[Mgs] The tale of the crunchy clutch

[Mike Eldred]

Thanks to all who weighed in on my question regarding whether to pull the
engine & gearbox or engine only for the clutch replacement in my '73 Midget.
With your advice, I decided to pull the engine and gearbox together.  It went
very well, with no major hiccups.



When I pulled the engine and transmission apart, the reason for all the
squealing and barking coming from the the clutch was immediately apparent.
The bearing itself was nowhere to be seen - the metal bearing holder that sits
in the clutch fork was present, although it was in two pieces and had been
ground almost flat.  The metal bearing surface in the center of the pressure
plate had broken and was serving as the bearing.  Amazingly, it was like that
when I drove it into the garage last fall, shortly after buying it.



Given the DPO's penchant for cobbling his repairs together with carpentry
fasteners, sledgehammers, and duct tape, the state of the clutch does not
surprise me.  And I knew it had to be replaced, along with the interior, when
I bought the car as a project.  Sadly, it appears the clutch is practically
new - there is little, if any, wear on the clutch disc.  Besides the DPO's
unconventional repair strategy, is there any other known cause for that kind
of clutch destruction?  I remember someone saying something about slave
cylinder pushrods that are too long - could that be responsible?  And since I
will be replacing the slave cylinder, what IS the correct length for the
pushrod?



Aside from using actual car parts and following recommended practices and
procedures, is there anything in particular that I might do to prevent the
destruction of the new bearing and pressure plate?  (Of course, I will also be
using a new clutch disc, too.)



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