944psi
New member
This is how my day ended yesterday .......
It wasn't the lack of a rear wiper that caused me to be transported home but a suspected clutch failure. I'd just pulled onto the M1 when suddenly I got a lot of vibration through the drivetrain. It felt like it had jumped out of gear so I put it back in gear but the vibration continued.
I pulled onto the hard shoulder and found that I could get up to 20mph in second gear before the vibration returned so I thought I would try and get off at the next junction at this speed. It didn't take me long to realise this was a bit foolish so I stopped at the next SOS phone and phoned the RAC on my mobile as you can't hear a thing on those roadside phones! The only use of the SOS phone was the id number to allow the RAC to pinpoint me.
The patrol arrived in under 30 minutes and he agreed to escort me with flashing lights to the next junction. However, I could barely get upto 10mph and eventually came to a halt with no drive at all. He then proceeded to look under the car, whilst it was in gear and I was releasing the clutch pedal, and told me that the differential had gone - " I can see the propshaft turning but the wheels aren't turning". This was despite the amount of clattering and grinding coming from the clutch area and the smell of burning rubber. I tried to explain about the layout of the drivetrain, i.e. torque tube and that the original clutch had a rubber doughnut, but he still put it down as diff failure.
I then felt sheepish when I realised my towing eye was safely tucked up in my garage meaning that he couldn't tow me from off the motorway. So they agreed to get a recovery truck to take me home this being my first call out in 9 years of RAC membership!
So, I am fairly sure it is the clutch that has gone. If I put it in gear and release the clutch nothing happens except some grinding noises and the smell of burning rubber.
I am less sure that I want to fix this myself. Parts are quoted as £285 + vat from ECP. I've done most of what is required to get to the clutch before - gearbox off, starter motor out, torque tube disconnected from the bellhousing but it is the inner workings of the clutch that I have never looked at.
How difficult can it be? I understand that the labour times quoted are quite high and considering I'd be doing this on my driveway on stands or a ramp I want to be sure that I'm not biting off too big a piece of cake. It is unlikely that I'd be able to get it in anywhere within the next week and I am away the week after so time is sort of not an issue.
Any thoughts?
Phil.
It wasn't the lack of a rear wiper that caused me to be transported home but a suspected clutch failure. I'd just pulled onto the M1 when suddenly I got a lot of vibration through the drivetrain. It felt like it had jumped out of gear so I put it back in gear but the vibration continued.
I pulled onto the hard shoulder and found that I could get up to 20mph in second gear before the vibration returned so I thought I would try and get off at the next junction at this speed. It didn't take me long to realise this was a bit foolish so I stopped at the next SOS phone and phoned the RAC on my mobile as you can't hear a thing on those roadside phones! The only use of the SOS phone was the id number to allow the RAC to pinpoint me.
The patrol arrived in under 30 minutes and he agreed to escort me with flashing lights to the next junction. However, I could barely get upto 10mph and eventually came to a halt with no drive at all. He then proceeded to look under the car, whilst it was in gear and I was releasing the clutch pedal, and told me that the differential had gone - " I can see the propshaft turning but the wheels aren't turning". This was despite the amount of clattering and grinding coming from the clutch area and the smell of burning rubber. I tried to explain about the layout of the drivetrain, i.e. torque tube and that the original clutch had a rubber doughnut, but he still put it down as diff failure.
I then felt sheepish when I realised my towing eye was safely tucked up in my garage meaning that he couldn't tow me from off the motorway. So they agreed to get a recovery truck to take me home this being my first call out in 9 years of RAC membership!
So, I am fairly sure it is the clutch that has gone. If I put it in gear and release the clutch nothing happens except some grinding noises and the smell of burning rubber.
I am less sure that I want to fix this myself. Parts are quoted as £285 + vat from ECP. I've done most of what is required to get to the clutch before - gearbox off, starter motor out, torque tube disconnected from the bellhousing but it is the inner workings of the clutch that I have never looked at.
How difficult can it be? I understand that the labour times quoted are quite high and considering I'd be doing this on my driveway on stands or a ramp I want to be sure that I'm not biting off too big a piece of cake. It is unlikely that I'd be able to get it in anywhere within the next week and I am away the week after so time is sort of not an issue.
Any thoughts?
Phil.
