Sold 1972 Austin 1100 - SOLD

[richardthestag]

or how about these chaps

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Austin-Princess-Clutch-Master-Cylinder-Spring-PSPR11/252420477383?hash=item3ac56ed1c7:g:4qIAAOxyUrZSuFzC

[plasticvandan]

looks like mgb

[vulgalour]

Princess master cylinder next to the Austin master cylinder.  They're quite differently designed so while the spring on eBay looks similar I don't know that I can trust it would match.

 

20171114-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

[SiC]

Looks very similar to a Mini master.

[Asimo]

More worryingly: why is there filler in the bulkhead?

[vulgalour]

Because it's had rot chopped out and replaced with fresh metal and the filler was over the scruffier bits.  I'm not worrying about it.

[Christine]

Don't worry about it 

[alf892]

Princess master cylinder next to the Austin master cylinder.  They're quite differently designed so while the spring on eBay looks similar I don't know that I can trust it would match.

 

20171114-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

Pretty much same surely? Just one vertical and one horizontal

[SiC]

See this:

http://www.ldpart.co.uk/shop/shop.php?c=viewproduct&sid=sidd6fb2.&pid=153&cat=42&maincat=1&start=0

 

Looks like there are two designs of internals for the clutch master. I saw similar on the MGB brake master. So it seems if you want a new spring, it'll have to buy a full rebuild kit.

[plasticvandan]

I would imagine the spring would be parts bin,but obviously without comparing side by side hard to tell,what you really need is a parts list to cross ref.

[BeEP]

I sold off most of my surplus ADO16 spares earlier this year but I should still have at least one spare master cylinder (unless I'm a complete idiot.  Which is not unlikely) and possibly an overhaul kit or two.  I'll have a look tomorrow and see what I find.

[Ben_O]

I have a used Mini clutch master at work if you would like me to take a look at the spring?

[vulgalour]

Yes please!  It's annoying that it's just the spring I need, the rebuild kits don't seem to include one, just the seals, which I've already got.

[vulgalour]

Might have a spring sourced, like some of the lovely offers above he's got to check tomorrow to be certain it's the right one.  Looks like this particular problem will be easier solved than anticipated, which is nice.

[Ben_O]

Might have a spring sourced, like some of the lovely offers above he's got to check tomorrow to be certain it's the right one.  Looks like this particular problem will be easier solved than anticipated, which is nice.

let me know if it falls through and ill have a look at mine

[vulgalour]

Today has been pretty good on for the little purple monster.  First point of business was the clutch master cylinder, with Mike showing me how to rebuild one of those.  The new spring - courtesy of my good friend Adam over in Lincolnshire - has made quite a large difference to operation.

20171118-01 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

It was tested before fitting the car as much as could be and then reinstalled.  With the brake master cylinder having been reinstalled the correct way around, installation of the clutch master cylinder wasn't too difficult.  It's even easier without the heater pipes fitted too.  The only difficulty we had was failing light (short days are rubbish, they really are) and the system not wanting to fully bleed.  There is movement at the arm now which is good, it just needs to be more.  We'll get the power bleeder on the system probably on Monday and then it should be fully operational again.

20171118-02 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Just in case, I wanted to throw a battery on and see if there was enough movement to engage the clutch properly.  Sadly there wasn't so no drive happened today.  Instead I went through what electrical systems I could that had been dormant.  Started with main beam since the stalk had been knocked when I was refitting the seat.  The telltale coming on was promising.

20171118-03 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The sealed beam filling with smoke less so.  There's no sidelight on the driver's side at the moment and the passenger side one works when it feels like it.  Pretty sure I've got a good spare 7" sealed beam headlight so I'll stick that in soon.

20171118-04 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Dipped beam next then.  The front sidelight did come on briefly.  Worth noting as well that the rear lights wouldn't come on with main beam, but come on fine with dipped, Not sure why that would be, but it's one to investigate.  The atmospheric smoke is from the brake fluid that was spat on the exhaust when bleeding, it burned off fairly promptly.

20171118-05 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20171118-06 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20171118-07 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

Next I tried out the indicators, caught the stalk and got a BEEP.  That means the horn works, but the problem seems to be the stalk since I  couldn't get another beep to happen.  Indicators on the driver's side are a bit sticky too, again this seems to be stalk related since you have to get it just so.  They do work though, so that's good.

