V8 Vantage Clutch Issues

[samastonlongley]

Hi there, had my car about 2 years now and within a few months of getting it had a replacement clutch fitted, fly wheel re-skimmed and new slave cylinder. This cured all the previous issues of the slipping clutch. About a year or so later I found first gear a bit stiff and tricky to select, so I bled the clutch and the brakes and flushed through the system completely with fresh fluid, I found some air in the clutch line and assumed that was the issue as it seemed to cure it. However on a recent trip to Scotland I found it tricky to get the car into 1st gear on occasion and it seems to be getting slowly worse, it now seems to be the case that the clutch almost isn’t clearing maybe?? As I’m now struggling with third gear. My only possible thourght is to replace the master cylinder? Does anyone have any suggestions, thanks in advance!

Sam

[vernierMike]

I had this with a newly-purchased but 8 year old car last year. The dealer did the following...

Bled the clutch (tick)
Carefully checked the alignment of the gear selector into the box
Changed the gearbox oil
Changed the clutch (this worked for mine, had AMR one fitted)

Next stop was to be a bearing inside the gearbox - identified by Chiltern Aston - I will have a look and see if I jotted down which one causes this issue. Sounded like a repair not replace whole 'box job!

I've had one 1st gear baulk since the clutch change but that's in 3000 miles so put it down to sensitivity and pilot error!

[samastonlongley]

Interesting! I’ve done all those things! I love the sound of the twin plate clutch but just don’t fancy shelling out the funds this year so was kind of hoping for a cheaper and easier fix! (Isn’t that always the case)

[vernierMike]

Just looked up my emails and I noted it as the 'spigot shaft bearing' which can break down giving this symptom. This was not checked as the clutch change on mine seems to have sorted it.

Yes, the AMR clutch is really good, as noted on a current thread running in parallel!

[V8V Pete]

I suspect your clutch is dragging (not disengaging fully). Not sure how adjustable this is (suspect not at all) but Mike from BR will be able to give you an answer. When your clutch was changed 2 years ago the flywheel should have been changed too rather than skimmed and that may be contributing to your current problems. I know I'm biassed but if it were me (and I was intending on keeping the car for a few years) I would bite the bullet and get a twin-plate now.

[samastonlongley]

The other thing worth mentioning is that when I bled the clutch the liquid came out black despite me only changing the fluid a month or so back.. which leads me to think it’s getting contaminated and the only places I can think is from a leaky cylinder, it’s had a new slave when I did the clutch so that would only leave the master cylinder??

[lestrat]

I had the same issues that you report, with the same starting situation (clutch plate changed, slave cylinder changed, flywheel reskimmed).

We got to a point that it was absolutely impossible to change gear, so the dealer decided to change the clutch. This was the mess inside:

[CRA1G]

When i bought my V8V at 16000 miles it had already had a clutch and over the following 19000 niles had two more one under warranty and one i had to pay the labour so three clutches in 35000 miles...