MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG TD TF 1500 - Clutch Plate Failure

A friend of mine has a TD. The driven clutch plate shed a spring which jammed the pressure plate making it impossible to disengage the clutch.

Can anyone suggest the cause of this failure & has it been seen before ?.

My friend has owned the car for 15 years & has not had need to look at the clutch till now.

Thanks in anticipation,

Tony

A L SLATTERY

After 15 years, maybe metal failure on the spring?
Is it in several pieces?
Have not seen this except when "popping" the clutch at high rev.
M Grogan

Common wear and tear issue with clutch plates, springs become loose and rattle wearing away the retaining lands. Often failure of the spigot bearing or bush enhances the possibility of failure. 4WD Fords have high rates of failures of the spigot bearing with resultant damage to the gearbox input shaft and clutch plate.

Ask me I know $A5000 parts bill to repair my 4WD clutch and transmission.
G Evans

Hi Tony,

Two of the other springs would have soon also been cast out because the image shows two other bent metal retainers are starting to disintegrate. (That is without seeing the other side.) I would suspect that the plate was fatigued by a lot of miles and last time was relined when it should have been replaced. (So I agree with Evans and Grogan.) Most plates I see nowadays are four spring. Replacement with a NEW plate should solve the problem.

Bob Schapel
R L Schapel

Tony,
How many miles are on the clutch ?? From what I can see in the photo, it looks quite warn... They don't last for ever..

Steve
Steve Wincze

I have never seen this on an MG but had it happen twice on my 1984 GM S-10. It had a V6 with five speed. At about 7000 miles one day I could not push clutch pedal down. One of the springs in the disc itself had lodged behind the pressure plate
Replaced total unit and it reoccured about 4000 miles later.
It took a real fine time to happen as I was 500 miles from home on a long weekend(labor day)
I had a Jaguar 120 on the trailer. I drove the entire distance home without a clutch. It was a funfilled voyage. North Georgia to west central Florida.
Tampa Bay Clutch and Brake supplied an aftermarket unit that proved the best by far.
The GM-S-10 with over 150000 miles is still doing good.
Sandy
st

Been there, done that on my TF1250. Same sort of failure, due I imagine to fatigue of the steel that retains the springs. At least two other springs were near the point of departure. I agree that long usage is the basic issue. I was lucky enough to be able to continue driving and using the clutch for a long run back from the North Island to Christchurch.

The replacement clutch plate is similar and works well.

David
DavePro

As well as the 11 o'clock and 4 o'clock springs having parts of their outer retaining flaps missing, the spring at 8 o'clock appears to have all it's outer retaining flap missing, so that could have been the next to come adrift. In addition, the 4 o'clock and 6 o'clock springs seem to have worn slots in the main plate.
I suspect a substandard plate, or too many racing starts.
R A WILSON

Talk about timing ...

I broke a clutch rod back in July and repaired it (see another thread), However, I suspect that the sudden release of the clutch caused further damage to my 300,000+ mile original clutch, and a few days ago it let go completely, I'm in the process of replacing my entire clutch assembly, and suspect that the symptoms, described here by Tony Slattery, are all too familiar.

If my 83 yr-old back will allow me, I should have the motor out tomorrow and will report back.

Also, can't find my pilot shaft. Any suggestions?

Gord Clark
Rockburn, Qué.
Gord Clark

Gord

A lot of clutch kits contain not only the pressure plate and disk they also contain an alignment tool. Some suppliers also have the alignment tool listed separately.

If you get stuck marvelous how effective a piece of broomstick and a wood rasp can be.

Graeme
G Evans

http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=37673
George Butz

This thread was discussed between 31/08/2016 and 03/09/2016

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG TD TF 1500 BBS now