1959 G3 Clutch Problem [ Amc Box ]

mescal · Post by **mescal** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 4:56 pm

Keith,

I am in the middle of repairing a B52 box I do not know how that compares with yours. Before I started I had similar problems where my clutch was only just engaging when everything was adjusted to its limit (cable and pushrod).

If your box has a similar camplate mechanism that pushes the pushrod I would suspect that. Reason being there is a dowel that passes through both camplates which pushes the push rod. That dowel looks to me as though it is made of just aluminium alloy (I have just bought a new one). Yours is probably disintegrating fast. On mine it had disappeared altogether so instead of potruding through the camplates it was flush with them.

The above is of no use to you unless you have the same cam plate mechanism. Other more experienced people may know the difference between tours and mine.

Good luck.

Biscuit · Post by **Biscuit** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 5:47 pm

Hi Alan, the AMC box has a diferent mechanism, consisting of an operating arm partially rotating between a roller and a single ball, the latter operating the push rod. Never seen one, just looked in the book.[:p]

Tolly · Post by **Tolly** » Fri Sep 10, 2004 9:23 pm

Keith,
as Alan just mentioned about the single ball, have you got one? I have seen these assembled without and it disintigrates the end of the rod very quickly.
Mike T.

keith · Post by **keith** » Sat Sep 11, 2004 7:52 pm

Hi Michael, dont know about the ball yet, but I will certainly check it out next week when I get time to investigate. Keith.

RogerNorman · Post by **RogerNorman** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 8:46 pm

One other thing you should check on the cable is that the outer has not compacted. Its unlikly the inner will have stretched but the outer, being a Bowden cable effectively is like a wound spring. With use, the coils compress and have the same net effect of giving you too much free movement on the cable. Unfortunatley the other big problem is that few of the pattern cables now available have the correct free length to start with. There don't appear to be any records of what the correct length was - even the people who made the cables at the factory didn't write the lengths down - they just did it , day in, day out and measured against a template (No I didn't work there but several members of my Section did and regularly tell the tale!)

Biscuit · Post by **Biscuit** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 11:32 am

Hesitant though I am to cross steak knives with my esteemed section colleague, I just can't see the the Bowden outer closing up. At approximately 16 coils per inch, a gap of .001" would give lost movement of 1/2" plus over a 36" cable. It is true the cable coils opens up on the outside of a bend, experiments show that the gap is around .003" on a 6" radius bend, the coils on the inside radius remain as tight together as a ducks bum, as they do along the length of the outer. I must be sad to experiment thus!!!!.

I am convinced that Keith's problem lies somewhere along the the clutch withdrawal mechanism, ie. the actuating arm and it's roller and ball, the push rod and the adjusting screw. If it's not I'll donate a Fiver to a charity of Keith's choice. [^][^]

keith · Post by **keith** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 8:57 pm

Well Alan your fiver is safe. It was indeed wear to the pushrod at the clutch end although I also found that the central nut was slightly loose due to some disintegration of the `lockwasher'. Whether one of the above faults caused the other I don't know only being a very novice bodger, but all is well now with replacement pushrod fitted. Thanks again for everybodies help, what a great club!!! Regards Keith.

Biscuit · Post by **Biscuit** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 10:08 pm

Whoopee!!!!!!!!![:D][:D]