Advice on some clutch woes please!

[Flyingtiger]

Had the car for just over a month now, thought it was just me needing to get used to the car but not so sure now

Set up: Tiger Supercat, 2.0 Zetec, type 9 5 speed box. OBP floor mount pedal box

When pressing the pedal down the clutch intermittently makes a whirring sound and sometimes (not always) the clutch is still dragging with full pedal down, meaning either loaded engine when I’m stopped or I can’t select a gear

There was loads of slack on the cable so that was my deduction – can’t press the pedal down enough. Pulled more cable through the cleat on the pedal and adjusted so virtually no play but still have the issue.

My best guess is the noise sounds like the spring fingers on the pressure plate, so either that’s playing up or the thrust bearing may have gone.

I know this is one of those ‘how long is the string …’ questions but before I pull out the lump, if anyone has any wise words or experience of this, I’d love to hear please!

Also, which is easier for engine/box removal – lift or drop?

I await the banter …

cheers all.

Mike

[Nash]

Hi Mike, couple of questions:

1. Having pulled the cable through, have you also adjusted the clutch on the clutch end to ensure the clutch fully disengages when the pedal is pressed?

2. Do you have a lever extension on the end of the box now? If so is it worn? There is a bush that wears and can cause stickiness when selecting gears?

3. Has the clutch worked properly previously while you have had the car? i.e. has something changed?

...... Neil

[Flyingtiger]

Hi Mike, couple of questions:

1. Having pulled the cable through, have you also adjusted the clutch on the clutch end to ensure the clutch fully disengages when the pedal is pressed?

2. Do you have a lever extension on the end of the box now? If so is it worn? There is a bush that wears and can cause stickiness when selecting gears?

3. Has the clutch worked properly previously while you have had the car? i.e. has something changed?

...... Neil

Hi Neil:

1. will check again but seemed to be good when i made the adjustment, certainly pulling the clutch fork a lot further than before. Been reading up, seems the cable outer can sometimes compress so can't get full travel. I guess thats the same effect as the inner stretching

2. I think you mean the gear lever remote extension? yes i need to investigate, the tiger one doesn't get the best reviews! Rally design seems a good vote.

3. Clutch seemed OK to start with, has always been noisy and occasionally missing/can't select a gear but I thought is was my ham fisted approach after driving 'modern' cars for so long. Definitely getting progressively worse though which is why i tried to adjust the cable. hasn't made much difference though

My gut feeling is something is on it's way but will check the cable again - could be the cable is stretching/compressing so is back out of adjustment.

cheers for reading
mike

[Matth93]

One other thing to think about now you've adjusted it up are you sure it's not going too far, so pushing the fingers on the pressure plate into the drive plate which would cause a noise and also drag making you think it's not clearing

[ChrisL]

Not sure if it helps, but I had a play at adjusting the the pedal throw on my Tiger's clutch. I got it wrong so there wasn't enough throw which resulted in gear changes being poor, specifically when stationary going into 1st, 2nd was better and 3rd-5th were fine. This is a long way of saying 1st gets affected more by lack of throw than 5th!

Good luck
Chris

[Flyingtiger]

Been a long time i know, but found the problem!

2 of the 4 clutch plate springs had worked themselves out of the hub which explained the occasional rattling sound. Also, intermittently, they wedged themselves between the hub/plate and the friction plate, hence the dragging/ unable to select a gear when stationary. Luckily the flywheel was fine (except the wrong bolts were used for the pressure plate, 2 sheared off, apparently UNF thread is very close to metric! ). If you are near the Camberley area, thread doctor in Yately was brilliant.

I think I've got the bug as a simple clutch change turned into "whilst it's out" ...

plenty of oil leaks to clean up with new seals/gaskets where I could.
replaced the gear oil
new short shift gear lever - this combined with a new saddle which was missing completely before means a much nicer change.
new plate around the lower flywheel/bellhousing. hopefully no more mud in there.
new silicon hoses all round, cooling and breathing. flushed and new antifreeze.
Oil catch tank added plus oil/filter change
aligned alternator pulley correctly with the crank/waterpump.
new timing belt.
cleaned/primed/painted the frame in the engine bay, some surface corrosion.
tidied up the wiring in the engine bay and some dodgy panel work around the footwell.
Lots of tea and swearing ...

seemed to go OK, only a couple of washers/bolts left over! trouble powering up initially, sorted when i connected the wires to the starter correctly!

Been driving since May, (limited too much by work though), loving it!

Bloody MOT has run out now though, thought it was in Sept. Any recommendations where to go - Surry/Hants borders?

After that, looking to try a track day - any advice on where/who to book etc. appreciated. Also Join up for a run or 2 with you chaps ...

Had a red letter style thing at Dunsfold on Sat, drove an Atom - mmm ...

some before/afters below:

[Fury1630]

Looks good. For the MoT I've always taken kits (& all the family's other cars) to Silvester's on the Aldershot Road just outside Guildford. They are thorough - but sensible. Expect the MoT to last an hour & cost the full £55(?)

[andyf]

Yateley MOT did the Marlin a couple of times without any issues

[martinq357]

Hall Grove MOT opposite Longacres Garden centre just outside Bagshot on the A30 are really good and don't have any issue doing kit cars. Always taken my Cat there.

[Flyingtiger]

Yateley MOT did the Marlin a couple of times without any issues

Thanks Andy, did try as they are local but they couldn't book in quick enough. My fault for missing the due date . will bear in mind next year!

work is manic atm but maybe we could grab an hour or 2 for a drive sometime?