[Healeys] Clutch

[healeyguy at aol.com]

Simon et alHydraulics in vehicles, especially in the configuration of our Austin Healeys require repair and/or replacement periodically. The aluminum cylinders are compromised by accumulated moisture in the fluid, lack of use, worn rubber bits and a host of other stuff. For the folks who have owned their cars for 50-60 years, how many times have you worked on or had the hydraulics worked on? How many years have your car sat in the garage because the hydraulics are not functioning properly? This is a maintenance issue. Owned the Red Car for nearly 60 years and have resorted to having a rebuilt set of cylinders on the shelf should something not work correctly during an "exercise" run on the old girl. No offense meant ladies.When I commuted daily to school and work or drove across country in the 1960's hydraulics were not a major issue in the reliability category.  Probably a little different today with limited driving ...Perry 

-----Original Message-----
From: Simon Lachlan via Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
To: 'Healeys' <healeys at autox.team.net>
Sent: Tue, Oct 5, 2021 11:16 am
Subject: [Healeys] Clutch

<!--#yiv7351174600 _filtered {} _filtered {}#yiv7351174600 #yiv7351174600 p.yiv7351174600MsoNormal, #yiv7351174600 li.yiv7351174600MsoNormal, #yiv7351174600 div.yiv7351174600MsoNormal {margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;}#yiv7351174600 a:link, #yiv7351174600 span.yiv7351174600MsoHyperlink {color:#0563C1;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv7351174600 a:visited, #yiv7351174600 span.yiv7351174600MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:#954F72;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv7351174600 span.yiv7351174600EmailStyle17 {font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;color:windowtext;}#yiv7351174600 .yiv7351174600MsoChpDefault {font-family:"Calibri", sans-serif;} _filtered {}#yiv7351174600 div.yiv7351174600WordSection1 {}-->Hi,I’ve been engaged on other things until recently. However, the clutch continues to be an issue.We got the gearbox back in OK. Wouldn’t budge until we changed engine’s angle, then it slotted in.With the aid of an old email of Michaels I have, I think and hope, determined that the clutch itself can work…..  With the car in 4th and drive shaft disconnected I depressed the clutch pedal by hand. With the tunnel cover off I was well able to watch the slave.I got about ½” to ¾” total movement of the slave cylinder’s push rod at which point – pedal depressed to the floor – the clutch was released ie I could turn the flange that couples to the driveshaft by hand. ½” depression…..no movement of the flange. ie everything in the last ¼”.That’s got to be hydraulics???I’ll bleed it again, maybe pushing backwards into master with the slave. But I’m not optimistic as I’ve tried bleeding several times. My clutch master cylinder has been in the car since I’ve owned it. +/- 25 years. Am tempted to replace it but hate throwing parts at a problem. Good idea?Another thing…..I do confess to never having changed the fluid 100%. I always push a load through and out when I have to bleed the brakes but that’s mercifully seldom. Any comments….particularly re the 1/2 to 3/4 “ travel???Simon  

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