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Old 13th February 2013, 18:43   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Bell View Post
Hmm, interesting. The clutch was replaced at an MG Rover dealer in Cornwall a few years ago now. The new clutch has had a slight judder ever since. Actually a lower mount could be a reasonable explanation for this, as the judder is only really noticeable on pulling from standstill and most likely if there is a bit of steering lock applied...

Anyway, things have rather come to a head: last night got a phone call from my wife to inform me that the clutch pedal was on the floor and she couldn't select any gears. And the car was stranded in the middle of a busy junction. Terrific. AA were rubbish: despite her being a woman alone, and the car in a precarious position they couldn't come for over 2 hours I had to call the police to tell them about the potential hazard, but ultimately some kind passers by helped her push the car to a position of relative safety.

I got home before the AA had arrived, and was able to get partial clutch release by pumping the pedal - and was able to drive the car in one gear to the local backstreet garage and abandoned it there.

They're having a look for me today. Clutch has regained partial operation by this morning apparently, but is biting near the bottom of its travel. They're starting what I expect to be an expensive investigation into the problem this morning.

I still suspect the slave cylinder. Question I suppose is whether the clutch should be replaced again at the same time...

More soon!
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Originally Posted by chris_h View Post
It is is simple investigation, take the lid off the master cylinder fluid reservoir, your finger in , if it goes to the bottom, your reservoir is empty and your slave cylinder has gone as long as there in hydraulic fluid around the master cylinder. Just to confirm that is the problem, bleed it and you will get a clutch back. You can drive on this for anything from a few miles to a few thousand miles depending on how bad the leak is. The master cylinder has a black rubber seal at the top which extends down as the reservoir gets emptied, this is sometimes referred to as the ' condom' for obvious reasons. If the reservoir is empty your finger will go right to the bottom.
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Originally Posted by Billy1mate View Post
In recent weeks my pedal bite is right on the floor & when it is warmed up it is a *** to get into gear, to the point of switch off ignition, engage 1st gear, start the car. I think this is one more item on my 'to do' list
For all the above!!

This might be worth a read!!

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...94#post1176994

Always worth a try and kept mine going for 2-1/2 years before the CSC finally went!! won't work if the CSC has gone compleatly though !! thats a fix it here and now job I'm afraid!!

HTH?

Andy
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Old 14th February 2013, 20:06   #22
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Thanks Andy. Already tried that trick, which has lasted a couple of months. Unfortunately the time has come to replace the concentric bearing/ slave cylinder.

Consensus between me and the mechanic at the local garage is that it is FUBAR'd. And since everything is in pieces, might as well change the clutch. The big question mark is whether the dual mass flywheel also needs replacing, which adds frightening amounts of money...

Tragically, this ZT is not the testament to reliability that I thought it would be. Time for a change??? Thing is, we really like it. A lot. What to do?
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Old 14th February 2013, 21:35   #23
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Thanks Andy. Already tried that trick, which has lasted a couple of months. Unfortunately the time has come to replace the concentric bearing/ slave cylinder.

Tragically, this ZT is not the testament to reliability that I thought it would be. Time for a change??? Thing is, we really like it. A lot. What to do?
Well when mine did go I just changed (almost) everything!! not the DMF!!

And you have the main problem with the manual cars in your lap now!! so if you have had a few things go already your probably at the point where it will start to get more reliable (touch wood) mine has 163k on it now and still drives tight!!

Iv'e had to do water pump and thermostat (separately) plus aux belts and main tensioner (shaft not pulley) both low preasure fuel pumps new Kenlow fan and a A/C rad split the power steering pump and resealed the gasket traced a "k"bus issue to the symphony head unit fitted new discs and pads + H/Brake shoes and compensator of course! plus a new battery!! but again thats over nearly 3 years!!

But at those miles these things are all pretty much normal wear and tear surely?? and its still cheaper than either buying a new or nearly new one and getting stuffed with the depriciation or worse still a 5/6 year old one that loses money AND still needs fixing!!

I normaly do around 500 miles a week for work so in 6 days!! it's my office and my survival kit!!

