new clutch - no gears

[okenora]

ok, I think I might know the answer to this but looking for other opinions first.....

As the weather has been poo I sent my car to a local garage for a clutch/slave/master change. All done but 2 problems.......

1 - there is a leak from the bell housing, looks like gear oil rather than hydraulic fluid but not sure. The master reservoir is not losing clutch fluid.

2 - cannot select gears with engine running, though 4th and 5th are just about possible but very stiff. Mechanic said all is fine when cold but when warm gets worse, not sure about that myself.

Where are we best looking for the problem, new slave, clutch and tazu master fitted and supposedly well bled.

pedal feels very "springy" to me, not as smooth as I remembered and has no dead zone at the top of it's travel.

[murphyv310]

Hi.
So have you got the car back in an unrepairable state? If so why?
If they cant fix the car I hope you haven't parted with any money.
Don't let them mess you about put the ball back into their court to fix it properly, I dont like the sound of a leak from the input shaft, sound to me they have possibly ruined the oil seal by cackhandedness or let the box hang on the input shaft.
Time to muster your heavies :eek:

[andy willi]

send me the details of the clutch you fitted and where you bought it from need to no the part no,, if poss and the make


andy

[DMGRS]

I'm also interested in which clutch was fitted - not had any problems with the Borg kits reported yet, although the slave can take a bit of bleeding.

If there's a gear oil leak, it usually means they've knackered the input shaft guide seal - it's the part the slave slides over. Quite easy to make a pig's ear of by kack-handed mechanics.

[okenora]

not too worried about the seal, cheap part easy changed (after box out :) ) but need to find why no gears, is it possible the slave is stuck on the guide ? Garage has not charged anything yet and has said will charge no extra labour and will leave the car right, so kudos to them on that.

They are taking the box out again tomorrow so would like info for them by then.

[DMGRS]

The guide doesn't really have anywhere for the slave to get stuck, and the slave itself is very simple in operation. There's 2 tabs on the base which interlock with 2 grooves in the top half of the slave, and it slides forward and back on those.

I suspect a bleeding issue.

[okenora]

is it possible the guide has "fallen out" and is simply floating around the input shaft? The system was bled with some sort of pressure system, from what I was told it seems as if they pumped it full from the slave bleed nipple side rather than filled from master and then bled at slave. I did ask about bleeding and they said they would happily bleed it there and then to show me fluid only coming out and no air.

[DMGRS]

The guide is bolted to the gearbox - it's also the input shaft seal on the gearbox itself. That won't be causing the selection issues.

We had a thread where the clutch plate was fitted back to front causing issues - otherwise it may well be dodgy parts.

[murphyv310]

not too worried about the seal, cheap part easy changed (after box out :) ) but need to find why no gears, is it possible the slave is stuck on the guide ? Garage has not charged anything yet and has said will charge no extra labour and will leave the car right, so kudos to them on that.

They are taking the box out again tomorrow so would like info for them by then.


That's good news.
I hear too many horror stories these days that and my suspicious mind :getmecoat:

[mh007]

If the box has to come out again, the oil leak (if it is indeed oil) should be addressed before refitting.

Was it leaking before it went into to garage ?

Personally, I wonder if the slave/release bearing was damaged on refitting ?

Fair do's on the garage though for trying to get it right without a fuss.

[okenora]

I don't know if it was leaking before it went in, it never left any oil spots for me but the garage says it was low on gear oil and only leaks when topped up, it then leaks until there is about .75l left....don't know how accurate this is but it's what I was told.

I suspect the sliding seal has got damaged in the change, causing the leak. The clutch not working is either a goosed slave or the friction plate in backwards. Seeing as there is no clutch fluid loss I am hoping for incorrectly fitted clutch plate.

[Mike Farr]

Has the thrust bearing slipped out? Me and my cousin done a bit of work changing a clutch on a ZR, turned out to be gearbox though unfortunatly. was there any metal particles in the gearbox oil?

[okenora]

Update......

Gearbox oil seal ********, now replaced
New clutch is the wrong clutch, wrong kit in the box
New slave is a bit worse for wear but seems serviceable

Garage has refitted old clutch which was ok and charged an extra £50 for the extra work involved in fitting it "twice". Pedal is nice now, though probably have to budget for another clutch later in the year as old clutch won't last forever but back mobile for now

[stocktake]

Why on earth have you paid extra? I assume the garage supplied the clutch? How does it cost you more for fitting the wrong part and then refitting your old one? !!!!!!!!!!!

[FrenchMike]

And chances for that themselves have killed the gearbox seal ...:bowdown:

[okenora]

no, I supplied the parts, brand new kit with tazu master. I actually think that the seal was damaged by last clutch change and car has been running with low gear oil since. There was gear oil all over the bellhousing. Now have new disc and old plate fitted, not perfect but will keep her going a while till I can treat it to a Borg and Beck.

Now to argue with the clutch kit supplier.

Only went to a garage as weather was miserable for doing it myself, when summer arrives I will re-do it myself.

[DMGRS]

Which clutch kit was it?
This is why I personally inspect every kit that comes into stock here - you never know if someone's made a hash of it at the warehouse.

[okenora]

it was one from a local motor factors, I guess they got it mucked up in the time it was hanging about their store. It came at a very attractive price.....not that it is any use now :)

Kit is AC delco, the outer box is marked for the rover cdti but the inner box is unmarked so I am guessing that's what got accidentally swapped.

Thanks to Andy Willi for his correct diagnosis from hundreds of miles away and everyone else that made suggestions.