The Clutch Works!

Well, the mechanism now moves, whether it does as it should remains to be tested.

The master cylinder had seized again due to not being kept in working order, so it was back on the bench vice and with a few careful smacks (several actually) then lots of back and forth exercises, the push rod was fully functioning in its bore. Then I thought I could prime the clutch system with fluid and then thought again best not after fluid squirted down the work bench after loosening the pipe… At least it gave me some practice for bleeding the system and what I was meant to do. I soon had the master cylinder mounted to the firewall with the push rod attached to the clutch pedal. I had the slave cylinder with it’s own push rod in position against the clutch acutator (lever) and the new pipe ends connected.

Clutch Master Cylinder, with new pipe leading to a new Slave Cylinder.
Clutch Master Cylinder, with new pipe leading to a new Slave Cylinder.

The next ‘pain in the arse’ job was fitting the circlip to the slave cylinder to keep it in place on the gearbox bell-housing. I had to jack the car up for this one and took several attempts to fit, but the bastard clip eventually went on using my cheap an nastys circlip pliers and some persuasion with a large screw driver. With the wife employed as clutch pedal pumper I managed to bleed the clutch system without any dramas, my earlier practice was a big help. With the clutch pedal depressed, I was so relieved to see the lever on the bell housing move. First time that had happened since I started this project (April 2010).

I guess it was a rather premature next move, but I had to rig up the battery that had been on trickle charge, since last starting up the Corsair (Nov 2011), and have a go at getting the engine to start and try the gears. Battery was good, start motor turned but the Corsair wouldn’t start. It seemed I was not getting a spark from the coil, any useful advice is welcome via the comments.

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