Stuck Clutch

["c1gtc"]

Hi Folks

My Plus 2's clutch seems welded to the flywheel after 3 months of
little use (yes I know how dangerous that is........).

I've had this happen with Triumphs etc and at worst all one needed to
do was start it with a good battery in gear and it would soon release.
I have tried everything I know and am at a loss. Until 3 months ago all
was well.

Any help much appreciated.

Regards

Nick

[Martin_StuartUK]

There are several options...I usually try them in reverse order of brutality:

First, check that the clutch is properly adjusted and that it is actuating correctly...you may have dodgy seals on master/slave cylinders, for example. Then:

1) With the clutch pedal propped down & gearbox out of gear, start the engine and let it run until **thoroughly** up to temperature. Switch it off, and allow to cool. Repeat this for several cycles.This obviously takes a while, so you'll need patience, but you'd be suprised how often the differential expansion of the clutch and flywheel is enough to break the stuck plate loose, eventually, with no stress to the drivetrain at all.

2) With the car (CAREFULLY) supported on axle stands under the rear hub carriers (not under the chassis or body, as this puts the suspension at full droop, which strains the donuts), start engine in gear, and with clutch pedal depressed, alternately rev and brake. This is obviously using the inertia of the rotating components (mainly the mass of the rear wheels) to break the clutch loose.

3) Most dangerous, and most brutal...start the car in gear and drive it around with the clutch depressed, alternately accelerating and braking. This is doing the same as method 2, but you are obviously accelerating/braking the mass of the car against the clutch..

If none of the above work, I'm afraid it's time to bite the bullet and separate the engine and gearbox.

Don't dismiss option one, though (heat cycling)...it usually works 9 times out of 10 if you have patience!

Martin
----- Original Message -----
From: c1gtc
To: ***@***.***
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 7:24 PM
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Stuck Clutch


Hi Folks

My Plus 2's clutch seems welded to the flywheel after 3 months of
little use (yes I know how dangerous that is........).

I've had this happen with Triumphs etc and at worst all one needed to
do was start it with a good battery in gear and it would soon release.
I have tried everything I know and am at a loss. Until 3 months ago all
was well.

Any help much appreciated.

Regards

Nick












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b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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[tvacc]

There are several things that have worked



Go through some heat cycles..starting car.letting warm up.then cool..several
times



I have seen people put the car on a jack..get the wheels a little off the
ground.then start the car.with your foot on the clutch..push the car off the
jack or lower it down. Give yourself lots of room to stop if it does not
break loose.



These are the things that have worked for others





Tony Vaccaro





_____

From: ***@***.***lto:***@***.*** Behalf
Of c1gtc
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 2:24 PM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: [LotusElan.net] Stuck Clutch



Hi Folks

My Plus 2's clutch seems welded to the flywheel after 3 months of
little use (yes I know how dangerous that is........).

I've had this happen with Triumphs etc and at worst all one needed to
do was start it with a good battery in gear and it would soon release.
I have tried everything I know and am at a loss. Until 3 months ago all
was well.

Any help much appreciated.

Regards

Nick













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["c1gtc"]

Thanks Martin & Tony

Method 2 finally worked after 8 attempts.

Why driving it around hadn't previously worked is a mystery, probably
beacsue there wasn't enough time in this perilous method to generate
enough heat.

This group really works, I would never have thought of the advice
to "avoid jacking via chassis to avoid rotoflex strain".

Cheers

Nick


--- In ***@***.***, "Martin Stuart" <m.a.stuart@...>
wrote:


cylinders, for example. Then:

Switch it off, and allow to cool. Repeat this for several cycles.This
obviously takes a while, so you'll need patience, but you'd be
suprised how often the differential expansion of the clutch and
flywheel is enough to break the stuck plate loose, eventually, with
no stress to the drivetrain at all.

suspension at full droop, which strains the donuts), start engine in
gear, and with clutch pedal depressed, alternately rev and brake.
This is obviously using the inertia of the rotating components
(mainly the mass of the rear wheels) to break the clutch loose.

and braking. This is doing the same as method 2, but you are
obviously accelerating/braking the mass of the car against the
clutch..

[rodgerslotus]

Martin/Tony/Nick,

While lurking the Lotus mail my 60 MGA developed the same clutch
problem. Your expert methods resolved the clutch problem in 2 attempts.
The MGA had been sitting since 1975. 31 years!!!!!

thanks,
Ty
Tiger, Healey, Morgan, Lotus, 2 MGA's

________________________________

From: c1gtc [mailto:***@***.***
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2006 8:27 AM
To: ***@***.***
Subject: Re: [LotusElan.net] Stuck Clutch


Thanks Martin & Tony

Method 2 finally worked after 8 attempts.

Why driving it around hadn't previously worked is a mystery, probably
beacsue there wasn't enough time in this perilous method to generate
enough heat.

This group really works, I would never have thought of the advice
to "avoid jacking via chassis to avoid rotoflex strain".

Cheers

Nick


--- In ***@***.***, "Martin Stuart" <m.a.stuart@...>
wrote:


cylinders, for example. Then:

Switch it off, and allow to cool. Repeat this for several cycles.This
obviously takes a while, so you'll need patience, but you'd be
suprised how often the differential expansion of the clutch and
flywheel is enough to break the stuck plate loose, eventually, with
no stress to the drivetrain at all.

suspension at full droop, which strains the donuts), start engine in
gear, and with clutch pedal depressed, alternately rev and brake.
This is obviously using the inertia of the rotating components
(mainly the mass of the rear wheels) to break the clutch loose.

and braking. This is doing the same as method 2, but you are
obviously accelerating/braking the mass of the car against the
clutch..






















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[kayenney]

Whenever laying up a 30 - 40 year old car for even a month, it seems to be a good idea to prop the clutch out to prevent it from sticking. If it's mechanical or cable, you can do this by propping out the pedal, but for a hydraulic clutch, the prop needs to be at the release lever. Some people say that this will weaken the clutch springs, but I have never had this problem.

Ken
NW Florida
'69 Plus 2, etc




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[john66s3]

I have been reading the thread on stuck clutches for the last week or so
with interest, as I had a stuck clutch on my 66 S3. I tried warming up
the engine and letting the engine cool with the clutch pedal depressed -
and it was fixed after one cycle. So thanks for the suggestion and it
turned out to be much simpler than I expected.

John
66 S3 DHC