The last hicup (actualy the only brakedown!!) that I had with it was last march when the tensioner shaft cracked and threw the aux belt off AND I still managed to do 30 miles in it to get to my daughters house to borrow a car until I could get it home the next day!! (no water pump power steering or alternator!!) and that's was close to 20k miles ago!!

Me!! I'm in it for the long haul!! I really cant think of anything I would rather drive right here and now! (lottery wins excluded of course!!)

Asking me what to do is only going to get one (biased!! ) reply!!

Andy

P.S !! I like mine a lot to!! they get further under the skin the longer you have them!! - but then I enjoy working on it too!! sad init!!
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Old 14th February 2013, 23:17   #24
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My first 75 did this. It was horrific. It had only done about 40K and was 2 1/2 years old at the time. It had already had a new clutch. Warranty wouldn't pay for a new one. What finally cured it permanently, believe it or not was trying to pull away on a hill so steep on a holiday park that the car couldn't do it without serious abuse. I gave up and took a run up. After that, I never had clutch judder again. I guess the clutch had glazed due to my gentle driving style.
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Old 15th February 2013, 12:24   #25
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Thanks guys. Confirmation from the garage: the slave had broken up. Fortunately the dual mass flywheel was within spec. With London labour rates the replacement clutch and concentric bearing/slave cylinder has cost me around £780.

Andy, I agree with your argument. I've been quietly hoping that by going round and replacing all the broken bits, we would enter a period of reliable running.

It's a 10 year old car, yes, but with low miles - just 66k on the clock. There's loads to really like about these cars: it's a brilliant drive and very practical. It isn't the most economical diesel in the world, and as the 115 model, it doesn't set the world alight. But with a RoverRon box and a K&N filter it does okay

Over the last couple of years though it has practically all the common CDTi problems: high pressure and low pressure fuel pumps, injector problems (the MG Specialist working on it broke a glow plug, so we got stitched with a head off/gasket replacement bill - not happy), power steering pump belched fluid over alternator (both now replaced)... and now the slave cylinder failure.

Thing is, for what is meant to be a reliable daily runner, it has spent an inordinate amount of time off the road being fixed. It's difficult to stay positive that within a 3 week period it's landed us with two large bills.

Now really tempted to go to the other end of the ZTT range and buy a V8 - but I am sure that model too has it's little foibles...

Annoyingly a good friend of mine owns an ancient VW Passat wagon. 200k daily work horse, and apparently as reliable as night follows day. I'm not fond of most VAG products, but boring reliability is looking tempting.

I think my ZTT may be on its last warning, although what could possibly replace such an otherwise brilliant driver's and family man car for reasonable money I have no idea...
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Old 15th February 2013, 13:11   #26
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Originally Posted by Rob Bell View Post
Thanks guys. Confirmation from the garage: the slave had broken up. Fortunately the dual mass flywheel was within spec. With London labour rates the replacement clutch and concentric bearing/slave cylinder has cost me around £780.
I had a the same a couple of weeks ago – price in Glos nearly as bad!

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Originally Posted by Rob Bell View Post
Andy, I agree with your argument. I've been quietly hoping that by going round and replacing all the broken bits, we would enter a period of reliable running.

It's a 10 year old car, yes, but with low miles - just 66k on the clock. There's loads to really like about these cars: it's a brilliant drive and very practical. It isn't the most economical diesel in the world…

Thing is, for what is meant to be a reliable daily runner, it has spent an inordinate amount of time off the road being fixed. It's difficult to stay positive that within a 3 week period it's landed us with two large bills.

I think my ZTT may be on its last warning, although what could possibly replace such an otherwise brilliant driver's and family man car for reasonable money I have no idea...
I agree with you completely – I guess the old adage of you get what you pay for might be the answer here – these cars look and feel like a quality Beemer or Merc – but reliability seems to let them down badly. And having front wheel drive is obviously naff.

Mine’s cost me something like £2000 in repairs/diagnostics etc over the last couple of years, and it has about 80k on the clock.

