Help! The clutch don't disengage

[carefull]

Hi guys, I'm hoing someone can help me here. I have purchased a 1994 roadsport with a 1.4 k series engine knowing there was a either a gearbox or clutch issue. When I collected it it was difficult to get in gear but the clutch felt fine. During the 100 mile drive home it got worse and I noticed that although the clutch pedal felt fine it seemed not to disengage at all and it was crunching gears all the way home.The engine would not run at stand still with the clutch in because of the drag. So I thought I would take the gearbox out and remove the clutch which I have done. I am a complete novice at this and as sutch I can not see a thing wrong with anything. There seems to be little or no wear on the flywheel and preasure plate, the bearing seems fine, there is some red dust on all the clutch parts though, whats that? The shaft with the splines on it on the gearbox does wobble a little ( maybe a mm each way) and all the gears look perfect. I am obviously missing something can anyone help?

Jason

[ewenm]

Couple of things you might check.

Clutch cable - is there lots of slack in it so the clutch is never released by the pedal? (unlikely I know).
Clutch release bearing - I don't know much about this but it seems to have the right words in the description

Edit: Have a look at techtalk here: www.blatchat.com

Edited by ewenm on Tuesday 10th July 10:23

[casbar]

Give Phil at Road and Race Transmissions - the oracle on Caterham gearboxes, he produces the 6 speed box. 01959525105

[sfaulds]

casbar said:

he produces the 6 speed box.

I'm not sure Phil would take that as a compliment!

Jason, how do the tip of the input shaft and spigot bearing look? If the clutch isn't disengaging drive then it's not a gearbox problem, but if the input shaft was a little too long or the spigot bearing was knackered it could produce similar symptoms.

[casbar]

Stuart, doesn't Phil produce the 6 speed boxes then? Always thought he did, or was that tongue in cheek

[sfaulds]

The 6 speed is currently built by MCT - the name of the firm that made it before that escapes me at the moment.

[casbar]

Sorry, stand corrected then!

[carefull]

Thanks for the replies so far. I have taken the clutch to AP racing today and they have tested it and it is perfect. I just dont understand this, the pedal felt fine but it never disengaged and there is enough contact to drive the car and stall the engine if you put the brakes on. What is going on?

Jason

[gedG]

I had a similar problem on mine a while ago. If the pedal has been over adjusted to suit a tall or short person it can reduce the travel at the cable end due to the arc it moves through. A simple adjustment solved mine for a few weeks, then as I went to change gear there was a bit of a bang and the pedal level dropped a few mm. I pulled over and whipped the pedal box cover off, the cable had began to fray, still managed to get me home though with a minimum of gear changes.
I guess that the original problem was probably a couple of strands had snapped within the cable that couldn't be seen causing the cable to lengthen slightly. The adjustment sorted this temporarily. I actually slackened mine, which sounds wrong, but helped due to the angles that the cable end of the pedal moves through.
In short, try fitting a new clutch cable, and check you're getting full movement at the cable end of the pedal.

[carefull]

After taking the engine, box, and clutch out I I may have found the problem... I think it may be the clutch cable durrr I told you I was a novice! I think because the the cable bends through 180 deg the outer had started to break down and the clutch I felt with the pedal was partly the outer cable shinking... Well I think so anyway.. I will let you know when I screw it back togeather.

J

[carefull]

Now I really have found the problem... it was not the clutch cable causing the problem although is was knackered. It was actually the clutch arm. Sometime the clutch had been incorrectly adjusted and when the driver pushed the clutch in the arm actually came in contact with the coverplate and it put a very neat bend in it, so neat it looked factory bent! It also seems that this early K series has a slightly different fabricated arm to the later ones and the bends in the later ones are much smaller which give a increased travel on the clutch springs. I have staightened the arm some what and it is perfect. Just a shame I bought a £200 clutch when there was nowt wrong with the old one! So, if anyone is stuck for a hardly worn K series AP racing clutch , I'm your man!

Jason

Edited by carefull on Tuesday 24th July 21:45