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MG MGB Technical - Clutch Slave perhaps?

After starting my '70 BGT for the first time a number of months ago, I found that my clutch would only sometimes work when I tried to drive it around my driveway. it seems that the first few times I try to engage/disengage the clutch, it works fine, but then when I go to actually MOVE the car in gear, the clutch will either get stuck disengaged or won't engage. if it won't engage, I cannot depress the pedal without considerable effort. could this be the fault of my clutch slave? I just ordered a new brake master (brake fluid runs down my brake pedal) and I ordered a slave rebuild kit with it. any input?
Chris

one quick note, I can only assume that the master is working as I snagged it from another B which it worked on.
Chris

If you're going to rebuild the slave anyway then why rebuild the master and change the flexible hose too. Then you'll know the hydraulic system is A1 and any remaining problem must be mechanical.
Miles Banister

When you rebuild the slave cylinder, replace the flex hose as well. It's been said on this BBS that the rubber starts to come apart on the inside of the hose, and can block the fluid going either way. That sounds like what you have going. Don't forget to flush the system carefully, as little pieces of rubber may have made their way into the steel line or even up into the master cylinder.
Matt Kulka

and bleeding them can be a bear..try this..

Reverse Bleed Technique for Clutch
Empty system of fluid completely. Get inexpensive pump style oil can or “oiler” with tip that will permit a small plastic hose to slide on (or cut off any big honking end fitting). Fill with brake/clutch fluid. Put plastic tube on and the other end on the slave cylinder nipple. Leave top off clutch master cylinder and have someone watch while you do this so you don’t overfill and have it run over. Open nipple with wrench and pump fluid back up through system when master reservoir full, hold pump handle down and close nipple.

5 minutes and done. Something about pumping up that precludes air staying in system
J.T. Bamford

I've used a gunsons EeziBleed to reverse-fill the clutch system from the slave nipple and didn't need to bleed it either. But you don't need to completely fill the system this way, just until you can see fluid half-way up the reservoir or so, then top-off in the normal way.
Paul Hunt

Chris. I, too, have used the reverse bleeding process with good success. I would also agree with those who suggest replacing the rubber hose from the hard line to the slave cylinder. There is also a copper washer involved, fitted between the flex line and the slave cylinder. Order a new one of them when you order the flex line. The old ones can be annealed and reused--sometimes. But, if there are pits or ridges, the seal is not guaranteed and the replacement copper washers are not expensive.

Under the conditions I remember you obtaining the car, I would not, necessarily, assume the hydraulic system is the culprit. As I remember it, the car had been sitting, exposed, for some significant period of time. One easy thing to do is to pull the slave cylinder, after removing the cotter pin/split pin and clevis pin, then try to move the clutch fork frontwards and backwards. There could be internal binding of the clutch fork to the transmission or the throwout bearing to the clutch fork involved.

Have you replace the clutch assembly? (I do not remember.) A rusty pressure plate could also be difficult to move and stick in position when moved. If this is the original clutch, I would have some serious reservations about simply rebuilding the hydraulic system and having a functional car. Les
Les Bengtson

This thread was discussed between 16/06/2004 and 18/06/2004

MG MGB Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGB Technical BBS is active now.