Rover build quality

R220 · 4 Aug 2006 at 20:38

Hi,

Well today i was pootling about in my Rover 416 and wondered why the clutch wasnt disengauging fully. All thoughts about slave cylinder or faulty clutch release bearings etc.. but i decided to have a peak myself. Followed the clutch fluid pipe to the piston that presses the clutch lever and to my horror found that the tiny tin thin bracket used to support and with take a huge amount of force has snapped. Seriously please dont tell me this is uncommon ? i mean the bracket is piddly, no wonder its snapped.

Was ment to be going dorset for the weekend tomorrow morning in this car

Picture of said failed bracket -
http://www.btinternet.com/~mark.220/Misc/rover-snap.jpg

Simon · 4 Aug 2006 at 20:40

Looks corroded?

once you get a stress point in something like that the crack will grow until the bracket gives up

R220 · 4 Aug 2006 at 20:43

indeedy, i guess its happened over a long period as the clutch has been a bit dodgy for a couple of weeks, i just thought the cable had stretched, only relised it was hydrolic today lol :rolleyes:

SinaiSound · 4 Aug 2006 at 21:01

I had exactly the same problem in exactly the same car.

Mine went at some traffic lights in Sheffield when I was driving to see my girlfriend, which was a little annoying and I had to get towed back home to York.

silversurfer · 4 Aug 2006 at 21:17

Ive had a similar thing happen in a much older austin model, but it was after a crash so cant really blame it for letting go.

I started up my old Rover the other day after being sat on the driveway since May, it took just a couple of seconds and a perfect start was had

This from a 13 year old car that was sold to me as spares/repairs

Meridian · 4 Aug 2006 at 22:42

Simon said:
Looks corroded?

I'm inclined to agree - it looks like the crack is rusty at the left-hand end, suggesting a long-running problem.

M

NickXX · 4 Aug 2006 at 23:09

R220 · 5 Aug 2006 at 00:00

NickXX said:
HGF?

thats already been repaired

Dogbreath · 5 Aug 2006 at 02:56

Hardly a bit of "thin tin" though, I was expecting something made out of tin foil virtualy.

It looks like it's a fabricated part, if so it's failed exactly where I would expect it to, on a weld. You have an old(ish) car, things do go wrong and break, that's simply life. However, that would be a few moments work with a welder to fix, if you don't have one remove the bracket and take it to a garage that does. Shouldn't cost much.