20171118-08 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

20171118-09 by Angyl Roper, on Flickr

 

The only other thing of note was that the tiny bit of hose between the fuel filter and carburettor had gone brittle and needed replacing.  After that was done, the car started perfectly willingly, as always, and then highlighted it has a slightly sticky throttle which appears to be the carburettor end so it needs some lubrication and/or cleaning.  Looking at the floor repairs after a long time of not doing made them seem much less bad a job, so once this clutch is bled and the car is driveable I'll be able to get on with that next.

[SiC]

 

 

Looking at the floor repairs after a long time of not doing made them seem much less bad a job, so once this clutch is bled and the car is driveable I'll be able to get on with that next.

Yay!!

[DodgeRover]

Sir will be having this finished and welded up before we know it!

[purplebargeken]

Yay. Such charming little cars.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Excellent news on that - I must admit, once you get 'something' done - you end up looking at the rest andthinking, 'may as well.....' the curse we all are born with I think!

 

On a side note - what on earth happened to the GT6? That really was hit hard by something.......

[vulgalour]

Couldn't tell you what hit the GT6, I don't know, not my project.  There's a new bodyshell and panels waiting to go on it, the owners just haven't found the time to get cracking on what is a big job to put right however you go about it.  Surprisingly the roof and chassis look to be okay and no glass is broken.

[vulgalour]

Hmm... it looks like the problem with the clutch on the 1100 is SOMETHING ELSE.  Mike and I spent enough time trying to bleed it today that my legs stopped working properly, which was the point I decided that maybe there was another issue.  You can get the system to flush through and the pedal to firm up, but once you have it sucks air in from somewhere and goes back to not working.

 

No fluid leaks but it's letting air in from somewhere.  Current suspects are the clutch hose - which is old, and cheap to replace - or potentially the rebuilt clutch master cylinder.  First step is ordering a fresh hose and trying again.

[Mally]

One of the seals fitted wrong way round maybe?

If not then take the two bolts out of  slave cylinder and let hang on hose.

Push the piston in as far as possible, you may have to take lid off M Cyl.

Put a bolt down inside the slave cylinder to rest on the piston.

Use G clamp or strap to hold the bolt in place.

Bleed until solid.

Should remain solid.

If not solid is fluid leaking anywhere?

 

If no leaks but pedal spongy I'd try a different M/Cyl..... Maybe pipe it up to the brake one temporarily.

[captain_70s]

Duff bleed nipple?

[Parky]

Are you bleeding it the old fashioned way or using a pressure / vacuum pump?

 

I remember an old Vauxhall I had that just wouldn't bleed properly but eventually managed a successful fluid change with a Gunsons Eezibleed. Might be worth trying?

[vulgalour]

@Mally and Cpt70s:  Pedal is firm once bled, but as soon as you use it air gets back in.  Seals fitted correctly, none flipped. No fluid leaks, bleed valve operating as it ought.

 

@Parky:  using a method from someone that knows what he's doing and who I trust implicitly with these things.  The method works, but the system is pulling air in once it's been bled.

 

I'm pretty sure it's a duff hose with a potential for duff MC. New MC is about £100, a hose is £8, so I'm loathe to stick a new MC on it until I've exhausted the cheap/free options.  Just one of those things from the car being stood so long, really.

[SiC]

One of the seals fitted wrong way round maybe?

If not then take the two bolts out of slave cylinder and let hang on hose.

Push the piston in as far as possible, you may have to take lid off M Cyl.

Put a bolt down inside the slave cylinder to rest on the piston.

Use G clamp or strap to hold the bolt in place.

Bleed until solid.

Should remain solid.

If not solid is fluid leaking anywhere?

 

If no leaks but pedal spongy I'd try a different M/Cyl..... Maybe pipe it up to the brake one temporarily.

Everyone said bleeding MGB clutch hydros would be difficult. I did pretty much as above with a cable tie to keep the piston in, left it dangling and used an Eezi bleed to force the fluid through. Got all the air out very quickly and the system works great.

[purplebargeken]

Not a bad idea to replace the pipe anyway tbh. At least you will have that bit of peace of mind.

[SiC]

Would taking out the master cylinder and

sticking compressed air into the system work to see if it holds pressure? And where a leak is.

[Mally]

Duff hose would leak fluid unless its collapsed internally in which case little would pass either way.

A hose that does not leak fluid under foot pressure is unlikely to draw air in under the pressure of the return spring you have fitted in the master cyl. Although the master cylinder possibly could.

Either you are not getting  all the air out, master cyl is defective, or there is a problem with the operating lever/clutch mechanism.

 

I have been wrong in the past though.