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MG MGB Technical - Quinton Hazell clutch cover

OK, before anybody starts regurgitating horror stories that they've heard, or read about, I'm only interested in FIRST HAND knowledge. I've read through the archives already. What I'm interested in hearing is if anybody can report success stories using a Qinton Hazell clutch cover.

Anybody?...Anybody?...Beuller?
Andy Bounsall

I've recently fitted a complete q&h clutch to my '70' 1800cc 'B' and have driven approx 200 mile with no problems. Why do you ask? have you heard any horror stories about q&h parts? they've always had a good reputation here

Mike
m j slater

Mike, I found that several threads in the archive where people had said not to use a QH clutch, but very few of the comments seemed to be based on first hand experience. I'm rebuildng an early 5 main 1800 to put in my MGA and will be swapping in a B clutch at the same time. I have a QH clutch cover available to me and am trying to decide whether or not to use it.
Andy Bounsall

Andy,

I have had a Borg and Beck clutch friction plate and a Q&H friction plate in hand at the same time within the last couple of years. They were identical down to the makers mark, the only diference being a white ink part no stamp on them. I am as sure as I can be that they came off of the same production line.

Iain
67 BGT
I D Cameron

I installed a QH clutch assembly into my 68 GT when I restored it back in 1988. By 1992 I heard growling from the clutch when I depressed the pedal and it only got worse. I bit the bullet, pulled the engine and trans, and discovered that the T/O bearing had gone bad and I had both a broken finger on the pressure plate AND broken rivet on the friction plate. This with less than 20K miles on the clutch assembly.

I replaced the QH stuff with an AP Borg and Beck kit and drove this setup from 1992 until last November when the carbon T/O bearing finally wore through as seen in the photo attached. This was after 75K miles. The pressure plate had two slightly damaged fingers, but the friction plate still had many miles left in it. FWIW.

RK Muenchausen

BTW, All that crud inside the bellhousing? From a combination of engine oil and graphite (and god only knows what else). The oil was not from a rear main leak, or a first shaft oil leak, but came from oil spraying into the bellhousing because the rubber plug for the rear engine plate had fallen out and I did not notice it missing (for a long time, apparently). I mention this because plugging that hole is obviously pretty important and probably worth a New plug when working on this part of the car. No need for anyone else to repeat my mistake!
RK Muenchausen

Hello,

I fitted QH clutch to my B-GT and TR6 in the past, never faced any drawbacks. For graphite release bearings, there are recent topics of failure but not related to QH, cause by poor craftmanship.
But no matter of provenance a graphite release bearing is a weak part andif you hold clutch pedal down at red light, it could be worn in few months with such behaviour.

Cheers,

Jean
Jean Guy Catford

I think it was in the mgoc magazine there is now a bearing instead of carbon version availible
m j slater

M J

Yes it was in the October 2008 issue of Enjoying MG



DK McNeill

I bought a roller bearing from the MGOC when I replaced my clutch in the early 90s. Soon after it started wittering as it took up or released the pressure, but fortunately it hasn't got any worse. Wouldn't buy another one, I'm not going to leave an old one in there the next time I have to change the clutch, and carbon bearings easily last the life of a friction plate if you don't ride the pedal or sit at traffic lights with it down. The one exception was a batch of carbon bearings that had the carbon pinned into the housing rather than bonded, and these used to break up in short order. However they rightly have been consigned to the bin marked 'nice idea, shame about the practice'. Pinned bearings are easily identifiable as the roll-pin goes through the side of the casting, see the attached.

Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 27/03/2009 and 30/03/2009

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