Series 2 clutch issue

[Shane Scanlan]

I've had my 1960 Series 2 109 pick up for quite a few weeks now but am yet to be able to drive it. I bought it with hydraulic "issues" which, on this car, means both brakes and clutch.
The previous owner replaced a lot of the hydraulics and I've replaced the shared reservoir and the brake master cylinder. Today I got everything back together for the first time without any leaks – so that's an achievement.
But the clutch doesn't push down far enough to disengage from the flywheel – so I still can't drive it.
I'm pretty sure the clutch is bled properly and it is very soft and doesn't spring back when the pedal is released. And, more problematically, the slave cylinder pushes down only about 2cm (I have a six second video of this but it appears I can only link via URL and not attached it).
I don't know what's normal (as this has never been functional under my jurisdiction) but I feel sure it should be greater than 2cm.
What would be causing this? Perhaps adjustment of the push rod in the master cylinder tower? I hope it's simple.
Expert advice would be appreciated.
164176

[JDNSW]

Thing to check is the two pins that, together with a short steel tube, join the shaft operated by the slave cylinder bell crank to the shaft that operates the clutch fork.

These need to be special hardened pins, as replaced by ordinary bolts they rapidly bend or shear completely, resulting in lost motion.

Other than this, the most likely issue is that the clutch fork shaft is incorrectly assembled with the clutch fork. Unfortunately, this is a box out job. Have a read of the factory workshop manual.

[Shane Scanlan]

Thing to check is the two pins that, together with a short steel tube, join the shaft operated by the slave cylinder bell crank to the shaft that operates the clutch fork.

These need to be special hardened pins, as replaced by ordinary bolts they rapidly bend or shear completely, resulting in lost motion.

Other than this, the most likely issue is that the clutch fork shaft is incorrectly assembled with the clutch fork. Unfortunately, this is a box out job. Have a read of the factory workshop manual.

Thanks John. So you believe that 2cm travel in the slave connecting rod is normal/adequate?
And I've had a suggestion that the replacement slave's rod is perhaps not long enough and that mounting the slave under the bracket might help (as it will add about a centimetre to the downward movement).

[JDNSW]

It is possible that the rod is not long enough, but, in my view, unlikely. Worth trying a longer one though if the coupling checks out to be OK. I don't know that I have ever measured how much stoke is needed on the slave cylinder, but I don't think it is very much, provided there is no lost motion.

[bemm52]

Disconnect the rod from the clutch actuator arm and see where it wants to be in relation to activating the clutch. If you remove the gear lever there is an inspection hole you can shines torch in to see what’s going on. There should be just a little bit of clearance between throw out Top hat and the pressure plate fingers maybe a mm or so, if this can be achieved it’s probably not a box out but adjustments back to the pedal.
As John says there are a lot of moving parts in a series2 to get the clutch to work and a failure or a bit of wear here and there soon adds up to a lot at the clutch plate/pressure plate interaction
I had similar problems recently probably due to cumulative wear I ended up lengthening the slave cylinder rod
if your a series owner a workshop manual is a good investment and interesting reading most things can be fixed if you know where to start
Good luck

Cheers Paul

[Cadas]

2 cm doesn’t seem like enough. A longer rod won’t really help as it won’t make a difference to the travel distance.

Increasing the travel on the cylinder is a function of the amount of fluid being pushed in. Up at the pedal box, is the rod adjusted correctly?
Also, check the pedal stop on the back of the pedal box itself and the one in the foot well.

If all of that is fine, then there may be some leakage inside the cylinder.

Unless the gear box has been rebuilt, it’s unlikely to be the release mechanism.

[1950landy]

If the vehicle has not been driven for a while it could be that the clutch plate lining s have stuck to the flywheel & pressure plate , just a thought.

