MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - Clutch Rod

Just recieved this e mail from BPNW

How many times have you wished you could adjust the length of your clutch push rod
for your TR250 or TR6? This new adjustable clutch push rod means no more
trying to find a rod that might work, or finding a washer to put in front of the
slave piston to get things close. Do it right the first time with no modifications.
This rod is made of the highest quality and manufacturing which gives you the longest
adjustment and unlimited adjustment. Priced at $29.95, part number 138572ADJ and
can be found in the TR250-6 Clutch section or TR250-6 Performance section of the
web site. If you have any questions you can email us at customerservice@bpnorthwest.com
or call us directly at 503-864-2001. Get out and enjoy summer while it is still
here!

Don
DON KELLY

Don-To me, it seems like they developed a solution for a problem that doesn't exist. If the slave cylinder is properly mounted, the stock push rod works fine. Some people try to lengthen the push rod in a futile attempt to increase the stroke. There is one condition that the adjustable push rod might help. A few years back, Nelson Riedel (Buckeye guy) found that the release bearing was wearing a significant groove in the diaphragm of the pressure plate. This was caused by the bearing being in contact with the diaphragm without enough pressure to rotate the bearing. By using the adj. push rod and return spring (as was used on earlier TRs), the throwout bearing was kept out of contact with the diaphragm except when the clutch was being disengaged. It works ok, but requires adjustment maybe once a year. IMHO, the development of the Gunst bearing which contacts the diaphragm all the time with enough pressure to keep the bearing spinning, makes the adj. push rod obsolete.
Berry Price
BTP Price

Got a new catalog from MOSS last night and they too had this adjustable clutch push rod.
db
Doug Baker

I'm thinking the length of clutch "throw" is determined by only how far the slave cylinder piston moves. Wouldn't a longer rod just push the slave cylinder further back in the bore, since the clutch plate returns to the same position every time? The forward throw of the rod the next time will still be the lenghth of slave piston travel. I don't think I explained it very clearly, but isn't more master cylinder "throw" the only way to get more slave piston travel? (or a smaller slave bore too, I guess)
The TR2/3/4 uses a spring to pull the rod all the way back, which returns the slave cylinder piston to the back of the bore every time. Then you lengthen the rod to where the release bearing almost touches the clutch driven plate.

Jeff
JB Fetner

Yea, if you lengthen the rod it just sits further back in the cylinder. The travel remains the same.

Doug
Doug Campbell

It can be a good thing to adjust for a small amount of play down there. And you can make your own adjustable rod by cutting the rod and adding a threaded coupler and a couple of nuts. You only have to tap both of the ends where you made the cut, install, adjust, lock the nuts to the coupler. If the rod is too short you won't get enough travel, and if it's too long you may bottom out the piston in the cylinder. I suppose you could adjust the position of the cylinder or the bracket with washers, but isn't an adjustable rod better? (If you actually need to adjust it, I guess some people don't.)
Tom

Tom-Unless the adj.pushrod is used with an external return spring, the pushrod will keep the bearing in contact with the pressure plate without any free play regardless of the length. I think the people who have had to resort to washers to move the slave cyl. have mounted it on the wrong side of the bracket or are trying to get more stroke to solve a clutch release problem, which is usually caused by wear in the pivot points or air in the fluid. Having said that, a number of years ago, I did switch to the adj. push rod&return spring because of a deep groove in the diaphragm caused by contact with the T/O bearing. A teardown next winter will tell if the change made any difference. Introducing any free play in a system that is marginal with the smaller .070" dia. master cyl used from about 1970 on can cause release problems. Incidently, I just noticed that the tech articles have returned to the Buckeye site.
Berry Price
BTP Price

I agree with B Price, this is a solution for a non existant problem, if the clutch mechanism is in good condition it isn't needed, and if it is needed something is wrong with the clutch mechanism that needs attending to.
Ron
R. Algie

This thread was discussed between 09/08/2005 and 11/08/2005

Triumph TR6 index