Help! Clutch gone

[WhyTwo]

Just got in the Cerb to go out for a blat and the clutch has gone. Nothing under my foot. It was fine a week ago when I last drove it. Sat in a lot of traffic, did some fast A roads, 100+ miles, nothing unusual. Get in today and it's gone???

Could it be the cable? or fluid? or worse? It had new slave cylinder in May from Dulffords prior to me buying it.

Trouble is my garage is narrow and at the bottom of a steep drive so without a couple of people to push it out I can't even look to see if it's leaked fluid.

Gonna call the RAC out in the meantime

[robsco]

Have you checked down the length of the clutch pedal and in the driver's footwell for leaks?

[Gazzab]

I'd check the resevoir - if thats empty then a top up will probably give you a few goes.
You can also check for black bits to see if its your seals that have perished.

[WhyTwo]

Just checked, no sign of leaks in the foot weel. Clutch pdeal is clean

Following the handbook guide to where the clutch fluid resevoir is I took of the top part of engine bay trim to reveal nothing. Is it under the engine trim that contains the brake fluid resevoir? If so how the hell do you get to that?

[sonnylad]

Its under the scuttle panel hidden beneath a black plastic looking dome that should be sealed around the edges with black mastic.

[pmessling]

yes very close to that the dome looking black cover that is stuck on and with two screws.

[.Mark]

Sounds exactly the same as mine. Slave cylinder seals. I know you've said they have recently been done, but could be faulty.

[C3BER]

I could never work out why TVR put it under a sealed cover

[WhyTwo]

.Mark said:

Sounds exactly the same as mine. Slave cylinder seals. I know you've said they have recently been done, but could be faulty.

In a way that's good news as I guess they should be under warranty as only 3 months and >2k miles old. On the downside the garage is 130 miles away as this was done by the previous owner and not my local specialist. Wonder if the RAC will low load it down there for me?

C3BER said:

I could never work out why TVR put it under a sealed cover

I agree it seems ridiculous but then coming from a Tuscan which has 4 bolts to unscrew before you lift the bonnet off, nothing surprises me!

Looks like I'm out of the RR day tomorrow. I've been really looking fwd to that as well. Birthday weekend, kids away, hoon in the Cerb planned with some other Tivs, RR day with a load of other Cerbs, all in the toilet now. I feel very pissed off

[Gazzab]

But you may be ok for a few days if you can top up fluid.
The warranty thing wouldnt seem worth it even if its covered. It shouldnt be too expensive to sort.

[WhyTwo]

If I could get to the resevoir it might be an option. Do I just have to cut through the seal?

[Gazzab]

Yeah just but through the black mastic stuff. I have done this before but probably 8 years ago so I forget how I did it.
Have you tried pumping the clutch pedal etc as well. If it has a air in it then it might operate after a few pumpy poos.

[WhyTwo]

Ok I got to the reservoir - what a stupid design! And guess what its empty. Checked inside again and its damp up by the firewall so looks like master cylinder. Is that better or worse than the slave? Easier to replace I guess?

[.Mark]

Sounds like master seals possibly. I did look around mine when it started arsing about but no idea how you get to the bottom bolt that holds it on - is there a bottom bolt?

[Nigelbs1]

.Mark said:

Sounds like master seals possibly. I did look around mine when it started arsing about but no idea how you get to the bottom bolt that holds it on - is there a bottom bolt?

Undo the bottom bolt from the drivers foot well, be carful the bolt doesnt fall out the master cylinder.

[arebrec]

WhyTwo said:

Looks like I'm out of the RR day tomorrow. I've been really looking fwd to that as well. Birthday weekend, kids away, hoon in the Cerb planned with some other Tivs, RR day with a load of other Cerbs, all in the toilet now. I feel very pissed off

that's a shame, hope you get it sorted soon with not too much hassle....

feel free to pop down anyway, I know it's not the same without the Cerb but should still be a good day!

[Mad Mark]

C3BER said:

I could never work out why TVR put it under a sealed cover

If it's not sealed water can get in and you have a wet drivers footwell.

[.Mark]

Nigelbs1 said:

.Mark said:

Sounds like master seals possibly. I did look around mine when it started arsing about but no idea how you get to the bottom bolt that holds it on - is there a bottom bolt?

Undo the bottom bolt from the drivers foot well, be carful the bolt doesnt fall out the master cylinder.

Really? Never thought to look upwards. Assumed the inner (double inner) wing bit was a sealed unit.

Cheers for the info not a lot of use to me as it seems my slave cylinder seals are FUBAR'd

[Tanguero]

WhyTwo said:

Ok I got to the reservoir - what a stupid design! And guess what its empty. Checked inside again and its damp up by the firewall so looks like master cylinder. Is that better or worse than the slave? Easier to replace I guess?

That's a lot better than the slave having gone. A new master cylinder costs about 30 quid and wont take more than an hour to replace.

[C3BER]

Mad Mark said:

If it's not sealed water can get in and you have a wet drivers footwell.

Maybe a lip to stop water getting in like there is on each spark plug hole on the S6 would be a far better idea. Or fibreglass a thread so you can have a screw lid with ptf tape to stop water dripping or pouring in.