1966 Commer imp, N/S front suspension " H " bracket change .

Not done much to this of late except use it - get it covered in mud and generally abuse the poor thing .
Apart from some alterations to the throttle linkage due to the new zorst manifold getting in the way its been utterly reliable.A pic i found which dates back to 92 or 93 when it was that hideous Caribbean blue colour someone had troweled on .

Well it ate its clutch although to be fair it did keep moving and only three weeks ago went to Kent and back on a 400 mile drive fully loaded.
So out with the engine and box


Thrust carbon bearing was royally worn - i last had the engine out 12 years ag so cant complain

Should look like this

Pressure plate is also knackered

So more expense and more work to do .

Well the new transaxle turned out to be not so good , 1st was real hard to find as was reverse , added to which the clutch judder was horrible especially changing down and quite frankly terrible going from 4th to 3rd .
So it all got hoofed out yet again , i refitted the old box , a new flywheel , another new driven plate , another cover and guess what --- it still judders but only when pulling away this time and not changing down so slightly better
the rebuilt transaxles gone back for a sort out and since then apart from a few runs out its more or less been abandoned and dumped in the garage in disgrace

Still not fixed - still waiting for the transaxle to come back.
It still drives though as the old ones back in - we think the input shaft is worn , both the new one and the old one fitted both have loads of spline wear .
Engines running rather well though and if you give it some spirited revs pulling away it doesnt judder .
Anyway its still alive if rather unused
I have at least washed the mud off it

In an effort to sort the clutch out theres now the thought that excessive play in the input shaft splines might be the cause - driven plate is very slack on the shaft with about 10mm movement rocking it back and forth - well ive tried everything else ,
So a known working transaxle will soon be on its way from Scotland .
If this doesnt work i can see me torching the thing
Wish it and me some luck - i need it

Hi, re your clutch judder. We Stag owners can suffer the same problem if the gearbox isn’t aligned properly, I know it’s sounds easy with an alignment tool but there aren’t any dowels on a stag box/engine. Just wondered if this may be your Imps problem too?

In a frantic " lets just rip the feckin thing to bits " kind of way and dosed up to the armpits in pain killers Ive ripped the engine and box out in 1 hour 40 minutes .
There isnt ----
Any contamination , driven plate is dry .
Spigot bush is fine , flywheel centre is dry so nothing getting through the flywheel bolts or leaking out the spigot bush .
Pressure plate surface looks fine - centre has no play or rattly fingers fitted or not fitted .
There is ----
A distinct mark where it looks like the driven plate is grabbing the flywheel .
The clips that hold the thrust bearing in were no longer on the arm= and although there was a slight rattle the slave does hold it in place - il reserve judgement as to wether this is the cause or not - after all the springs don't exactly hold it tight . I found one behind the flywheel
Logic says if the pressure plate contact surface looks fine and the flywheel one does not then A -- The driven plate must be ok on one side at least and B --- the flywheel might be at fault or the driven plate is wonky on the flywheel side - I'm clutching at straws now ( get it )

Not even bedded in



tother side


Pressure plate surface looks perfect







Flywheel side looks weird , strange marks between 11 oclock and 3 oclock



Thrust bearing spring shouldnt be here

Thanks for your liking it , something is definitely not right - not sure what though

Its threadloc i think ( just semi permanent stuff ) , thread was fine and the bolt tight