Seized Clutch

[tomallen_2003]

My roadster had been sat for three years before i got it and so the clutch has seized, im pretty sure its just the plate seized on. Has anybody got any suggestions of how to free it as i dont particularly want to pull the engine and gearbox apart but can see myself doing so?
Cheers

[Dane_Rescueman]

Re: Seized Clutch

There is an old remedy for this problem although it is fairly drastic.
Warm the engine up for a few minutes.
Stop the engine.
Engage fourth gear, fully depress the clutch pedal and hold down.
Handbrake on and chock the car.
depress the throttle a bit and then start the engine. The car will either jump forwards! or you will hear a light thump and the clutchplate will release.
I have only heard about this - I have never tried it. It all sounds drastic and dangerous to me!

How about gaining the help of another person to sit in the car with the clutch depressed. With the car in gear, try rocking it forwarsd and backwards. This may be a more gentle way to free the clutch.

Don't try what a mote did. He sprayed penetrating oil around the clutch. It eventually freed, but....
A new plate was now required !!

Good luck.

[lil_red_roadster]

Re: Seized Clutch

I've used Dane's drastic remedy before - it works but can be alarming..! Just make sure you won't hit anything if it moves forward...

[b_caswell]

Re: Seized Clutch

Another way is if the car is driveable is to warm the engine up so that it will start easy. Then start the car in gear and drive off with the clutch kept depressed get a bit of speed up then gently brake. Or you could try this with the car on axle stands.One other thing to check is that the release arm is actually actuating but I assume it is ok.

[Mike]

Re: Seized Clutch

Tom
A far safer way is, with the ignition switched off, to put the car in first gear, depress the clutch and tow it. It will have to be seriously seized for this not to part the clutch.If the rear wheels simply skid along try loading the back end with extra weight.
Regards
Mike

[macdonald.dm]

Re: Seized Clutch

I had a Dutton Melos once (I know, I know...) which suffered from a seized clutch after being laid up. Tried towing it for around 3 miles in third gear with clutch fully depressed and - nothing.

Choked the front wheels, jacked up the rear axle to get the back wheels off the ground, fired her up in 4th gear, took her to a (stationary) 30 mph, depressed the clutch, and repeatedly snapped the handbrake on and off.

Took quite a few goes - stopped for a cuppa half way through, but then <<clang>> it released!


Seems it needs a percussive force, as simply towing it had no effect.

[tomallen_2003]

Re: Seized Clutch

Thanks for all that gents, i cant actually depress the clutch to even try those ideas? Possibly a problem with the actual clutch cylinders themeselves maybe?

[Mike]

Re: Seized Clutch

You're problem is much easier to solve.
Disconnect the slave cylinder - try to depress the clutch pedal: if it goes to the floor easily then it is the slave cylinder that is seized. If it is still solid you know the problem lies with the master cylinder. Either way , replacement parts are easy to come by, and you will not have to split the engine/gearbox as originally thought.
Mike

[andy.beck]

Re: Seized Clutch

Tom, I've had my Marlin since 1986 and this happens to me a lot. Of course, as Mike says you need to check the hydraulics are actually releasing but sometimes the plates wrack onto the metalwork anyway, much as a handbrake can, which is what teh other posts are referring to. Assuming your hydraulics are okay, read on:

I HAVE tried most of the methods here (apart from towing & Donnnie's 'virtual drive' metod - thx).

The starting-in-gear thing sometimes works. Applying the brakes hard then (with the engine running) forcing the 'box into gear can work but also can break the gearbox. (yup)

What works best for me is to first warm up fully (that sometimes does it on its own) but more normally I find that revving the engine to 4000rpm or so for say 20 seconds will often free the clutch. Altough a bit hairy this often works and is less violent and potentially damaging to the rest of the drivetrain than most other methods. I think the forces generated by the whirling stresses disturb the adhesion.

The worst thing I ever did (apart from the gearbox-breaking one) was to dismatle it all. I still could not get the friction material off the flywheel in one piece and ended up scraping it off grain-by grain, having trashed the cover plate assembly with an angel grinder!

I wonder if taking the car for a drive (if legal) might shake things loose a bit. Never tried that as it's always MOT time when I find mine has stuck. It's not easy to drive with no clutch, but depending on where you live (busy roads, traffic lights) it is not impossible.

Anyway good luck

[b_caswell]

Re: Seized Clutch

We found that when putting the car away was to depress the clutch and then switch the engine off then release the clutch gently this seems to leave the plate free on the next start up.