clutch wear diagnosis

[Polly-Red7]

Hi all I'm back again! In all my years driving somehow I've never had to replace a clutch, or have one go on me, this morning on my return home from work I noticed a noise coming from the clutch housing when I reversed into the drive. Having slept on it so to speak I've been out to have a look. The noise is a metallic clunk when releasing the clutch when the engine is running, not when the engine is stood. Is this more likely to be the thrust bearing?
Thanks in advance, Chris

[Hasbeen]

Chris when I had a thrust race start to die you could feel a slight catchiness when slipping it.

I could detect no noise inside the car, but my son standing beside the shed door heard a rattle while I was slipping it, when cold & backing out. I think the noise disappeared once the thing was fully warmed up.

Hope this helps.

Hasbeen

[Workshop Help]

Ahh, yes, this is the pivot pin inside the bell housing starting to punch thru the dimple on the clutch fork. I mystically devine your pulling the gearbox in the very near future.

This is another of the Great Initiations of TR7-dom.

Mildred Hargis

[Polly-Red7]

Hi Mildred,
I've just got out my part manuals, so in your opinion it's the fork that is worn or the or the pivot pin or both?
Cheers,
Chris

[FI Spyder]

In the interests of immediacy, I'll weigh in. The fork has a dimple pressed in it in which the pivot sits. The pivot has a hole drilled in end leaving a round some what sharp edge. This eventually wears through the dimple, pushing through and you get no more clutch action.

Thrust bearing can usually be felt through the pedal as Hasbeen states and may or may not be noisy.

When I pulled mine to replace clutch with just under 100,000 miles the fork had some wear but plenty of metal left. Greased and put back. Of course the amount of wear would depend on the amount of clutch action (highway vs. city driving).

No fun pulling the transmission as you either have to remove the trans from beneath the car if you can get it up high enough or pull the engine.trans out of the car. No fun either way so if it has to be done I would replace with new clutch kit as a matter of course. (Borg and Beck, now owned by AP).

- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[Polly-Red7]

From everyone's replies my problem seems more likely to be the fork/pin. I haven't any slip, just this clunk near the top of the pedal as its released either just depressing/releasing the pedal in neutral or into gear, but like I say only with the engine turning. No noise is made when the engine is off? To be honest Spyder it will have to be done at a mate's garage. Living on asteep hill i don't fancy the job on axle stands!

[Polly-Red7]

From everyone's replies my problem seems more likely to be the fork/pin. I haven't any slip, just this clunk near the top of the pedal as its released either just depressing/releasing the pedal in neutral or into gear, but like I say only with the engine turning. No noise is made when the engine is off? To be honest Spyder it will have to be done at a mate's garage. Living on asteep hill i don't fancy the job on axle stands!

[nick]

Have a look at this.

http://www.triumphtechnical.me/triumpht ... _Clip.html

[img][IMG]http://i615.photobucket.com/albums/tt234/nickmi/TR7%201975/Yellow.jpg[/img]
nick
'79 TR7 DHC
'76 TR7 FHC

[Polly-Red7]

Cheers Nick!

[Hasbeen]

If you are going to pull the gearbox, unless you have unlimited helpers, it is worth the effort to make a cradle which can be secured to a trolley jack, which will support the box firmly for removal & particularly for refitting.

This box is heavy. I did it once the hard way, but made up a cradle before I would do it the second time.

Hasbeen

[FI Spyder]

This is what I made up but I had jackstands with integrated hydraulic lifts which gave me about 21" lift and I needed all of it, the top of bellhousing just cleared a notch in the frame. The ATV scissor jack cost me $40 from Princess Auto. The rest of the stuff I had lying around. Didn't want to pull the engine.





- - -TR7 Spider - - - 1978 Spitfire- - - - 1976 Spitfire - - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT