docc

Glad to see Jerry is still making friends like the truly golden (retriever?) guy he is!

With my recent clutch failure, the time has come to address oil leaks between the back of the engine and front of the gearbox. Quite obviously, I've been putting this off for a good long time . . . yet, a *dry* clutch should be dryer than the driest wine. Dry like the 'dry heat' of Arizona. Or The Sahara. Dry as moon dust. Mine looks more like a Chimichanga. I understand the two seals at the gearbox front (main seal and push-rod seal), and the engine rear main seal. I appreciate Pete's advice that the lowest two bolts on the rear of the engine should be thread sealed. And the cam bung to be sealed as well. The gasket under the crankcase vent should be no problem at all: (P.42/#15 - 12 00 7600) What about the simple gasket (P.31/#39) under the "Complete Flange" (P.31/#40 - 12 01 1400) Can that be easily renewed? [it appears to cradle the rear main crank bearing?]

"I think it just wanted to know that somebody cares." Is this a corollary to the adage: "Sometimes, an Italian woman will stab you for no reason at all."

I remember a member that modified a pushrod. For this application?. . . that is to say, I can't recall who, or where to look for what to modify . . . So much better to source the correct part (applicable pushrod), if we can divine that . . .

Scud, is this the RAM? http://www.mgcycle.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193&products_id=1698

I have eighteen part numbers to hunt down, not including those to address my persistent, pesky oil leak(s).

>click on image"zoom"copy imagepaste

@Scud: Fortunately, the gearbox input shaft shows no damage or wear to the splines or the threads where the hub screws on. @Andy: input hub teeth: 22mm, seal "nose" 10mm BTW, the friction discs measure ~7.36 mm (new= ~8.13), but three of the friction surfaces were loose, and two very loose. . . . 'round these-here parts, we'uns call that *slap-wore-out!*

I was fortunate to have Josh-the-Improvisor here and we created a flywheel lock, but it might be a nice touch for the torquing upon reassembly. The intermediate plate had to be pried out after dragging goop out of the flywheel teeth, yet the loose input hub was definitely holding the clutch from full engagement. This is, not at all, what I expected to find. But, *expectations* can often lead one astray . . . Such a treat to have the correct tools. Thanks, again, man!

The guy with the darkest Scura in the universe needs to ask these things?

Apparently this "retention washer" for the input hub was never adequately engaged into the nut notch to effect adequate retention. The manual does not mention folding a tab in, but evidently this is how the keyed retention washer is to be used.

So, the flywheel surely shows significant wear, but that isn't what was making the extra noise: There was certainly enough worn friction material and just enough oil leak to gum up the movement of the plates, especially the intermediate: And these unfortunate surfaces to consider: The noise was very likely the loose input hub. We found it completely loose and rattling around. The retention washer had failed to retain the input hub on the gearbox input shaft and it had backed all the way off. I guess it just didn't have quite enough room to fall off. Many thanks to both Andy York and Josh for the incomparable assistance.

The images in Post#3 and the "muddy mess" in Post#11 are from Tomchri. The mess is one of the friction surfaces of a clutch plate. Image in Post#9 is the input hub on my Sport that I've held the clutch in at stops all these years. This gearbox was replaced under warranty at 27,000 mils, so has about 76,500 miles/ 123.000 km. [i added captions to the images.]

I was just trying to wrap my mind around the *three* special tools in the Workshop Manual to R&R the clutch. Gonna stop wrenching for tonight and apply biscuits&bacon in the morning at Lieper's Fork . . . Still looking to lay eyes on the world's worst V11 flywheel teeth . . . At this point, Tomchri's clutch failure is not what I am seeing . . . Tomchri's detached friction material

My "clutch gear" 04211600 Looks pretty knackered. Enough to stop the clutch from engaging? docc's 76,500 mile input

She finally, said, *okay* . . .

Oh, it was all going so smooooothly, until I moved to slip one of her stilettos loose . . . . . . I suppose there's no getting to the "clutch" if it all snaps to a stop at that!

Soooo, I haven't got that far yet! That is an image Tomchri sent me. So, grossohc, which part did you have the excessive wear?