Clutch or Slave Cylinder? (2001 Tuscan)

[Chipmonkadidooda]

Hi,

I wonder if anyone could give me some guidance and knowledge before I take my 2001 Tuscan 3.6 to my TVR mechanic to probably get ripped off. I've developed a problem with the clutch, but want to know before I turn up if it is the clutch that's the problem or the slave cylinder as obviously the cost will differ (Although I know both are a bugger to replace anyway). It is the original clutch from being born - The car's done 35k.

When the car's sat in my garage ignition off it goes through all the gears without a problem: 1st through to reverse. Once the ignition is on however it's a different story. The clutch pedal resistance feels as normal, but I cannot get the car into any gear - 1st, 2nd and reverse particularly worse than another. Reverse gear is met with a crunching of the gears. I can, with great force get it into 1st gear and it drives, but changing gear is equally difficult without a lot of force. I've checked the fluid levels behind the pedals and it's full. The fluid was changed the last time the car was serviced (only about 1000 miles ago if that)

I have contacted two separate TVR garages who both say it is the clutch, but they would naturally say that. Just wanted to be sure the general consensus would agree with that phone triage!

Thanks

[gordonsalive]

If you have got 35k out of it then the chances are its shot or very near to being, I would just be making sure I got the right advice on which indie to take it to, plenty of recommendations on here. Good Luck

[nawarne]

^^^What they said.
35K miles on an original clutch is pretty good going.

I take it all the comments "ignition on" mean that the engine is running?

Classic symptoms of fubar'd slave IMO.
Nick

[rhyspw]

Yep above sounds right. Replace both slave and clutch at the same time otherwise you run the risk of the other failing later. It's an easy job if you are just a bit handy with a set of spanners.....

[Basil Brush]

If there's no fluid leaking and it doesn't get better with pumping the pedal then it sounds like the clutch fingers snapping.

[NTEL]

Could be either the slave or the fingers have fell off or both, either way its a box out job. At 35K I would be changing the lot anyway if the box is out. I have 37K on my clutch but luckily I have no issues. The first sign of trouble though it will all be renewed as I know I'm probably on borrowed time

[Noisy]

Sounds to me like a broken finger on the clutch, it’s fairly typical once a few have gone not to be able to disengage the clutch anymore, one other thing worth checking in the master cylinder, if the seals start to go in there then you can no longer get gets but normally you'd feel less resistance on the pedal. If you are paying someone its best to do clutch and slave as a package, with 35k on them you don't want to replace one then next month be back in paying all the labour again to do the other.

[nawarne]

Master cylinder failed on mine. Left me stranded outside the dentists - !!

Bit of a swine to get to as its behind the pedal box, have to mount it and connect hydraulics 'by feel'.
Nick

[Alright Ted]

35k - original clutch?? Do you just go round & round the M25 at night? I think its done amazingly well. To put things in context:

I am very sympathetic with the clutch on my Tuscan - never leave it in gear in traffic, never gets raced, never goes out when roads are busy. Had the same issue as you last weekend - can get it in gear but very difficult & crunches on reverse, even after being in 5th first. When was my clutch last replaced? 6.5k ago. Slave cylinder replaced 2k ago.

Furious

[350Matt]

one thing to note is the clutch fingers only snap if the pedal is over stroking

its the same on the cerbs - where the stroke of the slave cylinder is sufficient to push the fingers well past the point required to open the clutch

if you fit a pedal stop so the you can only push the pedal so far - ie just enough to open the clutch and no more then clutch fingers will last a lot lot longer

[Andy Pandie]

Mine is up to 35k now and still on the original clutch, however..............the release bearing has been grumbling since September last year and the clutch is starting to drag now, if the revs are not spot on i.e. no loading through the box, it's a fight to get it out of gear, guess fingers?

As I'm not using her much over winter I'm hoping to last out until the New Year, but if it goes then it's a smaller turkey for Christmas

[stubop]

All this talk about hard to get into gear and fingers snapping make me feel as though i'm blessed. Current clutch has 26k on it and its started to slip under load. Did the slave around 3k ago clutch looked ok at the time so saved my pennies for a rainy day. No help to the op but just adding my experience.