Seized Rover Clutch / GD Engine Removal

[Happy Jim]

Hi all,

After many months of building I finally got sufficiently far enough through the build to bleed the Brakes and Clutch and give it a short run up the drive.

Engine sounds great, but the clutch is stuck solid x(

I've tried to start it in gear - No joy.
I've had it up on Axel stands running at about 3,500 and hammered away on the brakes - no joy (but thanks to gartrac for an earlier post about that idea).

The engine and box (Rover 3.5) were put together about 10 years ago and the clutch hasn't been used since, so I'm guessing something is rusted solid.

I've crawled under and can see the push rod and actuating arm doing it's full movement, so am relativly happy that that bit is working ok.

Any other bright ideas for freeing the clutch or is it time to admit defeat and remove the engine?

If it's engine out time what's the best way? body off or on? (Robert, I believe you've whippped yours out more than once how do you do it?)

Regards

Jim

[callum]

Two choices:

Axle stands & wheels just clear of the deck wind it up in 3rd or 4th spinning furiously, depress clutch and slam on handbrake
or, slightly safer.....
Brutally gun the motor while in 2nd but depress the clutch and let vehicle inertia break the clutch free (but expect to lurch forward at the same time!!) You will need to be BRUTAL if it is as rusted as you suggest.

Once free lots of clutch slipping to clean the flywheel and polish the friction surface/friction plate.

[robert]

Jim

Engine removal is very easy.

Remove the engine bay cross braces at the front.
Undo engine mounts from chassis
Undo the 4 bolts holding the bellhousing to the gearbox.
Disconnect ancilliaries etc
Get a lifting plate for the carb mounting, and bolt to manifold.
Support gearbox and lift whilst putting forward pressure on the. It just slips out, as the actress said to the bishop.

You will need to remove the bonnet also.

Have fun.

Robert
Forum Admin

http://www.cobraclub.com/flags/UK.gif

[mikey]

F--- me. Remind me never to cross you callum.
Mike. I think.

[callum]

or take the engine out:+

[Happy Jim]

Thanks for the advise, looks like a lump out job for the weekend.

Cheers

Jim

[callum]

Seriously, method 2 was the one Andy Burrows advocated but I cracked my seized clutch by method 1 having carefully chocked everything to make sure she stayed on the axle stands but pointed up an empty road, kill switch at the ready!!!!

[Happy Jim]

Hi Callum,

I did option 1 with the handbrake...but that was a bit tame so applied the age old principle of BFI (Brute force and ignorance!), I had the engine running at about 3,500 and banged up and down on the brake peddal for about 10 mins (sweat dripping off brow).

I would take it on the road and let inertia take its course but am devoid of seats and steering wheel at the moment........now wheres that arm chair }>

Cheers

Jim

[callum]

Hmmmm! Kinda limits your options doesn't it? The question I would ask myself is whether to take the engine out now or when I had steering wheel and seats fitted. The answer would depend on whether I had already fitted the rack and column, ignition switch wired up, exhausts fitted etc., - essentially whether it was easier to go forward and try to break the clutch free on the road or whether lifting the engine out now does not involve going too far backwards. Going into summer it won't continue to corrode as it would over winter with condensation etc., so make your choice depending on your planned rate of build. I seem to remember Andy saying he'd always managed to free them off on the airfield but sometimes it took a bit of welly!!!

[Happy Jim]

And the result was......

Started early on Sunday morning (, removed fuel line, water pipes, headers, batt connection, earth connection, unplugged engine loom. Put car on stands, scrabbled around and removed bellhousing bolts (cut finger - bugger!), slipped jack under gearbox, took the strain on the hoist and removed the engine mount bolts.

And it just slipped apart - nope, it wouldn't budge a rattle/roll/up/down/shout/scream/hit...still no movement :'( slipped feeler guage all way round bellhousing (less dowels) no probs, but still no movement x(

Only solution is now to remove box and engine together and pray!

This so far has taken nearly 4 hours of buggering around (starting to doubt abilities at this stage).

Decide that what I should do is bite the bullet and remove the body. 1 hour later, body off (new job added to list - re-solder earth connections that I ripped off ) everything exposed and no more scraped knuckles.

Undo prop, undo gearbox mounting bolts, slide everything out dumping unlovingly on drive (oh did I mention that it's now been raining on and off for 4 hours). Yep you've guessed it - damn thing nearly falls apart in my hands x( 20 mins later and the old clutch is happily residing in the bin (V V Rusty!!)having felt the working end of my favourite 4lb tool) and the new one is back in place on a nice clean flywheel.

The good news is that while the engine was out I managed to grind off a bit of metal that the previous owner bodged on, add some more P clips to the brake lines and have another look at the luuverrrly chassis again.

Am now sporting a stinking cold but am very Happy to have finished something that I have not attempted before.

PS. now that the roll bars are off, what foam should I fill them with?

Regards

Jim