[Shane Scanlan]

It is possible that the rod is not long enough, but, in my view, unlikely. Worth trying a longer one though if the coupling checks out to be OK. I don't know that I have ever measured how much stoke is needed on the slave cylinder, but I don't think it is very much, provided there is no lost motion.
Hi John
Thanks for helping with this. I am feeling confident that the problem is that the clutch has rusted itself to the flywheel due to inactivity.
Regarding the slave cylinder push rod, I have the required amount of distance from the housing bracket to the bottom of the lock nut (73mm).
The consensus seems to suggest the amount of travel in the push rod is OK.
And I've checked the sleeve joining the two shafts as they enter the bell housing. The pins look good. They are the real deal, with the little clips holding them in position. There is no sideways/swivel play. The rotation on the sleeve is the same as the rotation on the clutch shaft and operating lever (albeit only about 5 degrees by my estimation).
Unless your advice is otherwise, I intend to bleed the brakes (I didn't do this because I thought I would be taking the hydraulic reservoir off again, etc), start the car in gear (jacked up) and trying to break the rusted bond by driving hard and braking hard.

[JDNSW]

OK, best of luck!

Possibly a similar effect, I am finding that this winter, when starting from cold after being unused for a few days, the clutch on my 2a is dragging - so that it objects to engaging first, second or reverse, but the solution in my case is simply to engage the synchromesh third or fourth first to stop the gearbox. Then no issues.

Perhaps worth noting that this winter is the wettest it has been for years!

[Shane Scanlan]

Disconnect the rod from the clutch actuator arm and see where it wants to be in relation to activating the clutch. If you remove the gear lever there is an inspection hole you can shines torch in to see what’s going on. There should be just a little bit of clearance between throw out Top hat and the pressure plate fingers maybe a mm or so, if this can be achieved it’s probably not a box out but adjustments back to the pedal.
As John says there are a lot of moving parts in a series2 to get the clutch to work and a failure or a bit of wear here and there soon adds up to a lot at the clutch plate/pressure plate interaction
I had similar problems recently probably due to cumulative wear I ended up lengthening the slave cylinder rod
if your a series owner a workshop manual is a good investment and interesting reading most things can be fixed if you know where to start
Good luck

Cheers Paul
Thanks Paul. I didn't see this in the thread. It sounds very helpful. I'll check this out.

[Shane Scanlan]

2 cm doesn’t seem like enough. A longer rod won’t really help as it won’t make a difference to the travel distance.

Increasing the travel on the cylinder is a function of the amount of fluid being pushed in. Up at the pedal box, is the rod adjusted correctly?
Also, check the pedal stop on the back of the pedal box itself and the one in the foot well.

If all of that is fine, then there may be some leakage inside the cylinder.

Unless the gear box has been rebuilt, it’s unlikely to be the release mechanism.

Thanks for this info.
The pedal is at the right height. But, now that I think about it, I don't think there is a pedal stop (unlike the brake pedal). I did wonder what that hole was for.
The master and slave cylinders are new (but replaced by the previous owner).
I haven't yet looked in the pedal box as I was hoping to avoid removing the fluid reservoir (again!). I had assumed it would be a simple matter of bleeding.
Could a crimped hydraulic pipe between the reservoir and the master cylinder be the culprit?

[Shane Scanlan]

2 cm doesn’t seem like enough. A longer rod won’t really help as it won’t make a difference to the travel distance.

Increasing the travel on the cylinder is a function of the amount of fluid being pushed in. Up at the pedal box, is the rod adjusted correctly?
Also, check the pedal stop on the back of the pedal box itself and the one in the foot well.

If all of that is fine, then there may be some leakage inside the cylinder.

Unless the gear box has been rebuilt, it’s unlikely to be the release mechanism.

Thanks for this info.
The pedal is at the right height. But, now that I think about it, I don't think there is a pedal stop (unlike the brake pedal). I did wonder what that hole was for.
The master and slave cylinders are new (but replaced by the previous owner).
I haven't yet looked in the pedal box as I was hoping to avoid removing the fluid reservoir (again!). I had assumed it would be a simple matter of bleeding.
Could a crimped hydraulic pipe between the reservoir and the master cylinder be the culprit?

