I've had my engine (type 1 1600) rebuilt with a new case and its back in the van and running well but annoyingly I now have a quite badly slipping clutch. The clutch driven plate is good having only been changed about 10,000 miles ago. It was also measured and checked in the rebuild and reported to be in good condition. I guess I may have a leaking crankshaft oil seal although there is no leak at all between the engine and gearbox. I have a hunch it's not that but I may be wrong. I have tried the pedal and there is about an inch of play there (bit too much?) and there is some play in the clutch lever itself. I have backed it off at turn anyway just to be sure its not tight. Could it be anything to do with this part that I found in the bell housing before I put the engine back in I wonder? I couldn't work out where it came from. Maybe it's part of the clutch release bearing mechanism?? I'll post a photo from my phone. Anyway while I mull over taking out myself or taking it to a garage I'd be grateful if anyone has any comments or ideas. My worry is I'll get the engine out expose the clutch driven plate which will be fine and be none the wiser...
Did you replace the whole clutch kit or just the friction plate ? If the pressure plate is old it wont apply enough pressure and it will slip !
I couldn't remember but looking back at before and after photos I did change the pressure plate too. Shame I was hoping that was it as I didn't remember doing it. Tudor Morgan who rebuilt the engine thinks that piece in the photo above is a bush from the starter motor so red herring if so.
Is that pedal play by hand or by foot ? An inch is Ok . That ring is about the size of the gearbox input shaft oil seal. If its slipping then try any oil you find coming out.. if its sticky stinky gearbox oil then it's the disintegrated rock hard gearbox shaft seal. So you may need a seal and a new clutch kit and a clean up of the flywheel.
Thanks, that would make sense and hopefully a reasonably easy fix when I get to it. I'll start the engine out rigmarole after work..
Bone dry in fact! There doesn’t seem anything wrong with it all but I’m thinking a new clutch kit is my best next move, Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That flywheel needs a good sanding. Its probably slipping because it has got hot because it was slipping.. Also look at driving style. There is a white van style where the clutch is used instead of the handbrake to hold on a hill.. you can see them rocking backwards and forwards.. or gently resting your foot on the clutch pedal in a distracted way, I have to stop myself doing that one sometimes... These lead to both clutch wear and possible slippage plus chewing up the endfloat on the engine.
One more possibility. If the flywheel has been refaced but the pressure plate mounting surface wasn't, increasing the distance shown below, there will be less pressure on the clutch. From memory it should be 20mm, but don't count on that! I think it might be in the Bentley manual (flywheel deck height???) . But, assuming it was fine before, and that's the same flywheel and you know it hasn't been refaced... No idea. Only thing to say is we quite often get clutch problems on here that turn out to be clutch adjustment. Very frustrating for those that repeatedly whip their engines out and find nothing. Did you try loosening the cable more than the single turn you mentioned earlier?
On closer inspection, I see that the engine side of the friction plate is contaminated with grease. As you can see from the picture there are lines of grease from the centre hole going outwards. The surface of the friction plate on the engine side also feels greasy to the touch. So I suspect that was what was causing the slip. It looks to me like the grease has come from the inside of the gland nut. Should there even be grease in there? Do you think I can just clean it all up and put it back together or is it safer / wiser to install a new clutch kit while it’s out? ? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is not much grease, I doubt you found your smoking gun. I've only had one badly slipping clutch and drove home 100 miles by taking run-ups at any hills etc. When I dismantled, the clutch was literally running in a pool of oil trapped in the bell housing... but I got home and that's why I think you're on the wrong track with your smudge of grease - mine was soaked.
I didn't do the rebuild so I am not sure if the flywheel was degreased. I have just put the engine in after rebuild and now taken it out to inspect the clutch. I've read online that it's best to replace a contaminated friction plate so I think I will degrease the flywheel and the bell housing, sandpaper the flywheel and fit a new kit. It may be over cautious but having just had the engine rebuilt I think I may as well. I've also ordered a gearbox input shaft seal so I may as well replace that if it looks anything other than very good when I take off the clutch release bearing. There's a couple of things I'm not sure of. Does the input shaft or gland nut need to be greased when I reassemble? If so how? What grit sandpaper should I use on the flywheel? I do think the ring is from the starter. I don't think its the bush though because the bush is just a plain brass cylinder as far as I can tell and that bit has a shoulder. Anyway the starter is working ok and if it stops working I can sort it from the other side right? Thanks.
Yes, I would agree- the grease is probably just put on the splines to stop the clutch disc from seizing onto the shaft. Engine oil coming through the flywheel o-ring would look like oil. If its really heavily contaminated, it could slip but I was able to drive around for quite a while with the rear half of my clutch soaked in gearbox oil with just the occasional slip first thing in the morning. So maybe the clutch cable was too tight and the pressure change you feel in the pedal was actually effectively hitting an endstop rather than the throwout bearing beginning to contact the clutch pressure plate fingers. If the ring is sintered brass its likely pieces of a worn starter motor bushing with a step on the inside. Losing it inside the bell housing is likely as you change this by just removing the starter motor, and pulling it out with a thread tap. If it falls apart it will just drop down and get flicked out of the way when the engine runs. If its hard rubber its likely the input shaft seal which will feed gearbox oil rather than grease onto the shaft and then onto the rear plate. While I cannot see that omitting the curve in the clutch cable bowden cable could cause this problem (more likely a very juddery clutch would be the result) , its worth checking while you are around the gearbox that you do have a curve in the cable outer from the bracket under the rear suspension tube up to the bracket on the side of the gearbox.
Thanks Mike I'll check the cable tubing. I checked the cable before I dropped the engine. It was slack enough i think and there was play in both pedal and lever on gearbox. I've had a slipping clutch before from engine oil through the flywheel. Don't know if main seal or o-ring but I was stripping to rebuild so just replaced both. The clutch was visibly wet then which is why I though it was dry this time. Like I say the clutch plate was greasy on the engine side and I can't think that will help it grip the flywheel. If I could find that broken part I'd be better placed to identify it! I only have the photo at the moment. I probably put it somewhere sensible that I will one day rediscover.
Was optimistically hoping to get it all done and back in the van so i could go away tomorrow but the gearbox input shaft seal beat me. It does look like it's been weeping though. I put 3 self tapping screws into it as advised but couldn't get it to budge with mole grips. All three pulled out as I banged about the engine compartment. I've bought a pulling tool and will have a go with that.. grrr.. 2 man tent for me tomorrow night..