Prior to this, I had 2 x M3 over a 6-year period – apart from the aircon repeatedly failing on the Evo, and going through brakes and tyres at a frightening rate, they were absolutely bombproof – never the slightest cough. And still over 20mpg from a 320bhp engine when you thrashed it!

The 75’s a lovely car apart from all that, and they are CHEAP. But if you really want something which will drink petrol alcoholically, like the V8, get yourself a good nick E36 model M3 for very little money.

It’ll manage 170 on a good day, and make you smile every time you start it.

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Old 15th February 2013, 13:43   #27
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I'll admit to being very tempted by an E36 M3 - probably the best looking of the M3s IMO. Trouble is I need a tourer. I don't believe that the E36 M3 ever came as a tourer. That's problem number one. Problem number two is that the "standard" E36 tourer is probably a little too small, so my sneaky idea of building an E36 M3 tourer would result in a car that wouldn't quite meet the brief.

The M5 is too big. The ZTT is, as Goldlocks would say, "just right".

I think my car taste is a bit quirky, as I'd rather consider a SAAB or Alfa... and you can imagine an Alfa would probably make an MG appear a paragon of virtuous reliability in comparrison! And the 9-5 never really did it for me. Plus it's too big. Quite liked the 9-3 - but yes, too small...

A ZTT is just perfect in size, handling, appeal. Just so incredibly annoying that the flipping thing keeps going wrong! Would a 260 fair better than a CDTi? Don't know. But at least it was, is and will always be an enthusiasts car - and that might make me feel happier about it
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Old 15th February 2013, 13:54   #28
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Originally Posted by Rob Bell View Post
I'll admit to being very tempted by an E36 M3 - probably the best looking of the M3s IMO. Trouble is I need a tourer. I don't believe that the E36 M3 ever came as a tourer. That's problem number one. Problem number two is that the "standard" E36 tourer is probably a little too small, so my sneaky idea of building an E36 M3 tourer would result in a car that wouldn't quite meet the brief.

The M5 is too big. The ZTT is, as Goldlocks would say, "just right".

I think my car taste is a bit quirky, as I'd rather consider a SAAB or Alfa... and you can imagine an Alfa would probably make an MG appear a paragon of virtuous reliability in comparrison! And the 9-5 never really did it for me. Plus it's too big. Quite liked the 9-3 - but yes, too small...

A ZTT is just perfect in size, handling, appeal. Just so incredibly annoying that the flipping thing keeps going wrong! Would a 260 fair better than a CDTi? Don't know. But at least it was, is and will always be an enthusiasts car - and that might make me feel happier about it.
No, no M3 tourers! You’re right about the Alfa – over my 40-year driving career, I’ve never seen a worse car for reliability. Apart from Fiats maybe. But I’ve also known a few SAAB drivers, and they seem very nearly as bad…

Re the 260 or whatever, well, thing is about my CDTI, mostly it isn’t strictly the Rover which has been failing, if you see what I mean. As far as I know, Rover didn’t make engine management systems, clutches, master/slave cylinders, alternators, or reversing sensor systems. So I guess all these could just as easily have failed on any other car.

Or perhaps I’m just fooling myself, as I don't fancy shelling out 8 grand for a **** Mundaneo…

Wow... the forum actually thinks "****" is a swear word... I'd better be careful not to say ****!
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Old 15th February 2013, 14:23   #29
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Can't bring myself to buy a Ford or Vauxhall. Or anything from SE Asia.

I'd love an XF Tourer, but they're £40k I don't have.
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Old 15th February 2013, 18:31   #30
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Originally Posted by Rob Bell View Post
I'll admit to being very tempted by an E36 M3 - probably the best looking of the M3s IMO. Trouble is I need a tourer. I don't believe that the E36 M3 ever came as a tourer. That's problem number one. Problem number two is that the "standard" E36 tourer is probably a little too small, so my sneaky idea of building an E36 M3 tourer would result in a car that wouldn't quite meet the brief.
Sir could always build one of these!

http://www.bmwblog.com/2011/04/01/ne...46-m3-touring/
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