[Cadas]

Hi,
A crimped pipe could be an issue but you can see all the pipe so easy to check. If the Flexi pipe is old (just above slave) it could be perished.

But, if the clutch master cylinder is new, then I’d still be checking adjustment of the clutch push rod through the pedal.

They have to be set up specific the the cylinder, and if not then you won’t get the travel. It can be set up through the top of the pedal box, only the top cover to remove.

[Cadas]

As to the reservoir, if it’s the bean can type, leave it where it is, just undo the bracket and the plate on top of the pedal box. The reservoir will happily stay in place without the bracket.

[Shane Scanlan]

As to the reservoir, if it’s the bean can type, leave it where it is, just undo the bracket and the plate on top of the pedal box. The reservoir will happily stay in place without the bracket.
Thanks again the generous information. I have now adjusted the pedal box (giving about 2mm free play in the pedal) and have reduced the pedal height to 140mm from the floor (I had incorrectly thought that my clutch was non-hydrostatic and had it at 158mm).
The slave still pushes its rod only 23mm downwards. I read today that the correct stroke should be between 1 inch (25mm) and 1.5 inch (38mm) - from this URL: Land Rover FAQ - Repair & Maintenance - Series - Drivetrain - Clutch Operation Explained (https://www.lrfaq.org/Series/Drivetrain.ClutchOperation.html) "How to determine whether a problem is hydraulic or the clutch itself: Get somebody to activate the pedal. You should be able to see the lever on the slave cylinder move back and forth about 1 to 1 1/2".
So I am concluding that my problem is hydraulic.
That brings me to the pipe I had made but kinked when I bent it to fit the distance between the reservoir and the master cylinder. I'm attaching a photo of two failed attempts to bend this pipe properly.
Would this be preventing the master from sending enough fluid to the slave? And therefore depress the rod only partially?
Thanks in advance.
164231164232

[Busted Syncro]

G'day Shane,

Looking at the photo's of your clutch setup for the slave cylinder, you don't need the spring!. The spring is pushing the slave piston up into the cylinder and giving a clearance that needs to take up before the withdrawal sleeve contacts the clutch plate fingers. The hydraulic system is self adjusting and the clutch withdrawal sleeve sits softly on the cover plate levers.
Setup the adjustments as per the manual and then see how the clutch is operating and go from there to determine the next step to check if necessary.
(My 1966 2A has been my daily driver for 46 years and it doesn't have a spring on the slave cylinder.)
Hope this helps.
Chris

[JDNSW]

No, it would just make it hard to press if you move the pedal quickly.

You may have checked this but I can't see it - is the free play on the pedal set correctly?

I am beginning to wonder whether both the master and slave cylinders are the right ones - it seems very unlikely that they could be incorrect, as they are pretty specific to the vehicle. If the Master is set correctly, it should displace the amount of fluid needed to move the slave through the specified distance. If it does not, there must be lost motion or 'lost' fluid somewhere.

Given everything you have checked, the only way I can see for 'lost' fluid is a faulty master cylinder, either a manufacturing defect or a valve seal that is allowing a bit of fluid past it before sealing. Any free play could be in the pivot of the pedal or the trunion that the pushrod goes through, but this is likely to be part of the set free play.

Another long shot occurs to me - The master cylinder is similar but not quite identical to the brake master cylinder for an 88. They appear to be identical, except that the brake cylinder has a 3mm longer stroke. I can't work out exactly what that would mean if you have the wrong one.

[Cadas]

Probably a daft suggestion but did you bleed the slave cylinder?

[Shane Scanlan]

Probably a daft suggestion but did you bleed the slave cylinder?
Yes. What do you think about the kinked pipes (photos)? Could this be the sole source of the problem?

[Cadas]

I doubt it as it’s on the reservoir side of the master cylinder so not part of the pressure circuit.

I looked back at your initial post and you mentioned the pedal is soft and doesn’t spring back. Even after bleeding.

That sounds like a failed seal in a cylinder. Fluid is escaping past a seal when you press the pedal.

