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My clutch got stuck!


Munch

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I have decided to sort my engine out mainly due to a sump gasket leak and the fact that I don't know the history of it, so for peace of mind I wanted to get it stripped down and checked over and fitted with a whole new set of gaskets, cleaned and repainted, but while its in bits why not make it a little bit better with new pistons, lightening and balancing, new oil and fuel pump and a skimmed head etc!! I don't want a 200bhp beast, just something with a bit more grunt. I am going to stick with the standard carbs and filter to still give an original look.

Anyhow, I will start a separate thread on this, but I went to take it to my mechanic this morning, (incidentally who appeared on cars that rock with Brian Johnson as the mechanic working on the fastest mini in the world). So I went to my lock up put the key in the ignition, put my foot on the clutch, as I leave it in gear, and turn the key and the car jumped forward. I couldn't quite understand as I was thinking but my foot's on the clutch it shouldn't be doing that. I still had pressure in the pedal so I tried to take it out of gear and it was very difficult to do so, but I managed it in the end. Once it popped out of gear, it went in and out fairly easily. I hadn't started my car since bringing it back from the NEC in November but it wasn't really that long ago. I then started the engine with ease, but I just couldn't get it in gear. I warmed the car up, turned it off and on and off. Started it in gear and hard on the brakes, but still the clutch wouldn't free itself. I thought there's only one thing I can do here, and that's push it to the road and start it in gear and try and change gear without the clutch, so that's what I did. I had to collar some random passer by to help me push it out of the lock up and I started it in gear and got it to the road where I turned it off and waited for a big gap before I took the plunge. Once I got going I just could not get it out of gear and was caning the nuts out of it in first gear until I had a few cars behind me and I pulled over and turned it off. The clutch still wasn't free, so I started it in gear again and off I went. I was trying to pop it out of first through the revs, which I did eventually manage but then It wouldn't go into second! By this time I was coming up to a roundabout, but all of a sudden it went into second and I got round the roundabout without having to stop and then hey presto, the clutch was working. I had no more issues. 

Has anyone else experienced this? 

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It’s quite a common fault on cars that have been stood for a while, the way to free off is warm the car up, start car in gear clutch depressed and keep depressed, press throttle on and off and after a few jerks it should free off. Some take longer than others. A few slippy gear changes will clean the rust off the flywheel, hey presto back to normal. Usually find this on cars stored outside or damp conditions.

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