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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - 1275 Clutch

I'm looking for assistance and expertise!! I can't get the air out of the clutch.

I've replace both master & slave cyls, I use a mini slave which I've had on the car for about five years.

But found that the fluid in the masters cylinder was black and the slave was leaking after doing a rally.

I use a mini slave because I purchased one by mistake, fitted it and worked perfectly and easier to bleed.

I've tried two man bleed, gravity, gunson Esibleed, running a tube from the slave to the master and pumping and even a cheap one man bleed kit but still no clutch.
The car is on axle stands at the same height front and rear after the engine change - any ideas?


Peter King

Is the slave pushrod moving when you push the pedal? lie underneath and check while someone presses. It may be that the clutch has bled perfectly but the pushrod isn't throwing far enough. 1275 gearbox is quite sensitive when it comes to having the correct length pushrod. And don't forget to check the length of the master pushrod too. I bled my clutch (new master) for days and finally found that the new master pushrod wasn't as long as the old so it was not throwing far enough.

If it is air, the best way to bleed is to take the slave off the bellhousing and let it hang vertically, push the pushrod in as far as it will go then tie it off with some wire. This ensures that there's a minimum of space in the slave for fluid/air and any air will rise to the top where the bleed nipple now is.

Graeme
graeme jackson

No need to remove the slave.

Push the rod into the slave as far as it can go. Fix it there. Doing that expels the trapped air in the slave.

Then bleed as normal.

Release rod, and pump pedal.

Assuming both master and slave have good seals, that will fix it.
Lawrence Slater

If you dangle the slave under the car it's a damn sight easier to get at the bleed nipple than trying to do it through the footwell.
graeme jackson

Its a darn sight more comfortable doing it all in the engine compartment by fitting a remote bleed.
Alan
Alan Anstead

Remote bleed with cap on nipple.
Alan


Alan Anstead

"""the fluid in the masters cylinder was black and the slave was leaking after doing a rally""

Your not dealing with a bleeding air out issue

If you have black fluid and its leaking after replacement, id say you have some deeper issues.

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

And you can only dangle the slave, if you have the earlier type, with a circlip that holds the piston in.

If you have the later type slave (no circlip), the piston will be pushed right out of the slave when you press the pedal, because there will be no opposing pressure from the clutch on the slave rod.

Echo Alan about the remote bleed nipple. Very neat that Alan. I think I might have a spare junction like that, so I might convert the remote bleed on my midget to the same method as yours.
Lawrence Slater

Prop,

Unfortunately you've got the wrong end of the stick.
I've changed both components for the reason I stated,
black fluid and leaking slave.
But thanks anyway.
Peter King

Lawrence. You missed my comment "push the pushrod in as far as it will go then tie it off with some wire".

Alan. I like your solution - you should market that as a kit.
graeme jackson

Graeme, if the pushrod is still attached to the clutch arm you may well run out of movement before the piston is fully depressed down the bore, especially as the OP is using the wrong slave cylinder.
David Smith

So I did graeme. :).
Lawrence Slater

This thread was discussed between 21/05/2015 and 22/05/2015

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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