Rear Upper Arms - Improved part now test-fitted to a car! Not long now...

WillyHeckaslike · 29th November 2020, 10:46

I've always been sceptical of the reason behind the number of reported early failures of the clutch slave cylinder. The clutch on my Rover 25 went pop at a little over 55,000 miles, I did not replace it myself but I gather that the cause of the failure was the disintegration of the release bearing. But the guide sleeve was also damaged and needed replacing too and I do wonder if this began to fail first leading to excess force required to operate the clutch with the resulting damage to the release bearing. The car with hindsight came to me with the clutch failing but I did not know until after it was replaced. I thought the mechanic had done something wrong because after replacement the pedal was so light that it went straight to the floor without no resistance, or so it seemed to me in comparison to what I was previously used to when driving the car. It took me a few days to get used to it before it began to dawn on me that it was how it should be and what had been going on before clutch replacement.

I think that in my case the root cause of the failure was lubrication failure of the guide sleeve possibly compounded by excessive clutch dust in the bell housing, clutch dust apparently being a known problem with Rover 25 according to the mechanic who did the job. My Rover 25 does not have an hydraulic clutch system, but if it did my money would be on the slave cylinder seal failing because of the excessive force needed to operate the clutch when the release bearing begins to bind on the guide sleeve due to lubrication failure.

29th November 2020, 10:46	#20
WillyHeckaslike This is my second home Rovers 75 & 25 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wearside Posts: 4,522 Thanks: 543 Thanked 709 Times in 511 Posts	I've always been sceptical of the reason behind the number of reported early failures of the clutch slave cylinder. The clutch on my Rover 25 went pop at a little over 55,000 miles, I did not replace it myself but I gather that the cause of the failure was the disintegration of the release bearing. But the guide sleeve was also damaged and needed replacing too and I do wonder if this began to fail first leading to excess force required to operate the clutch with the resulting damage to the release bearing. The car with hindsight came to me with the clutch failing but I did not know until after it was replaced. I thought the mechanic had done something wrong because after replacement the pedal was so light that it went straight to the floor without no resistance, or so it seemed to me in comparison to what I was previously used to when driving the car. It took me a few days to get used to it before it began to dawn on me that it was how it should be and what had been going on before clutch replacement. I think that in my case the root cause of the failure was lubrication failure of the guide sleeve possibly compounded by excessive clutch dust in the bell housing, clutch dust apparently being a known problem with Rover 25 according to the mechanic who did the job. My Rover 25 does not have an hydraulic clutch system, but if it did my money would be on the slave cylinder seal failing because of the excessive force needed to operate the clutch when the release bearing begins to bind on the guide sleeve due to lubrication failure.