Fixing Fixed - MGZR Clutch aha That's what it woz

[Isaac Hunt]

Mrs Hunt called me Friday, "Some Geezer in a van has come hurtling through the narrow bit and twatted by mirror, hinged it back to the door, popped the glass out and a bit later up the road, the cover fell off"

FFS, "Is the glass bust and did you stop and pick up the cover"

"No, the glass is hanging down on the wires, not broke and the cover has probably been driven over"

well it might not have been, where did it fall off.

So, I changed my route and ventured out that way.  As I approached the point of drop, I'm looking for evidence of a mullered mirror cover.  Can't see anything.........oh, what's that in the grass on the Island.   Pull over, hazards on, item retrieved.  It is indeed our body coloured mirror cover.  Sure enough you can see 'white van mans twat mark and there is a couple of scratches.  One clip looks partially broken, but I reckon it will run again.

back home, out with the T-Cut and the twat mark is gone in a Jiffy and the scratch marks cut out 'in the main'.  Cover clipped back on and holding quite firm.

Out in the shitter today and '0oeer, that clutch feels funny, pedal to the floor, cable snapped.  FFS, I'll have to drive the 30 miles home on clutchless gear change, made it without stopping but a couple of T Junctions were a bit 'she's gonna stall........but just kept it going..

Feeling like my luck is in, must buy a lottery ticket, one of the £m ones , not a proper Roffle ticket

 

 

[Isaac Hunt]

So, having concluded the MGZR needed a new cluch cable, e-bygum came up trumps and a resplendent QH item arrived in the week.

So early thurs, I'm out there, old cable off, new on, clutch feels good but I can't get  Furst and Turd.  Funny, can't remember anything odd with the box when I drove it 30 miles home with no clutch.  Sure, I never used 1st, but sure I used 2nd 3rd Fouth.

Anyway, out of time I was, so I took a modern.

Had a look tonight, can't select 1st and 3rd, he goes in but not all the way Ma'am.  

A quick gander with iPhone torch, as you do, FFS, the cable being new has popped out the clip and is jamming the selectors.  A couple of cable ties later and that fekker ent going nowhere.  

All good, smooth as.  I replaced the whole clutch 6 years ago and about 58k ago.   Never replaced the cable at the time.

Odd thing is, the old cable doesn't appear snapped, must be just mega stretched or still a strand or two holding inside the outer sheath.  The self adjuster looks ok.  I'm used to it periodically 'adjusting', it changes the feel of the clutch until you get used to it again. 

It is a relief, I thought the gearbox was fooked, cos I've had one FAIL before on a Rover 400 and that had the gear lever jumping around all over the shop.  I just shoved a secondhand box in and thought I was going to have to do this on the MGZR.  

[Skut]

Did my ZRs about a year ago after the cable stretched to the point of clutch drag. It did make some odd boings and twangs as it adjusted. Although they are easy to fit in theory getting them exactly right seems tricky. I lost all gear selection one city commute but it had 'healed' when i got home after driving the whole way in second.  Odd. 

[Isaac Hunt]

Perplexed somewhat by the experience of not finding an inner cable 'bosted' required further inquisitive.

I examined old cable again.   Inner cable is fine.  Adsjuster is fine, although adjusted to the max.  So WTF, pedal was deffo to the floor and the only way this can happen is for the inner cable to get longer or the outer cable to get shorter.  Outer cable to get shorter I hear you say............oh look, the plastic boss thingy at the clutch end had pulled up along the outer cable and thus the adjuster has taken it self to the max and thus it has no more to give.  

The 'Boss' pulling itself up the outer cable explains the 'funny under foot' experience just prior to the 'can't find em grind em' experience, followed by the pedal dropping to the floor.

Lashed  out on a new cable there, a shitters fix would be to pull the boss back along the cable and apply a good wind of gaffer tape and a couple of jubilee clips to stop it moving back up the outer cable.  

Clutch is nice and smooth now though.

Most importantly, the cause and effect question has been answered.  The effect is not always the result of the most obvious cause.   A few red hearings along the way there, not least my rushing to do the job and not noticing the cable had popped out of the clip and jammed the gearbox operating lever assembly. 

i never could stand an incomplete jigsaw, which is probably why I don't do jigsaws, fixing cars throws plenty of challenges one way.