Urgent Help/advice needed re: clutch
Discussion
Hi all, bit of a problem, just been out in the chimaera and the clutch has gone funny, before the clutch used to be quite stiff but when I just went out the clutch was really easy to push in with just the last bit stiff and the bitting point right at the bottom of the push, it is not slipping but is getting increasingly hard to change the gears, I have to go down to heathrow at 1 in the morning and am quite concerned!!!, Has the cable slipped or something? Any ideas would be much appreciated and if this is the cable slipping, where abouts is it so I can ajust it and tighten it up? Many Thanks in advance Richard 
P.S. sorry this is so long!!!!!
P.S. sorry this is so long!!!!!
Thanks quinny, I have had a look and there is fluid dripping inside the car in the footwell out of a little rubber thing where the clutch goes through the bulk head is this the master cylinder?, is it a big job? Where abouts is the clutch fluid, is it sort of built into the inner wing so you can just see the top of it and the cap?
If I keep driving it will the clutch just stop working???
Many thanks and sorry for all the questions!!!!!
>> Edited by RCA on Monday 18th March 22:14
If I keep driving it will the clutch just stop working???
Many thanks and sorry for all the questions!!!!!
>> Edited by RCA on Monday 18th March 22:14
Agree with all you say Quinny but the seals don't let go all at once.
The problem RCA is seeing now has been brewing for a while if you bleed the system up it will last for an indetrerminate (long word) period, till the rubber lets go competely.
Give it a go, bleed it up and good luck !
The problem RCA is seeing now has been brewing for a while if you bleed the system up it will last for an indetrerminate (long word) period, till the rubber lets go competely.
Give it a go, bleed it up and good luck !
The clutch fluid reservoir was completely hidden on my chim, behind a sort of circular panel with black sealant around it.
If you're looking at the rectangular reservoir on the top of the inner wing, I think that's the brake fluid reservoir.
When I was losing clutch fluid it was about 2 miles from the "floppy clutch/biting point at bottom of clutch travel" point, to the "can't change gear" point.
When I had it topped up temporarily, Joolz put it up on a ramp and used a tube and a bottle to bleed the system from underneath the car, whilst I was pumping the clutch.
Don't know what he did to bleed it when I had the cylinder repaired, as I wasn't there.
- By the way, feel free to give me a slap if any of this is wrong
>> Edited by squirrelz on Tuesday 19th March 20:29
If you're looking at the rectangular reservoir on the top of the inner wing, I think that's the brake fluid reservoir.
When I was losing clutch fluid it was about 2 miles from the "floppy clutch/biting point at bottom of clutch travel" point, to the "can't change gear" point.
When I had it topped up temporarily, Joolz put it up on a ramp and used a tube and a bottle to bleed the system from underneath the car, whilst I was pumping the clutch.
Don't know what he did to bleed it when I had the cylinder repaired, as I wasn't there.
- By the way, feel free to give me a slap if any of this is wrong
>> Edited by squirrelz on Tuesday 19th March 20:29
When I had the kinds of symptoms RCA is describing, it turned out to be a failing clutch master cylinder. Sounds very similar to me.
It failed at a track day (the shame, the embarrassment as a TVR lives up to its rep!
) so I was doing many more gear-changes there on a per-mile basis than it would get on the road and it took half a day to go from 'there's something not quite right' to 'I can't change gear at all because my clutch pedal's gone totally floppy'.
Hope that helps.
It failed at a track day (the shame, the embarrassment as a TVR lives up to its rep!
) so I was doing many more gear-changes there on a per-mile basis than it would get on the road and it took half a day to go from 'there's something not quite right' to 'I can't change gear at all because my clutch pedal's gone totally floppy'. Hope that helps.
Car has now gone into TMS, apparently the clutch arm???? has broke, along with the slave cylinder and because of this I also need a new clutch which has been damaged??
Does this all add up? Also just to add to it all its going to cost nearly £900 to sort it. Does this seem right? To me it all sounds a bit like lets have his pants down sort of thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just for the record, I am not really that angry but the last week we have had good weather, and the last week I have not had my ******* car
>> Edited by RCA on Monday 25th March 20:18
Does this all add up? Also just to add to it all its going to cost nearly £900 to sort it. Does this seem right? To me it all sounds a bit like lets have his pants down sort of thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just for the record, I am not really that angry but the last week we have had good weather, and the last week I have not had my ******* car
>> Edited by RCA on Monday 25th March 20:18
Sorry RCA, it sounds all too feasable. I had the same thing nearly happen to me. Went in for a nice cheap 6K service and ended up with a bill for 1600 quid! The clutch arm had *nearly* broken, and I was fortunate because the slave cylinder had survived the pounding (due to the heavy clutch) that the release arm couldn't take.
Mine was 600 quid for the clutch at a speciallist, so 900 with the hydraulics at a main dealer... Yup, fraid so.
I had just got back from driving round France for a week, and I was told I'd been extremely lucky that it hadn't gone. The guy said he wasn't even prepared to take it for a post-service test drive, it might go that soon!
Interestingly my clutch was very heavy and a bit graunchy and I'd been "excercising" it (pumping the pedal) to clear off some corrosion on the release bearing shaft. Oops! I guess that sped it's demise.
One word of hope though, it felt like a new car when it came back. A new clutch is *so* nice to drive with! Especially in town/traffic.
Mine was 600 quid for the clutch at a speciallist, so 900 with the hydraulics at a main dealer... Yup, fraid so.
I had just got back from driving round France for a week, and I was told I'd been extremely lucky that it hadn't gone. The guy said he wasn't even prepared to take it for a post-service test drive, it might go that soon!
Interestingly my clutch was very heavy and a bit graunchy and I'd been "excercising" it (pumping the pedal) to clear off some corrosion on the release bearing shaft. Oops! I guess that sped it's demise.
One word of hope though, it felt like a new car when it came back. A new clutch is *so* nice to drive with! Especially in town/traffic.
Yep. Bent the clutch release arm on the 520. Tower View built a reinforced version for me to stop the problem reoccurring. Prices sound about right though.
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
Actually one thing that catches my attention is that the clutch still works (albeit at the very bottom of the pedal travel) Sounds a little odd if the release arm has broken.
The reason they replace the clutch is it's heaviness of the worn clutch that's done for the release arm and hydraulics. Another great triumph for TVR parts selection.
"Hey, why don't we put in a clutch release system that can only take the weight of a new clutch, but which will explode when the clutch is half worn?"
Grrrrr...
The reason they replace the clutch is it's heaviness of the worn clutch that's done for the release arm and hydraulics. Another great triumph for TVR parts selection.
"Hey, why don't we put in a clutch release system that can only take the weight of a new clutch, but which will explode when the clutch is half worn?"
Grrrrr...
quote:The hydraulics were Ok but the clutch, release bearing and so on were replaced. The 520 eats clutches mainly cos I dump the now 400 bhp through it frequently when sprinting. The release arm can wear badly and the this could be the cause of a break rather than excessive pressure. All depends though. The hydraulics should be good for at least 1000 psi pressure which is what you can get in a brake system (if I've got the figures right from memory!).
Steve,
I was told that if the pressure is enough to break the release arm then it's likely enough to pop the hydraulics too. Are you clutch hyrdaulics surviving okay? Does this tally?
Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk
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