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MG MGB Technical - Clutch adjustment

I tend to find that my car is difficult to get into first gear when idling at 1000rpm or less. To get it into gear Ive to rev the engine slightly. Also, it always crunches quite badly going into reverse. This tells me that the clutch isn't fully disengaging. Is there a way to adjust the clutch? The haynes manual says nothing about it.
Ross Kelly

Ross, The only way to adjust the MG clutch is to replace any worn clevis pins and out of round holes in the under dash linkage as well as the clutch cross shaft in the bell housing. After rectifying these wear points the only thing left is to purge ALL of the air from the hydralic system. Ray
RAY

Ross, when you change into reverse, shift into 1st then swiftly into reverse. see if that makes any difference?
K Harris

Personally, I'd rather make sure there is no air in the system first, and only then look at the linkages at the pedal end it it still crunches. The design of the hydraulic system takes account of any wear at the clutch end so you can ignore the pivots at the slave and push-rod. As well as the pedal and the master push-rod ovalling the clevis-pin gets wear grooves, I reckon mine were accounting for an inch of pedal movement.

Nudging it towards a forward gear before going into reverse is to overcome the baulking that afflicts these gearboxes, not the crunching, that is being caused by clutch drag.
Paul Hunt 2

My clutch slave cylinder is leaking. Thats my problem. I wouldn't mind but the previous owner had replaced it cause he gave me all the receipts he had and one was for a slave cylinder.
Ross Kelly

I've just had to replace the slave cylinder on my car, I seem to have to do this every two years or so. They don't seem to last that long which isn't helped by their exposed position under the car. If the piston and bore are in serviceable condition you can fit a new seal kit - part number GRK 4016.

I now keep a spare slave cylinder in my personal 'parts store' along with a brake slave cylinder and other routine service items.
Mike BGT

You shouldn't be having to replace the clutch slave every two years, that implies problems elsewhere. One duff replacement I can understand, but mot a series, unless you are buying them from the same source and they are the same age i.e. a duff batch. What is the reason for replacement, fluid leakage?

I still have the clutch master, slave and flex hose that were on the roadster when I bought it 19 years and 25k miles ago. The V8 has done 75k in 15 years in my ownership, I did replace the clutch slave and flex hose a few years ago when I had to replace the master, but only as a precaution, not out of neccessity.
Paul Hunt 2

Well the one thats in my car was only in it for around 2 years as well and didn't exactly clock up a lot of mileage. Can anyone recommend a good supplier of clutch slave cylinders then? Sussex classic car parts do one for £27.49, which seems reasonable.
Ross Kelly

FWIW, I had repeated problems with leakage in my slave cylinder. Replaced it 2x in 2 yrs. Upon the second replacement, I had an impossible time getting all the air out. Turned out that the spring inside the master was broken midway, and the two halves had wound inside eachother to make effectively a half length spring. New spring into the master and all is perfect again. Don't know if the lack of return of the master piston forced fluid out of the slave as things warmed up, but I suppose it is possible that the slaves were fine, and it was the problem in the master all along.

I offer that in case it is helpful.

Erick
Erick Vesterback

Clutch slave cylinder £19.95

http://www.britnett-carver.co.uk/mgpartsuk/prods/2338.html

They claim to be recommended-
http://www.britnett-carver.co.uk/mgpartsuk/aboutus.html
Geoff E

I know those people but I haven't bought anything off them since they split off from Bromsgrove MG, which had all sorts of problems. Yes you can get cheap, but what brand are they? The question was about getting a good one, not a cheap one.
Paul Hunt 2

Interesting looking at the MG Parts UK site. The grille in the banner shows what looks like more original looking badge than we are used to on this side of the pond. It would have been nice if they had a photo of it by itself on their site, but it is more hopeful than our prospects over here of getting a authentic part.
Bob Muenchausen

This thread was discussed between 21/04/2008 and 27/04/2008

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