Practically Classics Forum

That sounds like just the problem you have - fiddly, but do-able, and a lot less hassle than having to split the clutch housing!

Go for it - let us know how you get on!

Hmm, there should be a couple of clips, one into either end pivot of the clutch carbon. These would have kept the fork and the thrust pad together. So add a decent pair of long forceps to your tool box (tackle shops sell them for disgorging fish) before setting out to do this and yes, it certainly should be feasible. Wasn't that the same forum that suggested there was no spring on the slave pushrod though?


Or the cast type, which has two small holes into which thae clips locate:

Cheers again!! (owe you a few pints!)

There is a spring on the Twinspark as the slave is located at in front of the fork not behind (hence me not being able to use the repalcement clutch pipe I bought from a twinspart ).

But not on the 3.0 V6.

I think in moving the yoke at the end of gearbox to locate the bolts for the yolk I have moved the location of the bearing as its turned the whole thing, does that make sense?

Yes, it does. Here's wishing you success with getting it all working. My fingers are crossed for you and I'm hoping that the bearing carrier hasn't lost its means of holding it in between the ends of the fork. If you can fiddle the clips back in through that small hole then you'll be home and dry.

Well good news is sorted the location of the fork.

The bearing inside has flat sides and you can actually reach your hand in the opening and use you fingers to line it up.

Once I did this the fork slid in and located



As you can see it is pretty much in the middle now.

So I went on to refit the clutch pipe and bleed the slve cylinder.

But I have another issue lol!!

Now the fork is in place there is no movement, and I am wondering if the clutch plate has seized.

Also bleeding the slave cylinder, the pedal keeps goign to the floor , despite fresh fluid coming out the bleed nipple and all the air being out. Use the standard method of having someone pump the pedal and then tighten the nipple when its down but the pedal still hits the floor and stays there.

I have checked the connections and there is no leaks.

So currently the fork is not moving and the clutch pedal is going to the floor.

With the fork not moving it would not allow the slave to move in and out, presumably that would be affecting the bleeding

ISTR that it can be difficult to shift any air when trying to bleed these from the top down, unless you remove the slave cylinder and lift it above the master then bleed, then replace the slave cylinder once the air's all out.
Last one I did I had to use my vacuum bleeder on it as gravity bleeding - effective if the pipe and the bleed nipple are in their correct places - didn't shift any air.

How long since the car was running and the clutch working? I wouldn't expect a plate to seize on the splines unless it's been off the road for a long while, and then only if the last person to fit a clutch didn't use a little copper grease on the splines. If the plate is seized that way, then it will most likely be possible to free it once the car's been started so I'd concentrate on getting the air out first, then you'll be able to operate the clutch once the plate frees off.

ISTR that it can be difficult to shift any air when trying to bleed these from the top down, unless you remove the slave cylinder and lift it above the master then bleed, then replace the slave cylinder once the air's all out. Last one I did I had to use my vacuum bleeder on it as gravity bleeding - effective if the pipe and the bleed nipple are in their correct places - didn't shift any air.

Many years ago I undertook a major accident repair on a newish Peugeot 504 pick up which involved the removal of the engine & box to enable the repairs to the inner wing / chassis leg etc - after the vehicle was painted - I replaced the engine & box - but when it came to bleed the clutch slave cylinder - I struggled - in the end I called another more established Peugeot dealer (we had only had the franchise 6 months) and an old boy explained that you could only bleed the system from the slave upwards to the master / reservior - he went on to explain that the easy way to do this was to use the braking system to do so - so I ended up with a small hose off one of the front calipers bleed nipples back to the clutch slave bleed nipple and bled the system upwards by operation of the brakes- I wonder if you could do the same with the alfa ?

Cheers guys.

I did have a vacum bleed set (ezibleed) that you use a spare wheel on so Il give that a go.

Car has been off the road for about 5 months now.

Eezibleed isn't a vacuum bleeder, it works by pressuring the fluid and wouldn't be its usual, useful self on this job, a vacuum bleeder uses a small pump to evacuate the system but Grumpy's spot on with his mention of using the brake pedal as an alternative. That's a good method that often works on awkward bleeders such as the small Triumph sports cars and I'd certainly consider doing the same with the Alfa.

Ah ok.

I would have to connect the slave at rear to a front caliper and the rear brakes are the same score, incredibly difficult to bleed (due to some kind of bias valve I believe that shuts the rear off under hard pedal or something).

What I dont understand is that there has been absolutely NO improvement in pedal, depsite me seeeing vast amounts of air come out and then clear fluid with no bubbles.
The pedal hits the floor and does not return wit hno pressure behind it at all. Exactly the same as before the slave was reconnected and fluid topped up.

I can see it requires more to bleed it completely to get all air out, but there should have been some improvement in pedal shouldnt there?