Note: for fans of pitiful 1960s animation, I apologize for the
pun in the subject. The rest of you are glad you don't get it,
believe me!
========================= CLUTCH =======================
Some of you might remember last fall, when I posted a question
regarding freeing a stuck clutch on a 1972 Spitfire Mk.IV.
Several people offered similar suggestions for freeing said
clutch, all of it sounding perfectly logical to this otherwise
Triumph-worldly hobbyist/mechanic who had never experienced such
a problem.
This past Saturday, my friend's prodding, the fairly reasonable
weather and lack of other commitments conspired to put me at the
friend's garage to attempt to free the clutch. (This Spitfire
had been stored for the last four years while its owner played
around with a 1960 MGA 1600. After four years of neglect, the
Spitfire -- of course -- started immediately last fall, but
refused to clutch and declutch like a rational, thinking
Spitfire should.)
Attempts to use any of the *unsticking* tricks whilst driving
were ruled out, as I figured there were enough things to worry
about without also dealing with an unregistered vehicle with a
stuck clutch trying to traverse a road that a WWII resident of
Coventry would have thought bad! So, we decided upon the *get it
up on stands and let the rear wheels spin free, etc.* method.
Some 5-10 minutes of attempts proved fruitless. So I played a
bit with the rear brakes, adjusting and such to get them up to
snuff. Repeat procedures for unsticking clutch. Again, after
about 10 minutes, nothing!
Oh, what the h**k! Let's pull the transmission, which needed
attention to the shift linkage anyway. Tranny comes out, clutch
is unbolted. Flywheel surface looks OK-ish, but clutch disc
comes out securely fastened to the pressure plate....
...whereupon the mere suggestion of a flat-bladed screwdriver
was enough to free said disc! 8-(
The moral of the story is either:
A. I had chickened out just that much too early (I just had
these visions of doing nasties on some part of the drivetrain if
I continued to beat upon clutch, brakes, accelerator, etc., and
I didn't really want to go through the *I'm sorry I broke your
transmission -- here, take this nice one I've been saving all
these years -- it's on the house* thing)
-or-
B. This episode is yet more evidence that LBCs do have character
and soul, don't like being neglected, and most of all love to
laugh in your face when you try to apologize for the neglect.
After 25+ years struggling with LBCs as daily transport and as a
continuing hobby, I suspect the latter.
Andy *it's the revenge of the non-synchro Herald tranny, I just
KNOW it* Mace
================================================================================
|