Now what.......

[striker308]

Here's a strange one......at least for me. My son and I took my 1976 TR7 for an errand run. Everything was fine until about 7 miles from home when I was down shifting at a traffic light. I pushed in on the clutch and it felt like it disengaged and I shifted but heard grinding gears. The car just died. Every time I tried to start it, it would just rock forward like the clutch was still engaged.

The road is on a slight incline and I thought I could drift back into a driveway or at least out of the road. Nothing, after a few minutes directing cars around mine I decided to try moving it again.

Well, it started and I was able to drive it back home. Any ideas? I've also had an intermittent problem with the reverse gear being "stuck" and have to force it out. Is my gear oil low?

Karl
1976 TR7
1982 VW Scirocco

[Beans]

Sounds like a sticking clutch, might be caused by oil contamination.
While you're at it also check clutch fluid (air in system?) and to be safe 'box oil.


<center>
<font color="blue"><i>1981 TR7 FHC Sprint (better known as 't Kreng)
1981 TR7 DHC (not very well known yet, but back on the road)
Also a 1980 TR7 DHC, 1980 TR7 DHC FI, 1981 TR7 FHC
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[john 215]

Hi,
Does this happen when vech gets hot or after a fair amount of clutch use? If so as Beans suggests then poss contamination,this tends to allow the centre plate to 'swell' slightly causing it to drag.
Is there any clutch fluid lost[?] If not still worth while bleeding it,as brake fluid is used still absorbs water so should be changed regually (2 years or so).
Cheers John.

LIVE LIFE A QUARTER OF A MILE AT A TIME!
1979 3.5 FHC(STATUS PENDING!!)

1982 2.0 DHC Soon to be a 4.6 fire breather!!
Read My Blog http://www.waringstowntr7s.co.uk/blogs/ ... hp/John215

[striker308]

This is the first time I had this issue. Yes, I've had the intermittent problem with the stuck reverse gear. The oil in the clutch master cylinder is pretty dirty and I haven't checked the gear oil. Yesterday's issue happened after only about 5-10 minutes of running time.

How do I change the clutch master cylinder and what should I refill it with? I've already done a search on the gear oil.

Thanks, for all the advice.

Karl
1976 TR7
1982 VW Scirocco

[Rich in Vancouver]

The clutch master cylinder takes brake fluid.
You bleed it out through the slave cylinder using the same procedure as with brakes to get rid of air bubbles.
You will be able to tell if your hydraulics are working properly when bleeding as you will be able to see movement by the rod from the slave cylinder to the clutch fork.

1975 TR7 ACL764U

[mnypitTR8]

Just a thought, but make sure your clutch line is not too close to the exhaust. I have had my brake fluid boil, or create bubbles because of heat. I put synthetic fluid(Harley Davidson brake fluid) in and that fixed it.

It is easy to change the Master, but I would do both the Master and the slave at the same time. You can use regular brake fluid, or the synthetic stuff. The slave is the fluid line and 2 bolts. The Master is the fluid line, 2 bolts and a pin holding the push lever in place on the clutch pedal. I would guess that if you havent done it they probably could use rebuilding or replacement. Make sure you flush the fluid til it comes out clean.

Good Luck


John Peacock
It's not leaking, it's marking it's territory.
80 TR7, Brooklands Green, on its way to big power
98 Z28 LS1, marking its territory in many ways

[bmcecosse]

Strange problem. Even when in neutral - the starter motor still tried to move the car?
This - with the reverse sticking - does suggest some kind of gearbox problem - and yet some of the symptoms are moe like clutch problems. I would start with new clutch fluid and a good bleeding - and then gearbox oil change - but really more in hope than for any good logical reason.

[striker308]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I talked with the guy I bought it from (he's a mechanic and has owned many Triumphs) and he suggested the same thing. Replace the clutch master/slave fluid and while I'm at it change the gear box fluid.

I also forgot to mention that the parking brake was siezed when we started on our drive. I tried rocking it in reverse/1st gear till it broke free. I hope nothing else broke.

Karl
1976 TR7
1982 VW Scirocco

[bmcecosse]

Oh well - good luck! Best to leave the hand brake off if the car is standing for any length of time.

[Rich in Vancouver]

Here's a suggestion in case it happens to be a problem totally unrelated to the clutch.
Last week my previously totally reliable TR7 died at a stop light. It hasn't been running very well for the last week or so. After an anxious 15 seconds working the starter it restarted and I made it to work. The problem reoccurred later after a short run when it was idling in the driveway at home. It turned out that the fuel filter was clogged with rusty silt from the tank. (The car had been sitting for a long time before I bought it last summer.) A new filter and it is running very well. For now! It will be getting a tank overhaul as soon as the weather improves.
Just thought I would mention this as the symptoms seem similar to yours.

Good luck!
Richard

1975 TR7 ACL764U

[Urchin]

Some thoughts from my experiences:

1. I have had clutch refuse to disengage properly. When I pushed in on the pedal and turned the key, the car would creep forward. I replaced all the hydraulics - master, slave and line - only to find later that the problem was in the pins of the clutch fork. Replacing the twisted fork and pins made the difference. I've never had the problem since then.

2. If the tranny fluid is low, you will have shifting problems. If you have a 5-speed, use ATF instead of hypoid gear oil.

3. A clutch can "boil" or lose it's effectiveness due to high heat or air in the system. It happened when I loaned out my MGB to two lovely women who wanted to drive it in a parade. The driver couldn't figure out the shift pattern and she "overheated" the fluid by pumping the clutch a million times to no avail. Do try bleeding the slave cylinder.

4. Use something to remove some brake fluid from the clutch reservoir. Compare the color to fresh brake fluid. If your reservoir fluid is grayish in color instead of honey brown, you have dissolving rubber pieces [line, cylinder innards] causing problems.

Good luck,

Jeff

Jeffrey Aronson
P.O. Box 90
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
USA
'80 TR-7 Spider
'66 Land Rover Series II-A [2]
'66 Corvair Monza

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

Here is an idea for the Clutch master cylinder:

[url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Site/Clutch%20Master%20Cylinder.html"]Isuzu Clutch Master Cylinder[/url]

Also, pins on clutch forks have a tendency to wear, as Urchin said. Changing the fork may be necessary



As for as fluid for the transmission, I drained the transmission, flushed it with Varisol, and then installed 2 Quarts of Pennzoil Synchromesh Manual Transmission Fluid ($7.99 US/QT). Very smooth now!

You can find more information here:
http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/iWeb/Site/Welcome.html