Possible clutch slip issue.

[Boddney]

Hi gang,
It's been a while since I've posted on here as my little Roxie has been garaged for over a year but I have still been on here reading.

Anyway, got her all road legal this month and took her out for her first drive last night. I drove about 20 miles to a friends party (all was well) and on leaving decided to do a little show boating and booted it away from the car park in a bit of a wheel spin. Upon changing in to second and dumping the clutch it slipped for what seemed like ages but still drove and picked up speed through the gear and then engaged properly and accelerated hard as it should. As I changed to third I stopped booting it as the slip had caught me out a bit and made me a little concerned. Does this sound to you like the clutch is on it's way out or can this be caused lazy cylinders or gunk on the shaft/release bearing?
Has anyone else had this after a long lay up even though I took her up and down the road each month and took her up to temperature?

Cheers,
Bod

[Lauren]

Try booting it at say 30mph in third and see if it slips.

If it does the clutch is likely on the way out. Other causes are contamination on the clutch plate like oil etc, though these tend not be so common. Either way if it slips the outcome will be a new clutch.

The clutch plate is engaged by springs. These can weaken over time too.

Any problem with the hydraulics will cause you problems releasing the clutch rather than engaging it.

[PW@Woodsport]

If the slave cylinder is sticking after its long lay up it might not be fully engaging the clutch when you lift the pedal, so inspect that and see if the clutch arm fully retracts, it's a shot in the dark but the only thing i can think of that would be affected by a long lay up.

Other than that, yeah.... you need a new clutch.

[Boddney]

Thanks for the replys guys, I did a bleed of the system yesterday but didn't have a chance to take it up the road. The fluid looked nice and clean when you look through the peep hole in the frunk but it looked to have a dark patch at the bottom so I sucked some out before the bleed. Have a look.



Is this just crap from over the years or may be just wear from the seals or a bit of both?

Anyway, during the bleed I let it run dry twice, (it really is a pain having the reservoir at the front) but I think that helped give the pipe a proper wash through. I'll give her a thrash today and see what happens.
I think I know in my heart I'm going to have to put a new clutch in her.

Never a dull moment with old cars.

[LimeyMk1]

Not too difficult a job to change the clutch if you can get a couple of buddies to help with lifting the gearbox back up. Scaffold bar with one man at either end and strops/ropes round the gearbox.

But as Paul said check the slave cylinder piston, when you bleed the system it doesn't move much. You should be able to push the rod back into the slave housing by hand, it's a little difficult on the 2 due to the position of the cylinder and length of the pipe work but you can make it easier by cracking the bleed nipple open.

[Boddney]

Success. All is well. After the thorough bleeding session she now pulls like a dream. I'm still unable to wheel spin on tarmac but I believe that's normal due to the weight on the rear wheels and only having 107.7 bhp.
Gear change is now excellent with instant drive on clutch release.

Well happy and thanks for your input.

Bod

[PW@Woodsport]

Bleeding can't have rectified the fault as that would only improve the disengagement of the clutch, for it to be slipping you had the opposite, so it must have been a sticky slave and the pedal pumping has freed it off.

Success either way.