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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Electric clutch slave cylinder....

hey guys

I want to figure out how to put an electric slave on the clutch of a 1275/ribcage....with a electric push button on the steering wheel or top of the stick shift....anyone done this before? if not.....

what is the PSI that the slave pushrod places on the fork....???

what is the length of the push rod on the slave for a ribcage/1275...???


If you look to the thread called "automatic midget"
Amanda wants a midget but is not able to "physically" shift a manual tranny (depressing the clutch is the issue)...so ideas are needed ....

What about an adjustable electric/hydrolic master cylinder....electric pedal converting to push MC and hydrolic lines to the clutch slave....anyone with experiance there or ideas

Im guessing the thomas register will be my best friend this weekend.


prop
Prop

what about an adjustable retractable selodoid hooked up to the mater clyinder in place of the clutch pedal...that would be a cool /easy/and safe way to activate the clutch.


prop
Prop

Prop, the problem with most "automatic clutches" is that they are not very progressive and can't adapt to the changing needs of the engine such as when on a hill for example. They're either all in or all out, no fine feel to feather the clutch in. If you slow down the operation enough then upshifts are long and allow a lot of clutch slippage. Automatic engagement only when coming to a stop is a bit easier, but still for smooth take off you need an engine with a lot of low end torque to enable the clutch to engage without causing the car to shudder or jump. I had a '47 Packard with such a system, but there you had a big slow turning straight eight for tons of torque and even Packard dropped the system for an automatic trans a couple of years later. For most handicapped persons with leg strength issues, hand controls are the prefered solution, as they offer the degree of finess required on both brakes and clutch. Now figure out how to do four things at the same time with two hands and you'll see why most cars set up for handicapped drivers have automatic transmissions, with the clutch there are just too many things to do, steer, clutch, brake, and shift. With the auto that drops to two brake and steer.
There are electronic shifting mechanisms in use, but they require a lot of computing power to work and are beyond the realm of a retrofit in my opinion.
Bill Young

how about a remote brake servo as a simpler solution which is available off the shelf?
Will Munns

My first car was a Wolseley 15/59 Manumatic, it had a manual gearbox with a clutch operated via a button on the gear lever. Power was provided by inlet vacuum via a servo. It also had a linkage to double declutch as was neccessary in 1957. Just proves it can (could) be done. I dont know what other changes were dne.

Colin
C Martin

For further details, google it.

Colin
C Martin

Thanks for the insight Bill, vary informative....That info gives me a better idea....but I do love the idea of a brake servo..that will suggested

As to the insight from bill...what about a spring and cable clutch system instead of hydrolic....like what Arie has got, then you could hook up a hand grip to the the shifter, so you can squezze the grip, as you shift, inorder to adjust the amount of clutch you want at a given time.....slow squezze for starting off in 1st gear, fast squezze for shifting from 3rd to 4th, and back agian....my understanding is its only amandas clutch foot we have to account for...her other is fine. so braking isnt an issue.

Granted you would have to seriously modify the shifter egonomiclly for better action ....most likely you would shift with the lower 2 fingers and depress the clutch with the upper 2 fingers with the thumb wraping around the shifter handle and clasping over the top of the lower 2 fingers...(can you visualize that???)....the clutch 2 finger grip depressor would be spring loaded....and probably hooked up to an auctuator that would apply the real actuator with the nessacary force to depress the clutch.....

god I live for this stuff...so much fun!!!

prop
Prop

Sorry

C Martin, Essex, United Kingdom.... ALSO Suggested


the servo definatly has great ideas as well...unfortantly im a bit vague as to how it actually works...definatly will have to read up un that ...lots of those in the heap yards iknow.

prop
Prop

if you include the servo to take the strain the you could probably use a bike brake lever to control the clutch:

http://www.blueskycycling.com/cat-brake-lever.htm

you could probably make up a inch thick gearstick knob that would take the brake handle and with two small fingers to move the stick and two strong fingers to control the clutch, actually - what do motorcycle clutchs use?

Before, when I mentioned a brake servo I was thinking about a weak foot rather than no control
Will Munns

AHHhhhhhhGgggggg,

Those are perfect ideas WILL...know Im jealous cause I didnt think of them...Ill definatly have to check into the motor bike mechanism....


prop
Prop

http://www.sheridan-tech.com/technical.html

use some kind of hydraulic release that might be compatible with a remote master
Will Munns

Will you may well be onto something, definitely would need the servo, static spring pressure on a bike clutch is in the tens of pounds, static pressure on a car clutch is in the hundreds I believe and more on the heavy duty pressure plates.
Bill Young

If it helps, many Motorbikes have hydraulic clutches, some are probably heavier than others. My bike (Suzuki SV1000) is a V-twin and I'd expect the twins to be heavier than inline fours, as your breakers are likely to be littered with Harleys I would have thought some of these must use hydraulic clutches, and due to the size of some of the engines comperedd with Jap/Euro stuff these could be ideal.
On a sportsbike, the handlebar (called a clip-on) clamps onto the fork, clip-ons are usually 22mm in diameter where the cluitch lever bolts on, so not too difficult to mod to fit a gearlever?
The throw on the slave could be much shorter though.

It may also be worth checking on handicapped modifications for motorbikes, I know you get electric shifters, but I'm sure there must be something for clutch actuation as well.
I had a v quick google and found this:
http://www.rekluse.com/torqdrive2.shtml

Mark
mark

This thread was discussed between 20/05/2008 and 21/05/2008

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