1934 Austin 7

[lencot1938]

Hello I made a post some time ago re my friends 7 .He has spent some years restoring it  (39) ACTUALLY !!!and it has been off the road,for about 20 years!!! The problem now is,if he tries to engage gear with the engine off its fine,but with the engine running it loudly grates a though the clutch pedal  hasnt been used . I tried to set the clutch pedal up as was recommenced on my last post but when the pedal is pushed down,what amount of movement on the clutch pedal should therefrom not touching the pedal be before resistance from the clutch mech. is felt  I have a feeling ,that since I think I have adjusted the pedal lever correctly on the shaft then the clutch plate may be stuck onto the flywheel since the time its been standing Any help would be very welcome as I know little about this model Len

[John Cornforth]

Hi

The resistance felt at the clutch pedal is fairly small as the slack is taken up, and then suddenly becomes much greater as the levers move to disengage the clutch. About 80lb is needed on the pedal. Your diagnosis of a clutch stuck due to being left for years is probably correct.

Be aware that the clutch design is a bit back to front, and has a metal disc connected to the gearbox shaft. This is squeezed by one friction lining on the back of the flywheel and a second one the other side which is moved away by the release mechanism. The total leverage from your foot to the friction linings is about 8:1, i.e. a quarter inch of pedal movement will release the lining by 1/32nd inch which is enough to free it.

Although there are a variety of techniques to free off a stuck clutch, you might find it easier to remove the gearbox and dismantle the clutch mechanism to see what's going on.

[AustinWood]

The clutch levers are probably not adjusted correctly. If there is no clearance with the pedal free then the clutch won't release.
There is a cover over the oiling hole in the bell housing through which the release bearing can be seen. there should be a small amount of free movement of the release bearing.

[lencot1938]

Hello thanks for the advice .I find that once resistance is felt on the clutch pedal it takes only a few pounds of pressure to push the pedal fully down.This doesnt seem right,if it needs 80lbs as its needs no where near that force Len

[lencot1938]

Can the gearbox be removed with the engine till in the car Ive checked the play in the pedal and its correct.However as I said it only takes about 3lbs to fully depress the clutch pedal . Ive restored lots gf classic cars ,but I  know very  little about Austin 7 clutches but there is obviously something wrong with the clutch .It hasnt been on the road for over 20 years as its been a slow full restoration Len

[Ivor Hawkins]

If it only takes about 3lbs of pressure, I think you are just taking up the slack. The last inch really needs some pressure and that is the entire movement of the clutch.

If the car is a box saloon, it’s probably best to whip the engine and box put together (if you really need to) if it’s a Ruby I think you can pull the box from inside the car. However, before you do anything, ask someone local to come around and try the clutch…I bet it needs that last bit of adjustment to get it working.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Len

Here is a good ‘how to’ for clutch adjustment.

https://www.austin7.org/Technical%20Arti...20possible.

My guess is that you haven’t adjusted the clutch pedal correctly.

Cheers

Howard

[lencot1938]

Thanks for all the advice Is there anyone in the Bromsgrove are ,who could look at the clutch on the 7 .Im a bitin the dark on this car as Ive never dealt with one before Len

[Hugh Barnes]

Hello Len. Are you a member of your local Austin seven club? If not, you should certainly join to get sage advice from local owners who can look at your car. I would imagine the Midlands Club would be right for you, you can find details of it, and other clubs, here

https://a7ca.org/member-clubs/

Best of luck…