Or possibly a failing Flexi hose.

If you could clamp the Flexi to isolate the master cylinder and then bleed that again. If it goes hard, then it’s probably the slave.

[1950landy]

I would not think the kink i the pipe would cause a problem unless completely blocked . The master cylinder only displaces what is in the piston chamber . Once the piston starts to move there is no flow from the pipe. John may be correct that the incorrect diameter M/ Cyl has been fitted or S/Cyl fitted. If the flexible hose is old it could swelling in side causing a restriction. Also the lug under the S/Cyl that the spring hooks into should be on the other side of the cyl lug . 1st the Cylinder is not sitting square on the mounting bracket & 2nd it is moving the cylinder away from the linkage . I know it is not much but you get a little bit here & a little wear there when it gets inside the bell housing it is multiplied.

[Shane Scanlan]

G'day Shane,

Looking at the photo's of your clutch setup for the slave cylinder, you don't need the spring!. The spring is pushing the slave piston up into the cylinder and giving a clearance that needs to take up before the withdrawal sleeve contacts the clutch plate fingers. The hydraulic system is self adjusting and the clutch withdrawal sleeve sits softly on the cover plate levers.
Setup the adjustments as per the manual and then see how the clutch is operating and go from there to determine the next step to check if necessary.
(My 1966 2A has been my daily driver for 46 years and it doesn't have a spring on the slave cylinder.)
Hope this helps.
Chris
Hey Chris
You are the guru. I took the spring off. The lever slowly sank into position. The pedal was suddenly hard and works perfectly.
Who would have thought?
The spring is there in the workshop manual and has been on the truck for 60 years. So why is it now redundant?
Is it that the vehicle started life as non-hydrostatic and somewhere along the way hydrostatic components were added?
Anyway, happy days are here!
Many thanks.
Shane

[Busted Syncro]

G'day Shane,

Glad to help. Now that the withdrawal sleeve is lightly touching the cover plate fingers you need to check the clearance between the slave cylinder piston and the circlip with the fully depressed pedal. This is important to check!
Make up a test gauge that is 3mm thick i.e. hammer out a piece of filler wire or cut metal shim that can fit between piston and circlip to measure the 3mm.
Method B in the manual describes how to adjust the push rod length to get the 3mm clearance after all the other pedal/master cylinder adjustments have been made.
(This system is self adjusting for wear on the driven plate.)

Happy driving!!
Chris

[Shane Scanlan]

G'day Shane,

Glad to help. Now that the withdrawal sleeve is lightly touching the cover plate fingers you need to check the clearance between the slave cylinder piston and the circlip with the fully depressed pedal. This is important to check!
Make up a test gauge that is 3mm thick i.e. hammer out a piece of filler wire or cut metal shim that can fit between piston and circlip to measure the 3mm.
Method B in the manual describes how to adjust the push rod length to get the 3mm clearance after all the other pedal/master cylinder adjustments have been made.
(This system is self adjusting for wear on the driven plate.)

Happy driving!!
Chris

Hi Chris,
I'm not following you on this. Do you mean under the rubber boot at the end of the slave? If so, how would you even check this? Maybe there is another circlip you are referring to?
Shane

[gromit]

The spring is there in the workshop manual and has been on the truck for 60 years. So why is it now redundant?


By removing the spring the piston in the slave isn't fully retracted so it takes up lost motion somewhere from the lever onwards.
The suggestion of a longer pushrod would have done the same thing or you could look further into why/where the motion is lost.

By removing the spring could the thrust bearing be left continually revolving ?? You're now relying on the clutch springs to push the piston back.



Colin

[JDNSW]

...
Is it that the vehicle started life as non-hydrostatic and somewhere along the way hydrostatic components were added?
....

I think that is exactly what has happened. And, check that your workshop manual does cover both types of mechanism.

I should have spotted the spring - but didn't!

