Subject: [Fot] Clutch not working after Winter storage

From: George Harmuth <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 10:47:27 -0400

Not race related but definitely Triumph. This weekend we were getting my
son's 72 MK4 Spit out of storage from the winter. The car was running fine
before we parked it in a shed in November. Went through the usual check it
out routine, started up OK. When he put it gear, luckily reverse, it jumped
right in, clutch not disengaging. I poked around a bit I and while the
clutch master cylinder was full, the fluid was black. I figured we lost a
seal and since the master was of unknown age and condition we changed it
and the slave (same reason). Bled the system well and confirmed the the
actuator rod / Throw out bearing arm was moving (at least 1/2 inch looking
around slave into bell housing) when he pressed the pedal. The clutch is
still not disengaging. We jacked up the car and confirmed that it's staying
engaged. Tried rocking the wheels back and forth, see is somehow the disk
could be broken free but nothing.
Guess I need to pull the tranny and take a look, but next few weekends are
races, won't be home and I'd like my son to have use of his toy. If this is
something I can fix externally I'd like to give it a try.

Anyone have an idea what could seize up like this in 4 months of dry
storage? The flywheel was surfaced last year after the engine rebuild, the
throw out bearing, pressure plate and disk were changed then too, maybe
1000 miles since then. Rust on the tranny shaft, broken hinge side pin for
throw out arm?

thanks
mike

G. Michael Harmuth
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From: "TeriAnn J. Wakeman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 08:04:49 -0700

> could be broken free but nothing.

Black brake fluid & only a half inch of rod movement doesn't sound good 
but it could be a problem I saw in my old Ford tractor when it sat too 
long in moist weather. Sometimes the flywheel & clutch disc stick 
together when sitting unused for a few months.

If you have the space start the car in gear and once it is going push in 
the clutch and hit the brakes hard.  If it is a disc stuck to the 
flywheel one or two tries of this and the bond should break loose.

Teriann

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From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 May 2012 08:35:32 -0700

> the clutch and hit the brakes hard.

Another approach is to just drive the car a bit with the pedal held down.
Shut the engine off to switch between 1st & reverse.

Last time I had a stuck clutch, I only made it to the end of the (short)
driveway before it freed up.

-- Randall