Clutch problem returned after 3 months

[Zeth4500]

Im not sure where to post this, but it goes here. I just wanted to explain my situation, - i have put about 4000 euros into my MG ZT 190 2.5 V6, bought it at about 1500 euros long back with loads of problems. Water getting into cabin. Hardened steel parts holding the car together that was cut apart and welded directly on and probably worse ive forgotten.
1.5 years later, i go for a evening ride of about 30 kilometers, on my way back i become certain something is wrong with the clutch pedal, i have to press it deeper and deeper to switch gears. Ive had this before. This had my car towed 6 times back and forth to get repairs and guesses. It ended up costing me just 1000 euros, ..

One mechanic explained me i need new clutch plate and they will swap out that part inside gearbox that presses the clutch back out again as the springs on the clutch plate flattens over time with this particular car- for whatever reason. If i had my own workshop and could fix the clutch every 5 months - fine! But i cant, and the economic burden seems more like a failed investment and a heartbreak than anything.

Im taking off the plates and putting it up for sale. If anyone knows this problem and can tell me an easy fix, fire away. The master cylinder or whatever tied to the clutch right near the pedal was changed but that did nothing. It did work to change the clutch plate and the bearing inside. But now it went bad again, last time i had at least 2-3 days of worries before it finally wanted a break from my driving habits.

One thing: one of the mechanics trying for this attached a spring to pull the cluch back out again but this failed after 1-2 days where the problem got worse and the spring had no effect anymore, he realized this when i told him i could pull the clutch back by drawing the pedal backwards a bit.

[xsport]

The job was never done properly in the first place ... thats my first thought. .... and as for a mechanic who puts springs in places that should not be there ... change him . Use someone who knows what he is doing. .. simples ...

[YHT]

I only have diesel engined cars but a quiick look at Rimmers site drawings seems to show that the clutch arrangement is very simila. The pressure plate springs should push the pedle back up when you take your foot off and the spring on the pedle should take it the last little bit of the way so that there ois no load on the slave cylinder.
I have never heard of the clutch pressure plate "star" spring "arms" flatttening over time; even those over 10 years old seem to be resilient.
I think there is a misunderstanding somewhere; the clutch bits are not in the gearbox but between engine and gearbox.
Cheap try is to top up the clutch hydraulic fluid; bit of a fiddle to get to the reservoir over the top of the clutch pedle but possible; there ae lots of help threads on this site that will show how its done. If you have lost clutch hydraulic oil there is probably a leak somewhere. As you have replaced the master cylinder its probably the slave cylinder in the bell housing unless ther's a leak on the master cylinder to hydraulic pipe or the push fit connection in the engine bay or perhapsthe bleed valve leaking?? Worth a chack for the simple thinsg 1st. Changing out the clutch plates and slave cylinder is a bit of a game without a hoist but not impossible; just jack the front of the car up and put blocks under the front jacking points.Someone did do a detailed description of how to change the clutch parts without removin the gearbox from the car though it does have to be unbolted from the engine andtwisted around; gives a little room to undo the clutch bolts but can be done ( says he with having done is 3 or 4 times. Warm/dry weather helps so we are approaching a season fpr clutch changes.
Good luck

[Zeth4500]

the reason the mechanic put a spring there was because he knew i was in a tight economic spot and i really needed a car for where i lived- it was a genius move but he did tell me he had no idea how long the spring would last for.

as for the springs collapsing, the mechanics apprentice heard this from someone who had worked with exactly that type of car before- i never saw the collapsed springs or anything from it- they did try to add fluids to the master cylinder to no avail. so we assumed it would be the master cylinder itself- it wasnt. and theres only limited options for who the sinner was, and so the slave cylinder it had to be. i should have asked to see the worn parts the next mechanic pulled out but he didnt have anything interesting to tell me- i could give him a call to hear if he remembers anything

looking around on the internet i see its not that big of an operation to take the parts out and have a look inside to see whats really going on, and since ill be taking off the plates soon and i have a new old car now, i should have plenty time to mess around with my MG ZT meanwhile, even a blind hen finds corn - and i happen to have a spare slave cylinder as the next mechanic i took my car to wouldnt use the part i ordered because he earns some of his money from the parts- also something-something parts guarantee on his end - maybe i really need to give him a call after all? hm?

i was given additional hope hearing that people who race illegally can very rapidly swap out a clutch by tilting the car sideways which somehow helps the operation massively- new old car has a blown cylinder and with just 25% the power has same fuel consumption and even first day welcomed me by having a tire blowing up on the highway. my fiancé and my priest- and everyone inbetween approves that the MG ZT is a beastly machine so im gonna try to see if working a handful of years on maintenance will pay off with this mission im gonna take on now. i will try to post progress