If the pressure plate rotates (and the engine) thats normal. Now if the clutch plate rotateswhen you lever/push it,  all is good and I'll have to think some more about it. What is important is that if the clutch plate does not turn there are two likely reasons: Back to the clutch plate being backward and the other is the gearbox spigot is seized in the bush.

Let me know how you go with this and then I might have to come up with other ideas.

Bottom line, strip it all out and check everything and then you have to be OK.

Dallas
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: VanWolf on March 12, 2013, 03:41:22 PM
Great advice Dallas.

Mike
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Postie Bob on March 12, 2013, 08:26:23 PM
Thanks for all the good input fella,s .
I removed cover and adjusted the fork so that the throwout bearing just cleared the pressure plate . Took up the slack in the linkage , and when the pedal is floored the clutch plate spins freely . You Beauty  :) .
However , the pedal has to be just about on the floor before it disengages . I can,t work out where all the slack is . It,s like the cable is made of rubber .
With the pedal on the floor it only has to come up approx 40mm and I,m away .
Gotta just love those hydraulic ones .
Cheers , Bob.
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: BeerBeddy on March 13, 2013, 08:05:37 AM
Glad to hear you have it working Bob.

The 'long' pedal you describe is usually due to adjustment. The throw out bearing should have about 1 to 3mm free travel from the pressure plate, no more. Assuming that you have everything adjusted correctly as you described, other reasons can be flexing in the clutch fork, wrong thrust bearing fitted (too short), excessive machining of the flywheel from years of use and weak diaphram springs in the pressure plate or simply the manufacturer of the clutch ket. They all have different spring rates.There are probably others but these are the most common problems.

Regardless, go and enjoy the beddy while its working. I wish I could but mine is not ready for the road yet. Soon I hope.

Dallas

Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: Rothu on March 14, 2013, 07:37:18 AM
I had this situation with mine and broke 4 clutch cables before I found what it was. Where the clutch cable goes through the firewall, it continually weakened the thin metal until it was pulling in when you push the pedal down.
The fix was to get a nice thick steel plate, drill a hole for the cable, and firmly mount it to the firewall. Use BIG washers to extend the cable back from the firewall so that there is the tiniest bit of slack on the pedal, enabling it to be fully depressed. And Bingo, I've never had a problem with it since.
Title: Re: Clutch woes
Post by: BeerBeddy on March 14, 2013, 09:14:20 AM
Yep that is another possiblity, firewall flex. I recall the X series Falcons had the same problem and we fixed that by drilling a hole for the cable in a plate and welding it to the firewall.

Seems manufacturers don't learn from others mistakes, perhaps we can!

Dallas
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