[Busted Syncro]

G'day Shane,
Good question!. How do you measure that 3mm (1/8") up in there?.
Yes, the clearance you need to adjust is under the rubber boot at the bottom of the slave cylinder. Why this adjustment is necessary is to provide clearance between the slave piston skirt and circlip so that the pedal will go to the floor and not stop off the floor when the piston skirt hits the circlip and also the clutch plate is fully disengaged as well. (All the adjustments in the clutch system will give correct clearances and operation.)
I have taken photo's of my tools I made over the years. The rod one is made out of 1/8" stainless I had and is the one I use now. The shim one I made years ago in a hurry to get the job done!.
Just fully depress the clutch pedal and see where the piston skirt is in relation to the circlip. Then adjust the push rod length to give the 3mm (1/8") clearance using the tool to get the 3mm (1/8") clearance.
Note: The clutch hydraulics are the fastest wearing hydraulic components in the vehicle because of the gear changes and piston travel in city driving. The slave cylinder will leak first.
Hope this helps.
Chris

[bemm52]

By removing the spring could the thrust bearing be left continually revolving ?? You're now relying on the clutch springs to push the piston back.



Colin

This was my thought when I was setting up my clutch recently, so I left the spring in also there were holes in the actuator arm and the slave cylinder bracket to fit a spring.
With the slave piston pulled back by the spring I made sure I adjusted the rod to give about 3 mm of play between the top hat throw out bearing and the clutch fingers. This was measured through the inspection hole above the gear leaver bracket
both my 2a’s have springs but I do notice clutch pedal is heavier than in my series 3

Cheers Paul

[Shane Scanlan]

G'day Shane,
Good question!. How do you measure that 3mm (1/8") up in there?.
Yes, the clearance you need to adjust is under the rubber boot at the bottom of the slave cylinder. Why this adjustment is necessary is to provide clearance between the slave piston skirt and circlip so that the pedal will go to the floor and not stop off the floor when the piston skirt hits the circlip and also the clutch plate is fully disengaged as well. (All the adjustments in the clutch system will give correct clearances and operation.)
I have taken photo's of my tools I made over the years. The rod one is made out of 1/8" stainless I had and is the one I use now. The shim one I made years ago in a hurry to get the job done!.
Just fully depress the clutch pedal and see where the piston skirt is in relation to the circlip. Then adjust the push rod length to give the 3mm (1/8") clearance using the tool to get the 3mm (1/8") clearance.
Note: The clutch hydraulics are the fastest wearing hydraulic components in the vehicle because of the gear changes and piston travel in city driving. The slave cylinder will leak first.
Hope this helps.
Chris
Thanks again. I now know where I should be poking my home-made thingamajig!
But the actual adjustment? Where does that happen? Are you saying that if I get everything else perfect (pedal height, free play, etc) then the 3mm gap will magically appear?
Or does the push rod has to be adjusted (despite being under full pressure at the time)?

[gromit]

This was my thought when I was setting up my clutch recently, so I left the spring in also there were holes in the actuator arm and the slave cylinder bracket to fit a spring. With the slave piston pulled back by the spring I made sure I adjusted the rod to give about 3 mm of play between the top hat throw out bearing and the clutch fingers. This was measured through the inspection hole above the gear leaver bracket both my 2a’s have springs but I do notice clutch pedal is heavier than in my series 3 Cheers Paul Hi Paul, the spring is there so that the slave cylinder is fully retracted otherwise you 'lose' part of it's stroke. What you've done is the way I would do the job to retain the full available stroke.
Good question!. How do you measure that 3mm (1/8") up in there?. Chris, fit the spring and adjust the pushrod and you won't have to do this because you have the full stroke of the slave cylinder available so it won't hit the circlip. With the spring in place if you can't adjust the pushrod to get a small clearance at the clutch then there is something worn or NQR somewhere. Removing the spring is a 'fix' but with other complications. Colin

[Busted Syncro]

