2002 MCS, 101,000 miles, current clutch has 35,000 miles on it.

So for a few weeks there has been a judder in the clutch especially when it is cold. Today, the car will not move.

If I depress the clutch pedal, it feels normal, put the transmission in 1st, and start to release teh clutch pedal. The car does not move at all, and there is strange sound coming from the driver front side of the car, when the clutch is released - almost a loud scraping rattle.

Does this sound like a problem with the clutch not disengaging? I am hoping its not the transmission.

Also, I live in the Torrance/South Bay area - can anyone recommend a good mecahnic for this?

Thanks for the help.

Viraf

 

Bump......

 

It sounds like a broken clutch disc to me, like the center is broken out of the disc. Only one sure way to know and that's to tear it down. I assume you've checked to make sure you don't have a broken axle first?

 

Call www.minicorsa.com.

 

u sound very confident that you can push the clutch in and out and easily change gears. Have u checked to make sure the clutch slave cylinder is moving in and out when u depress the clutch. get someone to push the clutch and look down between the power steering reservoir and battery to se the bellows move in and out. You can also see it from below.
Also look below to ensure the clutch lever is also moving on the transmission.
If all is moving then u can be psotive its in the transmission.
If u are mechanically minded and have some tools, do this yourself, eitherwise bring it in to a shop.
Good luck.

 

tberardi, I don't think he'd be able to easily slip it in and out of gear if the clutch slave wasn't working....

Still, with no more description than this, it's all just a guess.

You did look to see if you had a broken axle, right?

 

Clutch movement feels totally normal. Pedal pressure feels no different. The axles were both replaced 3000 miles ago, so even though I did not check them, it may be unlikely. Its been raining like crazy, so was not able to get under the car to check the slave cylinder, so have had the car towed to Johnnys Auto Clinic in San Pedro, and am heading down there now.

Thanks for all the help.

 

First impression is slave cylinder. In many cars, when it goes bad, 1st and 2nd gears are hard to shift (unless you literally jam the shifter into the gear, which beats the synchronizers). Don't do this alot; I don't want you to mess up your clutch. Try to ride the clutch while shifting into 3rd gear. If that works, the slave cylinder is the culprit.

Keep us posted.

 

Looks like the clutch is shot. So, new clutch kit, and possibly a new flywheel. While the car is torn apart, found other stuff that needs attention.

Power steering hoses
Oil pan gasket leaking
AC pressure hose leaks
Supercharger belt shows cracking
Control arm bushings are shot
Lower engine mount

At least I am saving on a lot of labor costs since the sub frame is out anyway.

I guess it's pretty normal for a 100k car!

 

[quote=virafp;3218491]Looks like the clutch is shot. So, new clutch kit, and possibly a new flywheel. While the car is torn apart, found other stuff that needs attention.

Power steering hoses
Oil pan gasket leaking
AC pressure hose leaks
Supercharger belt shows cracking
Control arm bushings are shot
Lower engine mount

At least I am saving on a lot of labor costs since the sub frame is out anyway.

Did you replace the clutch slave cylinder when the prior clutch assembly was changed? The clutch slave cylinder is plastic and can cause a lot of problems when it sticks or jams. I have seen clutch discs turned to dust and also seen the disc friction material sheared off in chunks on the pressure plate side. Both conditions were a result of slave cylinder problems.

 

Last time it was done the slave cylinder was not replaced. Since it is open, i think it should be done as a preventative measure.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

I think it's a good idea to replace the clutch slave while you have it out, since it's the original part.

Don't forget the sleeve that the release bearing rides on, if you didn't do that the last time.

 

It's always a good idea to change the slave cylinder when you work on the clutch. It's a fairly nothing cost part. You can get one here for about $42: http://www.partsgeek.com/mmparts/sla...ni/cooper.html. Here is a related NAM article with some clutch information: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-cylinder.html. You can find more by searching for "clutch" or "slave cylinder."

As for the lower control arm bushings, you can always opt to upgrade them to solid ones. Just search for "positive steering response mini cooper," and you should find them. They will never wear out again.

 

Definitely worth doing then! What do you guys think about the water pump? It's original, should I get it replaced?

Thanks

 

Hmm... it's a good piece of work to get to the water pump for replacement. It's that old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Just keep an eye out for leaks and deal with it when the seal goes bad (or it makes excessive noise).