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hey up

last week drove the 8 port around and stuck it back in the workshop, fired it up yesterday for a spin out and it just wont engage any gears - clutch pedal is ok, master cylinder is pushing slave, slave is pushing arm out , everything seems in check here so something is either stuck clutch side or its something else

Any ideas before i have to start pulling stuff apart cause its to cold and im to old

2 red bloody minis now im working on AGAIN

Pad

As long as you have a clear run in front of you, you can try starting it in a high gear with the clutch depressed. This is sometimes enough to free a stuck clutch.

As long as you have a clear run in front of you, you can try starting it in a high gear with the clutch depressed. This is sometimes enough to free a stuck clutch.

Quite agree but if you undo the timing inspection plate on the clutch housing and squirt some vinegar down towards the clutch and leave it for an hour or so, then do as above it may well free off.
A tip I was given a while ago and it worked for me.

I understand your pain. Tell you what, I'll share your problem - give me the car and we'll have one broken red mini each!
I'll even pick it up if it makes it easier on you in this cold weather

Pop the clutch arm off and check the ball hasn't cracked off the arm, this can give the same symptoms

mk1coopers wrote:Pop the clutch arm off and check the ball hasn't cracked off the arm, this can give the same symptoms

Good idea but maybe before going down that road, open the timing cover inspection cover, turn the engine over to a point where you can see one of the backing plate post bolts, and then (probably with some help of an assistant), see if you can see the backing plate moving when operating the pedal, should move about 1 mm.

I have had Primary Gears seize onto the crank before now.

Probably bad fitting/checking technique on my part....

The clutch will visibly all appear to be working OK, but if
the primary gear is unable to "free-wheel" on the crank tail
you will get the same symptoms.

If it is really bonded on there, I have a tool for extracting
the gear.

Good Luck,

Ian

I had a problem with my race car and I couldn't get the clutch to free. After having the clutch and flywheel out a dozen times and to cut a long story short, the flywheel was binding on the primary gear horse shoe clip. It did that because the flywheel was fitting deeper on the taper than what the manufacturer intended. The cure was to turn .030" from the recess in the flywheel.

I understand this is a known problem to those who have rebuilt big numbers of Mini engines but new to me.

Al