G'day All,

Shane, I have got you thinking about what you are actually trying to achieve by following the Manual's clutch adjustment procedures. Yes you're right, you cannot adjust the pushrod length under load.
So what I do is fully depress the pedal and see where the slave piston skirt is in relation to the circlip, for example say approx. 8mm above the circlip. Then release the pedal and shorten the pushrod say 5mm by screwing the rod into the fork. Fully depress the pedal and check with your Go/No go gauge and make slight adjustments to get the clearance to 3mm(1/8") using the same procedure as above. (Once you have set the pushrod length next time you replace the slave cylinder it doesn't change very much.)
The reason why you have free play in the pedal is to make sure the master cylinder piston is passed the compensation port so there is no residual pressure in the system. The height of the pedal is set to give the slave cylinder piston the right amount of movement to operate the clutch cover plate forks.
Interesting, my parts manual doesn't list a return spring for the slave cylinder?.

G'day Colin,
I don't have any problems with my clutch setup, as per the Manual.
What you are missing here is part of the design of the clutch withdrawal mechanism on the 2a. The withdrawal sleeve bearing is oil lubricated from the gearbox and the outer race slides along the housing. There is no oil seal between the primary pinion bearing and the clutch. An Archimedes Screw is machined in the input shaft to return oil back to the bearing and away from the clutch assembly. The withdrawal sleeve forms part of this process because it is always rotating with the clutch assembly. It was designed that way in the 1960's so that the clutch system is self adjusting for wear on the driven plate as well. I have never had to replace a withdrawal sleeve bearing in my 46 years of ownership!.
The reason why modern clutch withdrawal bearings need to have clearance from the rotating clutch assembly is they are sealed and grease lubricated. They only rotate when the clutch is depressed. They don't last long if they are allowed to rotate with the clutch when driving normally. They have a return spring on the clutch operating lever and a stop to set the clearance away from the clutch.
That's why you don't park a Series 2a with the nose down a steep hill. Oil flows out along the input shaft and into the clutch assembly.

Thank you for listening to my thoughts on the subject. (We haven't mentioned the trailing brake shoes without return springs or adjusters on the 2A brake shoes and how that works. Maybe the same engineers designed the clutch slave system?.)

Chris

[gromit]

G'day Colin,
I don't have any problems with my clutch setup, as per the Manual.
What you are missing here is part of the design of the clutch withdrawal mechanism on the 2a. The withdrawal sleeve bearing is oil lubricated from the gearbox and the outer race slides along the housing. There is no oil seal between the primary pinion bearing and the clutch. An Archimedes Screw is machined in the input shaft to return oil back to the bearing and away from the clutch assembly. The withdrawal sleeve forms part of this process because it is always rotating with the clutch assembly. It was designed that way in the 1960's so that the clutch system is self adjusting for wear on the driven plate as well. I have never had to replace a withdrawal sleeve bearing in my 46 years of ownership!.
The reason why modern clutch withdrawal bearings need to have clearance from the rotating clutch assembly is they are sealed and grease lubricated. They only rotate when the clutch is depressed. They don't last long if they are allowed to rotate with the clutch when driving normally. They have a return spring on the clutch operating lever and a stop to set the clearance away from the clutch.
That's why you don't park a Series 2a with the nose down a steep hill. Oil flows out along the input shaft and into the clutch assembly.

Thank you for listening to my thoughts on the subject. (We haven't mentioned the trailing brake shoes without return springs or adjusters on the 2A brake shoes and how that works. Maybe the same engineers designed the clutch slave system?.)

Chris

Chris,
Having two Series II's I understand the clutch release mechanism but there is no need to have the bearing continually revolving.

The point I was making was about removing the spring so that the slave cylinder takes up part of the travel before being operated. The idea of the spring is that you always get full travel of the slave cylinder available to operate the clutch, adjustment needs to be made elsewhere.
Both my Series II's operate perfectly with spring in place and the one I sold a few years back was the same. No need to measure how far the piston is from the circlip because with full piston travel available it's not an issue although I do understand how spring removal would make the system self adjusting.

Trailing brake shoes don't need return springs until you reverse the vehicle, then it might be an issue.

