2003 Vauxhall VX220 2.2

[GT_MAXER]

update:

Got everything fitted and buttoned up and was time for a first start.

• Turned the crank by hand and everything free
• Unplugged the coilpack and turned it over on the starter. all ok
• Connected coilpack and started up all ok
• Tried to put it into gear (on stands) and clutch felt awful. Hard, then soft, then stuck halfway down then freed up
• - can select gears without pressing the clutch
• - drive wont engage

Hoping its a case of I bled the clutch incorrectly. I put a pressure bleeder on the reservoir and let the fluid flow from the bleed nipple on top of the box until it ran clear. Prob put 200-300ml of fluid through

Also of note is a light scraping sound while rotating. If I had to guess it feels like the springs on the pressure plate rotating against the slave cylinder.

I really hope this isnt a box off again affair, Im not sure my mental health could cope with it.

pablo when you say drive wont engage are you saying its going into gears but not driving the wheels? and being able to engage with no cluch being pressed makes me think the clutch is stuck engaged.
side note - far play to you for doing this 'GARAGE LEGEND'

 

[pablo]

fluid coming out the bottom of the box, so looks like slave cylinder is in bad shape. its a new one too

box out again

 

[svensktoppen]

Oh drat, that luck of yours again

Sure it's easier the second time at least!

 

[pablo]

I didnt bolt up any of the suspension stuff really so have a little bit of a head start at least. and I know where all the bolts are and how to get them easily too.

couple of hours should see it out again

 

[brendy7]

You sure the pipe is tight going into the cylinder made the mistake before only had it finger tight till I had the cylinder bolted down then walked away to do something else and forgot about it lol

 

[pablo]

aye I checked it before fitting the box. There is a fitting on top of the box too where the bleed nipple is but it doesnt seem to be coming from there, so it must be the slave inside the box

 

[AMG]

update:

Got everything fitted and buttoned up and was time for a first start.

• Turned the crank by hand and everything free
• Unplugged the coilpack and turned it over on the starter. all ok
• Connected coilpack and started up all ok
• Tried to put it into gear (on stands) and clutch felt awful. Hard, then soft, then stuck halfway down then freed up
• - can select gears without pressing the clutch
• - drive wont engage

Hoping its a case of I bled the clutch incorrectly. I put a pressure bleeder on the reservoir and let the fluid flow from the bleed nipple on top of the box until it ran clear. Prob put 200-300ml of fluid through

Also of note is a light scraping sound while rotating. If I had to guess it feels like the springs on the pressure plate rotating against the slave cylinder.

I really hope this isnt a box off again affair, Im not sure my mental health could cope with it.

Sounds like what happened me with the Toledo, turns out the pressure plate hadn't correctly seated. I had tightened up the bolts (or so I thought), put box on and then had same issue as you.
Tried to convince myself it was a bleeding issue too and worked at that for nights on end. Had to eat humble pie and take box out again.

Seen my problem with the plate, had it fixed within minutes of getting the box off.

Back on again, and caught a bracket and snapped it when maneuvering it into position, which kindly fell into bellhousing unknown to me. Car built up and on its wheels again, and tried to turn over and engine locked solid. Was fit to be tied - box off again!

 

[FM155]

Frig me, that's bad craic with the slave cylinder.

@amg306 I'd have been looking for branches to do a Basil Fawlty on the bonnet ffs, either that or just burn it.

 

[pablo]

Box out again. Looks like the slave cylinder had fully extended and locked into place which explains why the clutch was always disengaged.

now to figure out where the fluid was coming from.

 

[GT_MAXER]

The satisfaction you will feel when you take this up the road or on the track next week will be class mate.

 

[veedubnoodle]

If the cylinder has fully extended will it not have ripped the seal hence the fluid leak?

I'm not a mechanic though, just guessing, so feel free to correct me

Fingers crossed you get it sorted man and fair play to you doing this all by yourself on the ground

 

[pablo]

If the cylinder has fully extended will it not have ripped the seal hence the fluid leak?

I'm not a mechanic though, just guessing, so feel free to correct me

Fingers crossed you get it sorted man and fair play to you doing this all by yourself on the ground

Don’t think I can chance it so will grab a new one. Question is why did it fully extend and will it happen again.

 

[FM155]

Sounds odd, is the lightweight flywheel the same offset from the crank?
Maybe worth checking that the depth from the face of the bellhousing to the face where the slave cyl is mounted also in case it's different on the two boxes. (Unlikely)

 

[Todd]

What a pain!

Hopefully you get it sorted without too much hassle.

 

[pablo]

Sounds odd, is the lightweight flywheel the same offset from the crank?
Maybe worth checking that the depth from the face of the bellhousing to the face where the slave cyl is mounted also in case it's different on the two boxes. (Unlikely)

Aye checked the bell housing just in case and it’s dead on. I built the old flywheel and clutch back up to make sure it’s the right thickness too so need to check that but all seems ok.
I’m wondering if using a pressure bleeder on the clutch maybe caused it to overextend but I can’t see how as it would be pushing against the pressure plate which isn’t easy to push.

I’m still also confused as to how the box could be in gear but not driving the wheels. Pre fitting I tested the gears by turning the input shaft and watching the driveshaft splines turn.

 

[veedubnoodle]

I’m still also confused as to how the box could be in gear but not driving the wheels. Pre fitting I tested the gears by turning the input shaft and watching the driveshaft splines turn.

Well if the slave is fully extended would that not mean it would be like the clutch would be fully disengaged all the time?

 

[brendy7]

I dont no what zafria clutch you have used but I know there is 2 different pot depth in the flywheel for the petrol ones if you mix the two up there wont be any drive

 

[FM155]

Sounds like this tbh ^^

 

[pablo]

Think I figured out what went wrong. My slave cylinder seemed to get stuck "on" so couldn't get drive as clutch was always disengaged. Looked for differences in the boxes but all measured up perfectly. even built up the old flywheel/clutch combo to check the stack height and all matched up. Because I cant trust the old slave I bought a new one today and decided to pop off the silver block for the clutch line and think I have my smoking gun. The silver block attaches to a black plastic nipple attached to the box. This has a little rubber grommit on top to seal I presume. When I removed the silver block from the old box it took the grommit with it, and the new box still had the grommit on it so it got double bagged. I think this caused the fluid to go "one way" meaning every time I pushed the pedal it was building pressure rather than pressure/release/pressure/release etc.

I think I'll replace the silver block rather than try to hoke it out of there and compromise the seal.

 

[svensktoppen]

Good detective work, fingers crossed that's all it was So many random things that can go wrong, if that's the only stumble in the end then you've done well.

 

[pablo]

Offending article

 

[pablo]

Box back in. Clutch bled. Seems solid so far. Driveshafts in tomorrow and can give it a test.

 

[FM155]

Epic effort.

 

[pablo]

Back on its wheels and drove out of the garage under its own steam. Gears seem good. Clutch seems good. Still a ton of wee jobs to finish up before a test drive but up and down the drive seems bang on.

 

[svensktoppen]

Happy days