Clutch release arm and clutch plate was the wrong way.

[JamesG]

It's a learning curve after reading it I would make sure that clutch cable itself is seated properly

[doogle-d turbo]

Have you put the clutch arm pin back in? Is it solid?
Also have you just bent the clutch forks straight in the gearbox? Might not be aligning right with the release bearing.
Did mine last week, there's a clear gap if you put the clutch on back to front. Also was the friction plate lined up to the hole?

[C2K]

Clutch cable not being seated can do that. My brothers car was doing similar till I came up to it and found the cable not fully home.

Likely to be your plate though, unlucky.

Arm doesn't need to come off for the clutch but does to change the bushes that are worn. I couldn't get mine off, but the bushes seemed ok so i left it. My brothers were sloppy as anything but i couldn't get the arm off for love nor money.

[DeeTurbo]

It's a learning curve after reading it I would make sure that clutch cable itself is seated properly

Yep, the cable has seated properly.

Have you put the clutch arm pin back in? Is it solid?
Also have you just bent the clutch forks straight in the gearbox? Might not be aligning right with the release bearing.
Did mine last week, there's a clear gap if you put the clutch on back to front. Also was the friction plate lined up to the hole?

Yep, the pin is in good and the arm is moving with the shaft. I took the fork out to straighten it but I think I could of done a better job of it as I just done it by eye, I should of used a square on it. I didn't check the bottom fork so the two might be out a bit and not pushing the bearing correctly. The hole was aligned in the plate using a deep 3/8" 13mm socket. If the alignment was not correct I don't think the box would have gone on?

Clutch cable not being seated can do that. My brothers car was doing similar till I came up to it and found the cable not fully home.

Likely to be your plate though, unlucky.

Arm doesn't need to come off for the clutch but does to change the bushes that are worn. I couldn't get mine off, but the bushes seemed ok so i left it. My brothers were sloppy as anything but i couldn't get the arm off for love nor money.

I might try to finish work early tomorrow and strip it down to have a good look at everything. I've got a feeling I might need James box for the fork. I thought while it was out I'd change both bushes as the clutch was heavy for quite awhile and there was a bit of slack in the top one.

[JamesG]

I might try to finish work early tomorrow and strip it down to have a good look at everything. I've got a feeling I might need James box for the fork. I thought while it was out I'd change both bushes as the clutch was heavy for quite awhile and there was a bit of slack in the top one.

Just let me know as and when

[DeeTurbo]

Thursday night I took it apart again to find the plate was in the wrong way.




This is how it was,




and this is how it should have been, notice you can see the markings saying which side should be facing the gearbox behind the spring.




Damage to the flywheel bolts from the plate. I was lucky there wasn't more damage.



The stud trick didn't work ether. I took the N/S shaft out and left the O/S attached, I thought I could just slide the box to one side with the trolley jack under it but the O/S shaft got stuck in the box. I couldn't do anything until I got the shaft out and that was a pain to do now so getting it apart took a lot longer then I thought it was going to. In the end I had to remove the O/s shaft completely and then dropped the box out using an engine crane. It's nice that there are two points on the box that you can hang the box from and it will be balanced level.


The other reason I couldn't pull the box across as the chassis leg got in the way.

I also replaced the lower engine mount and the car drives so much nicer now, with a lot less vibrations and the engine seems smoother as I think the old realise bearing must have been running dry for quite some time.

I now need to find out why there isn't much power there compared to my girlfriends car but I think this might be down to the brakes dragging a little. There is not one that's dragging a lot but all dragging a little so going to rebuild the front calipers and I've bought some new one to replace the rears as I found some going cheap on ebay.

[C2K]

Unlucky, not sure how you managed to do it like that but we all make mistakes - as you say it's lucky that the clutch isn't damaged.

Is your girlfriend's a HDI 90?

[DeeTurbo]

Got away with it this time. I think I must of put it in the right way first, found it not to sit steady when placing the cover over it, then I must of took it out and flipped it round without giving it a thought, silly me.

Yep, It's a HDI 90 but it's in a 206. I know the 206 is a little lighter, geared differently but my car feels a lot slower and not as eager to go as hers. It feels a bit better since changing the clutch but there still feels like there is something holding it back.

[Toms306]

So you did get the plate backwards!? Oh dear, seems odd that mine wouldn't go in backwards though, or did you just force it on anyway lol.

[DeeTurbo]

Yep, plate was in backwards and the cover plate went on exactly the same as the right way. I didn't have to force anything it just seemed to fit.

The clutch bit is far to low at the moment. I've tried stamping on the pedal but the cable won't self adjust. The cable was replaced with one from the dealers.

[Toms306]

Hmm, fair enough!

And didnt you stretch the cable by adding spacers?

[DeeTurbo]

Yeah, I tried it with spacers when the plate was in the wrong way but it was the same then, that's one of the reasons I put the spacers in and thinking it needs more push on the clutch if that makes sense.

I wonder if the ratchet mechanism has jammed from the first time round?

---

Tom will you be getting another 306 after your current has gone?

[Toms306]

But unless I'm getting this the wrong way round, you're putting more tension on the arm by adding spacers, so it will bite sooner?


And hell no, not sure what Im getting (if anything) but it wont be another 306, I've had 6 of them.

[DeeTurbo]

I think it's the other way round, so it engages the clutch sooner. That's what I did when the plate was in the wrong way and I might do it again if I can't get this one to adjust right. I don't like these self adjusting cables, much prefer the manual ones.

[Toms306]

Ok fair do's, can't quite picture it in my head so am probably getting it arse about face lol.

And I completely agree, 'auto' adusters are crap everywhere, clutch cables, drum brakes, etc! Just make things manual lol, much easier.