| Author |
Message |
Chuck Lott (68.215.131.247)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2003 - 6:50 pm: | |
MC5.....This afternoon, while sitting at a red light with the clutch in and coach in first gear, the clutch mechanism began to release, ( with the pedal still depressed) then the clutch pedal falls flat to the floor. (Pedal in, but clutch out)
Got it to a rolling start and drove to the lot where I park it.
(Yes,that is a blessing)
I removed the spare tire and saw that the return spring was broken. That would keep the pedal off the floor.
But the pedal isnt doing anything. Other than that, the clutch was fine.
I crawled under and had a look, but didnt see anything apparent wrong. Any ideas? |
J.L.Vickers (209.34.28.164)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2003 - 8:15 pm: | |
Well this is just a guess on my part.
It sort of sounds like your clutch throw out bearing went bad.
Perhaps the release fingers on the clutch failed along with the throwout bearing?
Or does your bus have an air assist clutch?
If so could it have been the problem?
Please Note the above is just a idea on my part.
Good Luck! |
ralph7 (208.171.8.10)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2003 - 8:34 pm: | |
Da-book shows 3 pivot points with bolts that tighten arms to shafts, but does not say if splined or keyed,to shafts. Sounds like bolt came loose and shaft rotated, key may have fallen out. Just look very close at all pivot points, it does not take much rotation to cause big problems. DA-BOOK says do not adjust any linkage, adjust clutch according to book. |
Jojo Colina (Du1jec) (68.8.176.35)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2003 - 8:36 pm: | |
mc-5's have an air assist cylinder at the tranny end. |
Chuck Lott (68.215.131.247)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2003 - 5:39 am: | |
Thanks. I'll have another look this afternoon. It does have the air assist cylinder. There was no other symptoms before it went out (no noise that I could hear) So the slipped linkage would be a good place to start. I'll post results. Thanks |
BrianMCI96A3 (65.173.65.52)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2003 - 9:53 am: | |
First of all from the standpoint of a mechanic
who has worked on thousands of trucks but only my own bus... A broken return spring is a bad sign, usually, this causes the weight of the pedal, linkage and throw-out bearing to rest ever-so-lightly on the fingers of the pressure plate. This is not a good thing. Without the return spring, the throw-out bearing never stops spinning and builds heat, and while it can stand that sort of abuse for a considerable period, eventually the grease in the bearing dries up, the bearing fails, the face of the throw-out bearing stops spinning and shortly afterward the fingers of the pressure plate become glowing hot. Apply the clutch at that point and depending on how much heat has built up, the throw-out bearing will push through the fingers of the pressure plate like the proverbial hot knife through butter.
Brian |
Chuck Lott (68.215.131.247)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2003 - 5:18 pm: | |
Brian , you were right! that's exactly what happened. I crawled up under and removed the inspection plate and there she was.
I bought this bus as needing a clutch, so now I can start on it.
Anyone did a clutch job on MC5 that could share experience?
Thanks |
J.L.Vickers (209.34.28.164)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 10, 2003 - 6:03 pm: | |
I checked in my MCI manuals I only have a MC-7 maintenance manual.
I would say unless you have a pit to put your bus over it might be easier to remove the engine and transmission as one unit.
Then you can remove the transmission and replace the clutch and reinstall the transmission on the engine and reinstall the complete unit.
Just a thought on my part.
jlv |