Colin

[Shane Scanlan]

Hi Paul, the spring is there so that the slave cylinder is fully retracted otherwise you 'lose' part of it's stroke. What you've done is the way I would do the job to retain the full available stroke. Chris, fit the spring and adjust the pushrod and you won't have to do this because you have the full stroke of the slave cylinder available so it won't hit the circlip. With the spring in place if you can't adjust the pushrod to get a small clearance at the clutch then there is something worn or NQR somewhere. Removing the spring is a 'fix' but with other complications. Colin

The pushrod is already fully extended. This solution would require either adding a couple of centimetres to the pushrod, or mounting the slave under the bracket and still adding a centimetre to the pushrod. That can't be right either can it? And would you adjust the pedal height to that recommended in the manual for a non-hydrostatic or hydrostatic option?

[bemm52]

Shane I don’t think there is a right or a wrong way to set this up, as both methods work.
The key to this maybe re lengthening the rod or going without the spring is wear.
there are a lot of wear points from pedal to clutch plate cumulatively they will add up to the 1 or 2 cms you needed to gain
Good thing is you have got the setup working👍

Cheers Paul

[gromit]

The pushrod is already fully extended. This solution would require either adding a couple of centimetres to the pushrod, or mounting the slave under the bracket and still adding a centimetre to the pushrod. That can't be right either can it? And would you adjust the pedal height to that recommended in the manual for a non-hydrostatic or hydrostatic option?

Shane,

Just confirming Paul's point.
There is lost motion somewhere, I don't have this issue with either of my Series II's or the one I previously owned.

Removing the spring is a 'fix' to overcome your problem but as Chris suggested you can end up with the slave cylinder running out of travel, hence the comment about ensuring the piston is 3mm away from the circlip.

Colin

[Busted Syncro]

G'day Shane,

All good with the further posts. Yes I agree you have two methods of adjustment without/ with slave spring. Both work as Colin has said his series 11's clutch had no problems with the spring fitted.
It appears neither is going to work for you ATM however, I posted why each adjustment is made and the design methods which will help I think in fault finding what is wrong with the your setup.
Without knowing ATM where the slave cylinder skirt is in relation to the circlip with pedal depressed and the push rod is fully extended already, I feel the problem is as John mentioned the setup of the withdrawal forks on the splined cross shaft in relation to the pins for the connecting tube. (The manual explains how to set this up.)

So how to move forward without removing the gearbox as you also have brake problems as well.

Your suggestion of making a longer pushrod maybe worth a try, once you know where the piston skirt is as a solution and when you have to remove the G/B for other reasons you can adjust the fork position back to where it should be if that is the cause of the problem.
The pushrod is 5/16" UNF x 4.125" long. A longer one can be made out of a bolt with the head removed and the end radiused.
I could take some photo's of my setup of the connecting tube with the clutch out and fully depressed referenced to a datum point if possible to pickup the angles of the pins?. Let me know.

Chris

[gromit]

Here's a similar problem which turned out to be a hardened pin replaced with a bolt causing the lost motion. Also a lengthened operating rod had been made where someone had maybe tried to 'fix' the problem ?!

clutch adjustment woes (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-ii-and-iia/268238-clutch-adjustment-woes.html)

It seems pins replaced with bolts will probably cause problems or the clutch operating arm has been installed one spline out of position.

Another adjustment method.

Clutch Adjustment (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/series-ii-and-iia/99753-clutch-adjustment.html)

If everything is in order there shouldn't be a need to lengthen the pushrod.

Colin

[JDNSW]

Yes

[Cadas]

G'day Shane,


The pushrod is 5/16" UNF x 4.125" long. A longer one can be made out of a bolt with the head removed and the end radiused.


Chris

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200902/ee8408881fa83a24a9aeed83ccd228b0.jpg
Using a bolt is not a good idea. Someone tried that on Sid and it didn’t end well. (It did for me as I got him cheaper)

The bolt has bent by 90degrees.