Shake, rattle and roll....

[NickDunning]

Since I got my 1964 2000 in 2005 she has suffered from an apparent clutch judder of varying degrees, we replaced the clutch in 2006 in an effort to sort this out, but it's never really gone away, and recently has worsened. This is despite changing engine mounts and checking everything else out.

The problem is, and this may be key, only evident after a good run (50 miles plus)

With the pressing need for the car to be smooth (she's the wedding car for my neice in March) we dragged her into the workshop last week.

Looking at it, it appears we've had a minor pressurisation issue for a long time. There is quite a lot of oil around under the engine, particularily visible by the oil pump and the front pulley.

I spoke to Harvey earlier this week and, thankfully, he thinks the same as me. He suggested making sure the bottom breather (crankcase) was not blocked. To do this you put a hose to the breather with a jubilee clip and try and blow through - it's fine, no problem.

We then had a look at the rocker cover breather, and this is where it gets interesting. My gauze has either been cut away or is the wrong one:

The full size one on the left is from a 1967 2000TC.

The book shows the gauze to be full size as well:

My car also had this handmade bit of gauze underneath as well....

Is this cut-down gauze hampering breathing, which eventually, after a long run, putting oil onto my clutch?

Interesting theory I intend to test out.

Cheers
Nick

 

[The Rovering Member]

It certainly looks to have a certain amount of 'home adjustment' to it.

 

[John]

So that's where our pan scourer went...


John.

 

[quattro]

I'm trying to get my head around how getting some crankcase pressure, puts oil onto the clutch plate.

I've had cars blow dipstips out because of blocked breathers, but cannot quite understand how you get clutch problems from it

Richard

 

[harveyp6]

I'm trying to get my head around how getting some crankcase pressure, puts oil onto the clutch plate.

I've had cars blow dipstips out because of blocked breathers, but cannot quite understand how you get clutch problems from it

Richard

It blows the oil out through the rear crank seal, which by the time it's been thrown about by the flywheel ends up on the clutch plate.

 

[quattro]

I'm trying to get my head around how getting some crankcase pressure, puts oil onto the clutch plate.

I've had cars blow dipstips out because of blocked breathers, but cannot quite understand how you get clutch problems from it

Richard

It blows the oil out through the rear crank seal, which by the time it's been thrown about by the flywheel ends up on the clutch plate.

Ah got it

I was wondering how it got through the flywheel. Must be a bit of a mess in there then.

Richard

 

[NickDunning]

I'm trying to get my head around how getting some crankcase pressure, puts oil onto the clutch plate.

I've had cars blow dipstips out because of blocked breathers, but cannot quite understand how you get clutch problems from it

Richard

It blows the oil out through the rear crank seal, which by the time it's been thrown about by the flywheel ends up on the clutch plate.

Ah got it

I was wondering how it got through the flywheel. Must be a bit of a mess in there then.

Richard

That's quite possible. I only realised I had some sort of problem when I spotted DNY was putting oil on the floor of the immaculated clean storage area where she lives. The oil is coming down seemingly from the bell housing area.

Only way to find out if I have found the long-standing problem is a good run, which I will hopefully do on half-term (once I've got a working speedo - the original has broken).

Question is: Has anyone got an early 2000 rocker cover about with the proper sized gauze in it? I need one (the one in the photo is a customer's)

Thanks
Nick

 

[harveyp6]

I only realised I had some sort of problem when I spotted DNY was putting oil on the floor of the immaculated clean storage area where she lives. The oil is coming down seemingly from the bell housing area.

That's where oil leaking from the head gasket "O" ring can end up.

 

[suffolkpete]

I only realised I had some sort of problem when I spotted DNY was putting oil on the floor of the immaculated clean storage area where she lives. The oil is coming down seemingly from the bell housing area.

That's where oil leaking from the head gasket "O" ring can end up.

It wouldn't be getting on to the clutch though if that was its source.

 

[harveyp6]

I only realised I had some sort of problem when I spotted DNY was putting oil on the floor of the immaculated clean storage area where she lives. The oil is coming down seemingly from the bell housing area.

That's where oil leaking from the head gasket "O" ring can end up.

It wouldn't be getting on to the clutch though if that was its source.

Granted that's less likely, but at the moment it's just an oil leak and a juddery clutch, and although there's a possibility they're connected, until the gearbox comes out, or the leak is cured and the judder stops, we won't know for certain.

 

[NickDunning]

Granted that's less likely, but at the moment it's just an oil leak and a juddery clutch, and although there's a possibility they're connected, until the gearbox comes out, or the leak is cured and the judder stops, we won't know for certain.

Yep. The area round the 'O' ring doesn't look any worse than other places. All will be revealed.

 

[RobH]

Hi Nick,
Looking at your pictures it looks as though the gauze filter in your car has been adapted from a later one. The inner sleeve having been cut and folded over and the gauze splayed out. I seem to recall that the early breather appeared flatter and wider than the later ones. Could you not use a later one for now? Is the cover casting the same as later ones, I think it might be.
When I rebuilt the engine on my car - 1968 TC - not long after I bought it, on removing the gearbox the bellhousing was quite oily inside. In fact part of the reason for the rebuild was that the clutch was so bad, that the car was difficult to drive. The judder must have been going on for some time as the extension mounting on the diff was also loose and I think damaged the extension bearing too. The slave cylinder was rusty and leaking, the pivot on the actuator arm had seized. I put in new oil crank oil seal, clutch kit and thrust bearing, fine after that. Many years ago I also rebuilt a 72 TC, and as I recall the bell housing in that one was oily too. As your 64 car is now 50 years old that crankshaft oil seal may be getting a bit tired and need replacing.