balking going into 1st gear

[daverclasper]

Hi everyone

 

Triumph Vitesse Mk1 2Litre.

 

Sometime back I moved my clutch slave cylinder forward with spacers by about 6mm, as going into reverse was grinding sometimes and intermittent balking into first. Also clutch was starting to disengage very close to floor.

This has helped a lot with reverse, though first still balking intermittently.

 

If I pump the clutch, it seems to go in more smoothly.

 

As far as I know the clutch system was properly bled a while back (bleed nipple is in the lower hole and and system bled with push rod extended and finally by pushing push rod back in to expel any remaining air in slave cylinder) and also car was raised at the rear.

 

Could this be an actual clutch problem that is temporarily helped by pumping the pedal even if no air in system.

 

The gearbox was rebuilt by Mike Papworth recently, including remote bushes etc.

 

Any advice as always much appreciated.

 

Cheers Dave 

 

 

[AidanT]

Hi Dave

Bleed nipple in the lower / bottom hole?

 

I don't think that's the correct position air gathers at the top so the bleed nipple needs to be at the top to allow the air to escape

 

Aidan

[daverclasper]

Thanks Aidan

 

Dhooo. 

 

Sorry, I meant to say it is in the top hole.

 

Cheers, Dave

[Pete Lewis]

Sounds like it needs bleeding, or new mcyl and slave seals

 

there can be wear in the mcyl clevis hole, and wear on the withdrawl lever pins and the carrier gets a groove to match

 

some clutch kits have a 15mm thin bearing which should be 19 mm thick makes the lever pivot 'late'

all these can loose travel

 

make sure the pedal spindle has not seized , if the pedal doesnt fully return you never refill the m cyl

There must be a small float play on the mcyl pushrod when the pedal is fully back

[mishmosh]

I struggled for years but it was play in the pedal and mc pivots

[daverclasper]

Hi and thanks so much for getting back.

 

There was wear on the brake pedal hole/clevis pin where it joins MC. I replaced the clevis pin (I haven't got facilities to weld hole/re drill or weld washers on).

 

MC and SC were rebuilt recently with seals from rarebits I think

.

There is some play in MC push rod when at rest.

 

Would it be worth bringing the SC forward even more with longer spacers to compensate for wear/Shorter clutch bearing, do you think.

 

Also re bleed system.

 

Cheers, Dave 

[68vitesse]

There should also be a spring in the slave cylinder to remove any free travel at that point.

 

Regards

 

Paul

[Pete Lewis]

Steve right moving the slave only moves the cylinder postion not the piston

 

the thin throwout makes the see saw leverage unbalanced

 

can be cured by fittling a couple of washers under the spherical pivot post to re align the centreline

if the lever is low it then pitches the throwout on its sleeve as the pins will be away from the shaft centre line

 

but needs box of to play wiith the spherial post

 

 

I would re bleed by pushing the slave piston fully home /rearwards then re bleed

always the easy basics first

 

pete

[daverclasper]

Thanks Guys.

 

I seem to remember reading about welding a 5/6mm section into the pushrod to extend it.

 

Would this work, or also unbalance the see saw leverage do you know.

 

will try a re-bleed first.

 

Cheers, Dave 

[mishmosh]

I once did a long lasting "Bodge" fitting a metal valve cap ( with rubber sealing washer fitted ) onto the end of the push rod. Lasted for years until i changed the pivot bush on the MC.

[Pete Lewis]

What ever you do to the pushrod willnot make any change to the withdrawl lever angles the wdrawl lever angles are controlled by disc thickness ,finger positon, bearing thickness, pin and groove wear , not the

external hydraulics.

 

the cyl is long enough to cater for all wear and tear, the push rod lengths only improve things if the piston

has extended to solid stop at the end of its travel, it should never get that far with general wear.

 

 

even with all the above wear points noted the base slave will work ,

please re check the bleed , and carpets for restricting travel

 

then there could be fundamental problems with the cover and disc, but do the simplze first

can we check the crank end float ,,,, just another idea.

 

 

pete