a Problem a day ! ... clutch now ! hehehehe

[brooksie]

ok .. so im sure you're all gonna get sick of me asking so many questions so i apoligise in advance !

After replacing the oil pressure relief spring yesterday all was good in my little Cerbera bubble ... driving into work this morning it became increasing difficult to select gears, pulled into the works car park and i was REALLY struggling to get 1st gear. Switched engine off, all fine .. switched engine back on, very very difficult to select gears. The Master and Slave Cylinder have been replaced about 2 months ago, the pedal felt as progressive as it normally does but i just can't select gears.

I've searched on here and it seems bleeding the system is my first port of call .. although most problems similar to the above normally involve the pedal going floppy/bite point changing etc ...

Car is a 1996 4.2, still on its original clutch and has done just over 35 thousand miles.

Thanks in advance lads ...

Steve

[byker28i]

Sounds like the clutch has gone? A common thing is to lose a few fingers on the originals.

[SI-PEN]

Yep, reckon you lost too many fingers from clutch.

When gearbox was out changing slave cylinder seals they should have looked at or replaced the clutch too.

Sorry mate, looks like you'll be pushing this one home.

[brooksie]

ahh its no problem ... I knew with it being on its original clutch that it would go sometime soon, just maybe not 10 days after i'd bought the car !!

Going to order a new one this afternoon, my local garage (who i do know and trust, they aint just a random garage ) can fit it i reckon, i see no reason why a tvr specialist needs to fit a clutch having just read Mad Marks "how to"

S

[trackcar]

if it really is the original (shallower) clutch you've got some big expense coming ..

[SI-PEN]

brooksie said:

ahh its no problem ... I knew with it being on its original clutch that it would go sometime soon, just maybe not 10 days after i'd bought the car !!

Going to order a new one this afternoon, my local garage (who i do know and trust, they aint just a random garage ) can fit it i reckon, i see no reason why a tvr specialist needs to fit a clutch having just read Mad Marks "how to"

S

Brooksie, you might like to take note of what Trackcar just wrote, your car's an early one and may need modifying i.e. new bell housing.

[brooksie]

trackcar said:

if it really is the original (shallower) clutch you've got some big expense coming ..

mmm .... the words "big expense coming" does worry me somewhat

[redleicester]

Told you it'd be only a matter of time....

Seriously Steve, if it's a 96 on the original clutch then yes, you have a monumental bill coming as you need to replace not only the clutch but the bellhousing and so on as well..... ouch.

[RUSSELLM]

I've receipts for my 96 Cerb, that shows it had new cams & clutch assembly fitted in 98, after only 6500 miles.

So I've always presumed it was a recall.

You may find it's been changed.

Good luck

[brooksie]

Will check my reciepts tonight ... erm chaps .. when you say "monumental" .. what kinda figure am i looking at ? *shudders* .. i was kinda thinking £600 for a new clutch and three to four hundred quid on top of that in terms of labour.

Still doesn't dampen my spirits coz i love it to bits

[TooTall Paul]

There was somebody on here a while back that had sourced an old style clutch through an indie, could be worth a search on here then ring round the indies.

[headcase]

Yo Brooksie, I notice that you are in Cheshire just like me , anyways, not to long ago i seem to remember Automedon in Blackpool having some original cluches! Where abouts are you cos ive never seen any Cerbs around here for a while!

[Brooksie]

hey Headcase .. im in Cheadle, just south of sunny Manchester ... Spoke to Automedon who were really helpful, unfortunately they aint got any of the older clutches, will try a few other places though.

In terms of costs im looking at around £1300 for a new bell housing, clutch, cylinders and seals, then i gotta fit it. Bit gutted its happened so soon after buying the car but its just one of those things i guess

The only problem i've got is how the hell im gonna get this past the wife .. she will, without a shadow of a doubt, want to kill me

[RUSSELLM]

Show her who wears the trousers.

My missus works in a clothes shop

What size is she, and I'll get her a price on the new strides

We was only joking about the £3k a year running costs..... it's actually £3k per month

Glad to see you're taking it like a man

I feel like a kindred spirit, my oil pressure spring went on day one, and I almost shit myself.

Edited by RUSSELLM on Monday 19th February 16:47

[headcase]

RUSSELLM said:

Show her who wears the trousers.

My missus works in a clothes shop

What size is she, and I'll get her a price on the new strides

We was only joking about the £3k a year running costs..... it's actually £3k per month

Glad to see you're taking it like a man

I feel like a kindred spirit, my oil pressure spring went on day one, and I almost shit myself.

Edited by RUSSELLM on Monday 19th February 16:47

Or just put on one of her bras! She wont be worrying about car bills then

[V8Cerbera]

Unlucky dude, though it could be worse - at least doesn't sound like you need a flywheel as well. Mine came in at £1800 including fitting.

[redleicester]

Might be worth having a chat with Mike (the owner, not Mike the admin chap) at Horizon Motorsport down Birmingham way...

Yep, these beggars are expensive

[Brooksie]

update !

looks like i may have sourced an original clutch ... regardless the clutch and everything is coming out tomorrow so i'll know for definite which clutch i have. Though there is no indication in the service record its been upgraded or changed the Master and Slave cylinders were replaced quite recently .. which im led to believe, if original, are even more difficult to get hold of so this could mean it does have a newer style clutch/bellhousing.

The thing that cracked me up is im on the phone talking through what i need to do and i say to the chap, so is there are part number that will help me identify which version of clutch i have ? ... "no" came the answer,"the three different versions of bellhousing/clutch all have the same part number, remember this is a TVR, not a Skyline" .. erm ... right i see .. cool

Anyways .. i reckon the car is just upset with me coz i finally put my foot right down yesterday, down a motorway sliproad, 2nd gear and my god i thought the world was going to end. All sorts of women and children started to cry in the next county and all the motorway signs fell over

God i love my car

[gazzab]

I might be having a blonde moment but I thought you could tell what clutch/bell housing by the position of the dip stick ie front = later and back = early ?

[Brooksie]

im at the mercy of whatever you guys tell me ? ... my dipstick is at the back of the engine though ?

They've basically asked for pictures of the master cylinder as apparently the newer ones are 18mm longer ?