The V8 Owners Forum -

Ahoy !
Aware that this can be a problem after long time standing (5+ years) but I can get it to turn over slowly on starter,
in gear, with clutch depressed and brakes locked. Pretty sure I bled correctly; used 6ft length of clear pipe hooked to ceiling !
Assume that drive plate is sticking on splines and partially free ? Any suggestions ? I like the bloke who drilled hole saw hole in his
bell housing ! Kit car, not on road.

I used to get this when my car was put away over winter.

I would put in in neutral and start the engine, no way would it go into gear.
So once engine warmed, I would turn engine off, put it in gear, pump clutch then put pedal right to floor.
And start it.

It would jump forward a few feet before the clutch would break free.

Nerve racking the first time but no great drama after that. But better if you had some space in front of the car

Ian

I had this once, but the van was road legal. Drove it down my road at a quiet time - after warming the engine, the starter would start the car in gear. Drove with the clutch pedal down in 1st gear, on and off the throttle, and it eventually freed with a bang.

If the pedal feels normal and you think the plate is stuck....

Are there any access holes at all through the bellhousing ? If you can get a small flat screwdriver in, have someone press down the pedal, and then usually you can access a few windows around the pressure plate and gently prise the disc away from whichever surface it is stuck to. You may not get it all, but once a few bits are released, the rest will soon follow if you try and drive.

Also ! Should have said as it in a kit car the master cylinder is from an MGB !

Seem to have lost a post !
Tried a short sprint but frightened the gnomes ! Having thoughts it is a cracked clutch diaphragm as otherwise how can I have a clutch that slips when using starter and brakes on and in gear but does not disengage ?

time to take it apart !

Before taking apart I would try re bleeding it.
And is someone depresses clutch pedal fully check how much movement you get on the slave. Normal is around3/4 inch.

Slave and master may not be matched up so not getting enough movement or always having some pressure on the thrust bearing.

Ian

Had difficult splitting box (separate post) and have come to conclusion that the original reason for entering swamp has raised its head and the prob. is the driven plate jammed on the gearbox input shaft. Any other suggestions ? Will have to drill hole saw hole and remove pressure plate securing screws ! Fun, fun, fun !

If it was stuck on the splines, yes that could cause similar problems too.

I presume you can somehow access the pressure plate bolts to undo them to remove the box that way ?

Some crackin' ideas but you haven't heard the best bit ! Cut 30mm hole saw in bottom of bell housing and undid the 5/16" set screws by turning flywheel with screw driver. (Ratchet spanners invaluable ! Noticed driven plate centre over hanging splines ! Clue ?
Large crowbar and Plus Gas and copper hammer tapping nose of input shaft. No go. Blowlamp. Ditto ! Cut plate apart with 1mm small cutting discs. (Magic !) Used half cup gear puller. Success but very well stuck ! Looked at splines, square on shaft, tapered on plate. Wrong driven plate and by the look of it, wrong pressure plate. Some people ! The Plonker must have driven the plate on when bolting up gearbox ! StevieTurbo hit the nail between the eyes ! Thanks.

I think we need pics of this !! lol

Is it the wrong combination of clutch and gearbox? Are there part numbers on the clutch so you check what is actually for?

'Lisson vera carefolly ! I vill say this onle wonce !'
The bits of the driven plate have been retrieved from the recycle bin; they were very small by the time I was finished and bear the following :-
"Schwungradsette - Flywheel side - 50052 "
The pressure plate looks more 'saucepan shaped' than the replacement and only states "GKN Laycock and a Patt.No 860966" which may or not be a part number.
Suspect the driven plate is Luk ? (Used to work for the importer a million years ago !) and therefore is different to the driver which must be UK ?

Even though I suspected a previous owner was a 'plonker' and three of the bellhousing bolts were missing, I didn't split the gearbox off even though I had the body off. But there again who tries to run a driven plate down the input splines before replacing a clutch pack ?

I'm curious about how he managed to force the gearbox onto the wrong splines? But we'll likely never know.