Clutch drop

eddiemc05 · 26th July 2010, 20:20

Hi can any one tell me wheater or not the 1.8 n/a 75 con 03, has the dropping clutch pedal problem to look forward to, and also does it have a duel mass flywheel like the diesels, what is the fix for the pedal drop if it goes?

matt_tdv6 · 26th July 2010, 20:38

How much pedal drop? All the way to the floor?

Mine sometimes sticks down about halfway and needs to be pulled up with your toe under the pedal

Ive tried bleeding it but thinking it may be the slave cylinder

mark d3 · 26th July 2010, 21:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddiemc05

Hi can any one tell me wheater or not the 1.8 n/a 75 con 03, has the dropping clutch pedal problem to look forward to, and also does it have a duel mass flywheel like the diesels, what is the fix for the pedal drop if it goes?

yes there all the same,the cure either a master clutch cylinder or more commonly a slave and clutch but the dmf does not always fail mines not noisy its not being replaced

eddiemc05 · 27th July 2010, 21:48

No probs as yet just getting prepared, tryed to check clutch fluid but its behind all the pedals and couldnt turn the lid, tight as a ducks !!!, all looks clean and dry tho, dies anyone know an easy way to check this?

HarryM1BYT · 27th July 2010, 23:04

You cannot really check it, apart from filling it and waiting for the overflow.

I used a big screw driver and a hammer to gently loosen the top. inside there is a large rubber nipple, which takes up a lot of the space in there. Some cut this off - which is exactly what I have now done, to allow more space for fluid in there.

I topped it up with a long narrow plastic tube, using a syringe less the plunger as a funnel and an assistant to pour it in. A length of wire in the tube at the cylinder end allows you to form it into a hook, to hook onto the cylinder to keep it in place and lots of newspaper on the carpet to catch the spills.

Whilst you are there, it is worth bleeding it too. Blow all of the old fluid out. If its allowed to run dry (it doesn't hold much, your pedal goes down and stays down or at least mine did. Cutting the nipple down, gives the cylinder a lot more capacity and more time to spot a problem leak, before you loose your clutch.

I suspect the pedal staying down might be the first sign of it running out of fluid. There seems to be no return spring on the pedal, it relies entirely on the clutch spring pressure to push it back up.

eddiemc05 · 30th July 2010, 07:55

thanks for good advice,still sounds tricky as hell tho, full bleed should prolong cylindr life, how are they bled?

HarryM1BYT · 30th July 2010, 20:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddiemc05

thanks for good advice,still sounds tricky as hell tho, full bleed should prolong cylindr life, how are they bled?

Take the cylinder top off, mine was too tight for fingers so I loosened it with a long screwdriver perched on one of the nibs on the cover and a gentle tap with a hammer.

Fill it to the top with DOT 4, the only way to tell it is full, is to cause it to overflow. I used an old syringe as a funnel held high, with some thin plastic tube on its nose, leading down then back up into the cylinder. A bit of thin steel wire in the end of the tube allow you to bend it into a hook shape so it stay put on the cylinder.

Once full, it gives you a couple of strokes on the peddle to push the old fluid out.

If you look on top of the gearbox, at the NS of the engine, you should see two pipes going down into the gearbox area via a rubber seal. One is from the master cylinder down to the slave cylinder in the cluth, the other just comes back out and stops with a bleed nipple on the end.

You need two spanners on that, one to hold it the other to release it. Get someone to press the peddle whilst another releases the fluid out of the nipple, keeping the peddle down at the end of the stroke until the nipple is tightened slightly to stop air being drawn in. Then let the peddle back up and repeat - until you are certain all the old fluid has been flushed out. Finally tighten it back up properly.

You must keep the master cylinder well topped up throughout, because if air gets drawn in - you start again. Finally before refitting the top, cut off most of the black nipple. make sure you leave enough of it still in the top to form a good seal in the cover.

The idea of the nipple thingummy was to make the system a sealed for life one, so the fluid level could fall slightly without air and moisture mixing with the fluid - but it takes up lots of space in the cylinder better used for fluid. It just means you now need to bleed and top it up every few years, which should make the system last much longer. Your larger cylinder also gives you more fluid so better able to cope with slight leakages.

moomoo · 2nd August 2010, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Take the cylinder top off, mine was too tight for fingers so I loosened it with a long screwdriver perched on one of the nibs on the cover and a gentle tap with a hammer.

Fill it to the top with DOT 4, the only way to tell it is full, is to cause it to overflow. I used an old syringe as a funnel held high, with some thin plastic tube on its nose, leading down then back up into the cylinder. A bit of thin steel wire in the end of the tube allow you to bend it into a hook shape so it stay put on the cylinder.

Once full, it gives you a couple of strokes on the peddle to push the old fluid out.

If you look on top of the gearbox, at the NS of the engine, you should see two pipes going down into the gearbox area via a rubber seal. One is from the master cylinder down to the slave cylinder in the cluth, the other just comes back out and stops with a bleed nipple on the end.

