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MG MGA - Gearbox/engine removal

Having just rebuilt both the engine and the gearbox on an MGA 1600 and fitted everything back, I now find that the clutch is unoperable. There is way too much travel on the pedal, as if the throwout bearing is much too far back. I have no idea as to what is happening and I am sure the only cure will be to remover the unit and split the gearbox from the engine to see what has happened.

This is to ask if anyone knows if it is possible to remove either the gearbox or the engine as individual units or do I have to drop the whole shebang out as I did firstly.

Thanks for any helpful suggestions.
Geoff Love

Geoff

It is possible to remove the engine on its own. Past experience on this forum is about a 50/50 split whether to remove just the engine or combined with the gearbox. I normally remove just the engine.

Before you proceed I am sure some of the other guys will offer you advice on things to check on the clutch travel/hydraulic bleeding etc. They are better qualified than I on clutch diagnostics.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Geoff,

In 40 years of MGA ownership, I have taken the transmission out through the interior (never again,)the engine out by itself (not too bad,) and the engine and transmission out as a unit. I find it much easier to remove the entire unit, but my favorite mechanic prefers taking the engine out separately. I'm with Steve, though, on checking the hydraulics thoroughly before you resort to pulling the engine again. I had a bad hose almost convince me to pull the transmission on my TR. It merely bulged when I depressed the pedal and didn't move any fluid to the slave cylinder. I ended up not only replacing the hose, but lengthening the slave cylinder rod to make that one work. Good luck.

Ken
Ken Morton

Geoff,

Before you go through the grief of pulling the engine and gearbox, check the slave cylinder rod. The rod may be too short or the hole through it to the clevis may be elongated.



Don
Don Tremblay

Check for worn holes in the clutch pedal and master cylinder rod also as they can wear. Short of installing the throwout bearing backwards, there is not much that can go wrong in the bell housing. If you pull just the motor, take off the front crank pully first, gives a little more wiggle room.
John H

Depressing the pedal full stroke should produce about 5/8-inch of travel at the slave push rod, and must return when the pedal is released. If not you have a hydraulic problem (probably air), and no need to pull the engine.

If the slave does move at least 1/2-inch, and the clutch doesn't release, then you may have the driven disc in backward, fouling on the flywheel bolts. That requires pulling the engine to fix.

Another possible problem is a new spigot bushing in the crankshaft seized on the gearbox input shaft. That can be solved sometimes by putting the car in gear (with brake on), depressing the clutch, and then starting the engine. If it does start without driving away, a little idling time with the clutch depressed may wear in the spigot bushing enough for it to run free.
Barney Gaylord

Thanks to all who replied with helpful suggestions. I'll report back when I have found the problem, for future reference.
Geoff Love

Geoff -
I am not clear on what the clutch is doing/not doing. Is it stuck engaged or is it stuck not engaged (so no power to the transmission?)

After I R&R'd the engine and tranny I bled the clutch line and tried it out. No go, would not disengage. I found that the piston in the clutch master cylinder was sticking when I pumped the clutch pedal with no back pressure from the clutch. Check that out before you go pulling everything out.
Steve
Steven B

I recently removed the engine only to replace the clutch following the advice on this forum, and had no real problems. The only thing I would say is its quite tight to get it back in, and the engine has to be tilted at an angle to achieve this.
Also gunsons eazibleed makes bleeding the clutch dead easy.
Many thanks guys for the advice.
Henry

This thread was discussed between 23/08/2007 and 27/08/2007

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.