RV8 Flywheel Rusting

[Ian Anderson]

Is there a way to stop this?

I started the GT40 again yesterday - do it every couple of weeks over the winter and take her up to temperature to ensure oil etc is where it should be!

But yesterday I did as normal and tried to engage gears - no go.
Stopped engine and selected gears - no problem
Started again and again no gears

So I stopped the engine - selected 3rd depressed the clutch and turned the key - jump forward followed by ability to select gears.

So I presume the pressure plate or flywheel has rusted and gripped the friction plate - sure been damp weather and probably excellent for rust but in 3 weeks?

I held the car on the handbrake and slipped the clutch in forward and reverse gears so hopefully knocked all the rust off.

But is there a way to stop this happening again?

And if I had not done this yeaterday it would have probably ment gearbox out!

Ian

[kiwicar]

you can try jamming the clutch peddle down when it is stopped, used to work on my midget (for about 3 months at a time, I left it 4 months once and had it stick. Otherwise you have to start it more often. You could try bags of silica jell jammed behind the cover on the bell housing, but I don't think you'll get them in. Or a sump heater plugged into the mains like they do in scandi countries, that will keep it warm and stop condensation, could even try one of those oil filled 100 watt tube radiators under the bell housing, put it on a timer so it comes on at night , it does hit you in the wallet eventually though.
Best regards
Mike

[topcatcustom]

How about greasing up the flywheel?

[kev_the_mole]

Dehumidifier in garage?

[stevieturbo]

What type of friction plate do you have ? I'd say its more down to that than the flywheel itself.

Is the car stored in a very damp area ?

[Ian Anderson]

Pass on friction plate - it was purchased as a part built car

Damp - it's in a garage but the recent cold and snow etc all the area feels damp lawn is squelchy etc.

I don't get this problem in the summer when I drive it more often and the weather is warmer.

Ian

[DEVONMAN]

Ideally the garage needs to be just 1 degree above the outside temperature. Not alway practical I know.

The problem is that when the metal items in the garage get cold over night and then you open the garage door when the outside air temp has risen, the outside air rushes in and condenses on all the cold metal parts.
This is why metal parts near the floor of a seemingly dry garage will rust because they are colder than say those higher up on a shelf.

Keeping the garage the same temp as outside will help by some form of ventilation.
Or, minimise the number of times you open the doors in the morning to look at that wonderful motor.


My son's garage which is a lockup suffers from the problem whereas mine being attached to the house has no problem.

Regards Denis

[kiwicar]

Hi Ian
so no problem there, either extend the central heating into the garage, or put an up and over door on the living room and move the car in there, you could use the roof as a coffee table and still see the telly over the top of it
Best regards
Mike

[DEVONMAN]

Hi Ian
so no problem there, either extend the central heating into the garage, or put an up and over door on the living room and move the car in there, you could use the roof as a coffee table and still see the telly over the top of it
Best regards
Mike

Nice one Mike,
But seriously though, another thing to avoid is moving the car out of a cold garage and later reparking it unless you intend to drive it and warm it up.

Regards Denis

[davemgb]

Might be worth trying a car cover that reaches the floor and a 40 watt tungsten bulb under the car, of course the weather will warm up soon and you'll forget about the problem till next year....

[Ian Anderson]

Might be worth trying a car cover that reaches the floor and a 40 watt tungsten bulb under the car, of course the weather will warm up soon and you'll forget about the problem till next year....

Correct

I'll forget about it until it rusts on again

Ian