You need two spanners on that, one to hold it the other to release it. Get someone to press the peddle whilst another releases the fluid out of the nipple, keeping the peddle down at the end of the stroke until the nipple is tightened slightly to stop air being drawn in. Then let the peddle back up and repeat - until you are certain all the old fluid has been flushed out. Finally tighten it back up properly.

You must keep the master cylinder well topped up throughout, because if air gets drawn in - you start again. Finally before refitting the top, cut off most of the black nipple. make sure you leave enough of it still in the top to form a good seal in the cover.

The idea of the nipple thingummy was to make the system a sealed for life one, so the fluid level could fall slightly without air and moisture mixing with the fluid - but it takes up lots of space in the cylinder better used for fluid. It just means you now need to bleed and top it up every few years, which should make the system last much longer. Your larger cylinder also gives you more fluid so better able to cope with slight leakages.

is there any pictures o here on to show this being done??

HarryM1BYT · 2nd August 2010, 17:44

No photos that I am aware of, it would be a rather awkward spot to attempt to get a camera in to take photos. It is quite easy and quick to take a look at it - just undo the two screws which fix the plastic panel above your feet when you are driving. As I recall, the lower panel drops down and the upper one with switch surround should then just pull out towards the steering wheel. The latter has three spring clips along its upper edge against which you need to pull.

Look up above the clutch pedal and you will see the cylinder, but you may need a torch.

26th July 2010, 20:20	#1
eddiemc05 Gets stuck in Mg zt ctdi Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: newcastle n.i Posts: 537 Thanks: 76 Thanked 23 Times in 22 Posts	Clutch drop Hi can any one tell me wheater or not the 1.8 n/a 75 con 03, has the dropping clutch pedal problem to look forward to, and also does it have a duel mass flywheel like the diesels, what is the fix for the pedal drop if it goes? __________________ Mg zt 2004 cdti

27th July 2010, 21:48	#4
eddiemc05 Gets stuck in Mg zt ctdi Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: newcastle n.i Posts: 537 Thanks: 76 Thanked 23 Times in 22 Posts	No probs as yet just getting prepared, tryed to check clutch fluid but its behind all the pedals and couldnt turn the lid, tight as a ducks !!!, all looks clean and dry tho, dies anyone know an easy way to check this? __________________ Mg zt 2004 cdti

27th July 2010, 23:04	#5
HarryM1BYT This is my second home 75 Contemporary SE Mk II 2004 Man. Sal. CDTi 135ps, FBH on red diesel, WinCE6 DD Join Date: May 2010 Location: Leeds Posts: 17,273 Thanks: 2,160 Thanked 2,061 Times in 1,586 Posts	You cannot really check it, apart from filling it and waiting for the overflow. I used a big screw driver and a hammer to gently loosen the top. inside there is a large rubber nipple, which takes up a lot of the space in there. Some cut this off - which is exactly what I have now done, to allow more space for fluid in there. I topped it up with a long narrow plastic tube, using a syringe less the plunger as a funnel and an assistant to pour it in. A length of wire in the tube at the cylinder end allows you to form it into a hook, to hook onto the cylinder to keep it in place and lots of newspaper on the carpet to catch the spills. Whilst you are there, it is worth bleeding it too. Blow all of the old fluid out. If its allowed to run dry (it doesn't hold much, your pedal goes down and stays down or at least mine did. Cutting the nipple down, gives the cylinder a lot more capacity and more time to spot a problem leak, before you loose your clutch. I suspect the pedal staying down might be the first sign of it running out of fluid. There seems to be no return spring on the pedal, it relies entirely on the clutch spring pressure to push it back up. Last edited by HarryM1BYT; 27th July 2010 at 23:07..

30th July 2010, 07:55	#6
eddiemc05 Gets stuck in Mg zt ctdi Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: newcastle n.i Posts: 537 Thanks: 76 Thanked 23 Times in 22 Posts	thanks for good advice,still sounds tricky as hell tho, full bleed should prolong cylindr life, how are they bled? __________________ Mg zt 2004 cdti

26th July 2010, 20:38	#2
matt_tdv6 Avid contributor 04 ZT CDTI & 04 MG ZR Express Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Scunthorpe Posts: 244 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	How much pedal drop? All the way to the floor? Mine sometimes sticks down about halfway and needs to be pulled up with your toe under the pedal Ive tried bleeding it but thinking it may be the slave cylinder

2nd August 2010, 17:44	#9
HarryM1BYT This is my second home 75 Contemporary SE Mk II 2004 Man. Sal. CDTi 135ps, FBH on red diesel, WinCE6 DD Join Date: May 2010 Location: Leeds Posts: 17,273 Thanks: 2,160 Thanked 2,061 Times in 1,586 Posts	No photos that I am aware of, it would be a rather awkward spot to attempt to get a camera in to take photos. It is quite easy and quick to take a look at it - just undo the two screws which fix the plastic panel above your feet when you are driving. As I recall, the lower panel drops down and the upper one with switch surround should then just pull out towards the steering wheel. The latter has three spring clips along its upper edge against which you need to pull. Look up above the clutch pedal and you will see the cylinder, but you may need a torch.